Breaking a cam chain

[cmyoch]

My cam chain is continuous. I've never separated a chain. Do I just grind off link? Do I need a special tool to punch out a rivet? I've heard some guys leave the chain continuous but I am doing a top end rebuild and I don't want to split the case just to put on a chain.

What's the typical method to install the chain?

 

[retiredgentleman]

No special tools needed. Just buy a small grind stone that will fit in your electric drill chuck. Your drill will grind off the link end in about 5 minutes or less. Put some cloth or plastic around the work area so fine metal does not get into the engine.

 

[5twins]

You can grind any link but I like to find the master link and remove that .....

Grind the pins flush and then with a couple taps using a pin punch, it will pop right out .....

Some of the new chains are split and include a master link to assemble them (D.I.D.). Some are endless but master links are available (Tsubaki). You can split the old chain during the disassembly process to ease cam removal but leave the chain in place. When reassembling the motor, hook the new chain to the old one and pull it down through the motor.

 

[cmyoch]

I haven't looked at my engine in a while and I just went out to inventory my parts. I bought the engine disassembled (top end) and the cam chain is still in but linked. It was never broken. I assume the po removed the bearings to lower the cam to remove it from the chain?

 

[5twins]

Yes, that's probably what he did. You can slowly turn the motor over by hand to rotate the chain around and find the master link. Just hold up on the chain so it doesn't bunch up down inside the motor. Once split, you can rotate the motor back to TDC, "jumping" the chain around the bottom sprocket (feed some slack in one side, pull it out the other) so both ends still remain at the top. Then rig up a way to hang the chain as you do the motor work. I have an outrigger made up for my engine stand to suspend the chain from .....

 

[cmyoch]

Mine's bolted onto a home made stand like that too. I'll make a rig to hold the chain once I get it separated. I bought a brand new chain thinking that while I have it apart, I might as well replace it. Not knowing the history of the engine, it's cheap insurance.

I just looked my chain and it's the same chain that you have pictured. In your opinion, should I just buy a new master link or install the new "peanut" chain? At least by breaking the existing chain, I don't risk the new chain coming off the crank as I fish it through connected to the old chain.

 

[5twins]

I would replace the old chain. It's pretty much just something you do when rebuilding one of these top ends (if it hasn't been replaced recently), along with the front guide. My pic is of the original D.I.D. chain that was in mine. I replaced it with the same (from Mike's). If your motor has anything near 20K on it, it's a pretty safe bet that the original chain needs replacing. They can last many 10s of thousands of miles if properly cared for but there's the rub - most weren't. They were never checked and adjusted frequently enough.

 

[rebel542]

Lift the rocker cover and then, with cam chain adjuster removed, remove the bearings from the camshaft. You can easily remove the camshaft without breaking the chain. Assembly is reverse order.
Hope this helps.