Knocking noise from somewhere - chain / front sprocket?

[Stu]

Be careful if you try and push it out with the tool without taking the head off, the pins on the tool can bend or snap if you give it too much welly!

 

This

My mate decided to use his newly purchased chain tool to try and remove the chain and snapped the only pin! he had to go out and buy another plus a spare

I showed him how to remove it with a grinder

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Be careful if you try and push it out with the tool without taking the head off, the pins on the tool can bend or snap if you give it too much welly!

 

This

My mate decided to use his newly purchased chain tool to try and remove the chain and snapped the only pin! he had to go out and buy another plus a spare

I showed him how to remove it with a grinder

 

Looks like I can pick up a cheapish grinder with a metal cutting disc for about £20. Would that do the job?

[Stu]

More than do the job

do you not know anyone you can borrow one off?

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

More than do the job

do you not know anyone you can borrow one off?

 

Yes, quick call to my step dad and he has one I can borrow.

So I have:

Grinder to cut chain

tools to remove front sprocket, rear sprocket and rear wheel

chain and sprocket set (on order)

chain tool and riveter for linking the chain together

torque wrench for reassembly tightening as required.

anything else I need? apart from a decent day to do it in of course

[Stu]

yes make sure you do things in the right order

like remove the front sprocket nut before cutting the chain and an assistant may help to steady the bike and hold the brakes when removing the front sprocket nut

ensure the new chain has a soft link and not a solid one

A soft link has a hole in the centre of the link for the chain tool to go in to and to mushroom the link like this

 

 

If the link is solid them you will not be able to mushroom the end and will more than likely break the chain tool

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/142139359994?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Thanks. is this a soft link?

[Stu]

from experience DID chains usually come with a soft link and it does say "(with a rivet type connecting link)"

So I would assume it does

You can only check it when it turns up

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

excellent, thanks again.

[Stu]

once you get the chain have a look at the link if it is solid then its the wrong one if it has a hole in the two pins then all is good to go

they are cheap off ebay too and this is what it should look like

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/D-I-D-Motorcycle-Drive-Chain-Hollow-Rivet-Link-530-VX-Gold-Black-/131826530419?hash=item1eb1793873:g:AwMAAOSwTdJXRVIa

[TimR]

Tub of paraffin for cleaning around the swingarm and sprocket housings ... get all the old gritty chain lube off so new chain has a good start in life ...

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

If you don't have much use for a grinder otherwise then consider putting the money into a Dremel - or one of the cheaper versions. It's the kind of thing you'll use time and time again all around the house so well worth having. I have a cordless Dremel which is brilliant for removing chain links.

[onesea]

IF you have the time I would not worry about buying a grinder until you have tried pressing the pin out... I took my time lining up the tool and it came out a breeze, I had a grinder but getting power to my garage was going to be difficult so it would mean pushing the bike 100m back and forth so i just tried it and it was not difficult...

If you have not used a chain breaker this video might help...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vhZTQDx8i0

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Very useful vid as I had no idea how to use it. I also thought you need to break the master link but it seems you can break any link.

hopefully chain set should be here tomorrow.

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Hmm reconnecting the new chain could prove tricky

[onesea]

Hmm reconnecting the new chain could prove tricky

Thats where I broke my tool, its surprisingly easy to over tighten it seems. I was lucky enough to have a couple of motorbike mechanics check my rivet out and say its fine...

The chain i bought had specs for size of rivet when finished, I did not quite get there but trusted mechanics said it was fine...

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Hmm reconnecting the new chain could prove tricky

Thats where I broke my tool, its surprisingly easy to over tighten it seems. I was lucky enough to have a couple of motorbike mechanics check my rivet out and say its fine...

The chain i bought had specs for size of rivet when finished, I did not quite get there but trusted mechanics said it was fine...

 

Slowly and keep checking seems to be the way. I don't have anyone to check for me so I expect pics at some point

[onesea]

Hmm reconnecting the new chain could prove tricky

Thats where I broke my tool, its surprisingly easy to over tighten it seems. I was lucky enough to have a couple of motorbike mechanics check my rivet out and say its fine...

The chain i bought had specs for size of rivet when finished, I did not quite get there but trusted mechanics said it was fine...

 

Slowly and keep checking seems to be the way. I don't have anyone to check for me so I expect pics at some point

 

If you popped your approximate location on your profile, you might be surprised what offers of help you get....

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

If you popped your approximate location on your profile, you might be surprised what offers of help you get....[/

 

Done

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

So chain has arrived. Here's the chain link:

http://s800.photobucket.com/user/martash2009/media/IMG_20161223_142355098.jpg.html?o=1

http://s800.photobucket.com/user/martash2009/media/IMG_20161223_142408220.jpg.html?o=0

is that a soft link? I'm not sure of the difference.

Also they have sent a different type of front sprocket. Should have been a JT brand.

[onesea]

I cannot help with sprocket brand... I bought from Demon Teaks as I trusted them to be ok .

As for soft link to looks similar to the one I used..

Although you are only 45 minutes away by bike, I am down in the New Forest not a million miles.

If I was not tied up for christmas I would be asking when you are doing it any problems shout and I will see if I can come up to help.

I have PM'd you, we will have to meet up...

[Westbeef]

So chain has arrived. Here's the chain link:

http://s800.photobucket.com/user/martash2009/media/IMG_20161223_142355098.jpg.html?o=1

http://s800.photobucket.com/user/martash2009/media/IMG_20161223_142408220.jpg.html?o=0

is that a soft link? I'm not sure of the difference.

Also they have sent a different type of front sprocket. Should have been a JT brand.

 

What brand did they send?

[Stu]

Looks like a soft link to me

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

The packaging reads Hornet Sprockets.

I also have a rubberised JT front sprocket from separate order which I was going to send back but I may just use it in place of the Hornet one

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Looks like a soft link to me

 

Good news

[Foxy Stoat seeks Pig]

Ok so mixed results today. I have been out there for hours...mostly enjoyable until the end when all kinds of things started go wrong.

Started off checking the brake pads. Not much left on them but look quite easy to replace. Happy with that and enjoyed finding my way around the bike.

Then off with the front sprocket nut and replaced with the rubberised front sprocket, removed back wheel, brake calliper and changed the rear sprocket. All that took me ages really but no real struggl. Then tried to get back wheel back on.....nightmare...I need about 4 pairs of hands and feet. eventually got it back on after much swearing.

Now hear is my problem. Front sprocket nut - in the manual it tells me to set my torque wrench to 90nm. I set it correctly and started to tighten but all of a sudden the nut slipped and I've stripped the thread. I have another to use but worried about doing the same to this one.

Light was starting to fade, i was getting stressed so I packed up for the day. I haven't even started the chain yet, just hope I don't have to remove the back wheel to do it.