Chain Tight Spot Tips? - Ducati.ms

james0133 · Aug 25th, 2007, 1:27 pm

Does any one have any good tips for getting tight spots out of a chain? I am hopefully getting a new chain and ridiculously expensive sprockets (the back that is) soon. But if any one has found any good tips I’d love to hear them.

Shazaam · Aug 25th, 2007, 1:57 pm

Tight spots are where the chain has stretched the least or where o-rings have failed and lubrication is lost.

Chain Inspection and Freeplay Adjustment

james0133 · Aug 25th, 2007, 2:18 pm

Yes that is true. I have found when taking old chains apart that it is when the lubricant that is manufactured into the chain dries up and the internal pin starts to rust and bind.
It is very hard to get lube back in to an o-ring chain. Even WD40 does not seem to penetrate much. I was considering heating the chain or heating oil and soaking the chain in it.

tjfdesmo · Aug 25th, 2007, 3:39 pm

It's too little too late, but soaking it in lube is probably the best method.

Bella749 · Aug 25th, 2007, 3:56 pm

Keep the chain clean and lubed. Proper slack helps too. I've found that alot of my buddies run their chain too tight, which wears the chain prematurely. I run about 1.25"-1.5" of slack with bike unloaded at the tightest spot on the sprocket (indeed, sprockets are not always perfectly round).

twowheelcossack · Aug 25th, 2007, 4:02 pm

Toss it. That is the textbook sign of failure, save for outright snapping which'll be the chain's next trick. Remember, chains are cheap, a thrown chain is not.

Nove-R · Aug 25th, 2007, 7:37 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella749

(indeed, sprockets are not always perfectly round).

I think that's it right there. I've never had a bike with a stock or aftermarket sprocket that was perfectly round, or that turned in a perfect circle. Might be a function of wheel or axle as well.
Put the bike on a stand, slowly turn the wheel and you'll see that it has more or less slack depending on where it is in it's rotation. May be very slight or pronounced. This is new, old, worn, not worn, Japanese, European, dirt, street, whatever.
Not saying that there aren't perfectly round ones, but I haven't seen one myself.

tye1138 · Aug 25th, 2007, 7:42 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by twowheelcossack

Toss it. That is the textbook sign of failure, save for outright snapping which'll be the chain's next trick. Remember, chains are cheap, a thrown chain is not.

I 100% agree! If your chain has links that are stuck, its dangerous and its a cheap fix! You can throw it in diesel and let it soak in, maybe bring it back to life, but it might cease up again!

On your bike, the chain install takes; what nove? 10 minutes? Well, it did not take very long at all! I bought a crazy expensive x-ring chain, but you don't have to do that, just get a standard DID chain and this time you'll take care of it better!

**Chuckracer** · Aug 25th, 2007, 9:09 pm

Change your front sprocket too, James. It's as toast as your chain is, and a new chain and rear with an old front will eat the new parts quickly.