New Drive Chain

[Arizoni]

My UCE G5 is coming up on 4,000 miles and the original drive chain probably could go for another couple thousand miles before it would actually need replacing but it has developed quite a bit of side looseness and movement.

The sprockets are in great shape and I decided to replace the chain before it starts to cause any damage to those parts.

With this in mind, and being one who likes to buy parts made in the USA  I ordered a Diamond (brand)  530 X 102 link chain.

I currently do not have a chain breaker or a chain installation tool so I was wondering, how did those of you who have changed your drive chain get the master link side plate off and what did you use to get the new master link side plate installed?

I have the typical screw drivers, Channel Locks and Vise Grips but will those be enough to overcome the press fit of the side plate on the link pins?

Any advice you can give will be appreciated.

Thanks
Jim

[bob bezin]

if the new chain is the right length, pop off the masterlink keeper with a small screwdriver and  attach it to the new chain and thread it through ..replace master link ...if the chain is too long,with a grinder of file . file off the pin (there sort of rivited in there) and drive out the pin with a drift or nail or sumthing. i hope this is understandable.

[TWinOKC]

Just for reference, our host sells an OEM chain for around $60.  Sounds reasonable to me.  No idea if they are readily available or not, probably not US made.  The advantage is an OEM should be an easy change.

I would like to know how you like the Diamond chain.

Regards,

Terry

http://nfieldgear.com/enfield-store/maintenance-repair/driveline/oem-drive-chain-1691.html

[Arizoni]

Update

Today I installed the new chain and I thought I would mention the tools I used and what I found.
Tools I used
 
19mm open end wrench
24mm socket
31mm socket
pliers
screw driver
needle nose pliers
10" Vise Grips pliers (adjustable lever operated pliers)
1/4" hex nut
small piece of brass sheet metal

REMOVING EXISTING MASTER LINK
I dreaded this because the side plate for the master link is a press fit onto the two pins (when new).

It is best to rotate the wheel until the master link is engaged with the rear sprocket but is visible below the chain guard.  That way it is accessible and with the rear sprocket holding the chain it is easy to work on.
I put the transmission into 2nd gear to keep the chain from moving.

To remove the clip that holds the side plate onto the master link use some regular pliers by placing the end of one jaw against the sideplate so that it is resting against the open end of the clip.
Locate the other jaw over the end of the furthest side pin in the master link and squeeze.  The open end of the clip will be forced against the pin which will open it.
As the open end passes over the pin it will snap closed with the end between the link pins.  From here, it is just a matter of turning it slightly and it will fall off.
(It is recommend that you use a new clip so you can either toss this or keep it as a back up for emergencies.)

REMOVING THE SIDE PLATE

The master link side plate is supposed to be a press fit on the pins but mine was slightly loose so it just slid off of the pins.
If it is still a press fit try tapping the sharp edge of a utility knife between the sideplate and the inner plate.  That should open up enough gap to allow a small screw driver to be inserted.  Some twisting, working back and forth between the two pins should remove the plate.

Once the side plate is off,  the pins will slide out of the master link but don't do this yet.

REMOVING THE CHAIN

All 3 of the large nuts that hold the axle and brake drum in place must be loosened (but not totally removed) before proceeding.  Once this is done, go on to the next step.

Because the engine output sprocket is totally enclosed by the engine side cover you do NOT want to pull the chain out.
Instead, slide the master link out of the ends of the old chain and allow the lower chain end to fall free of the sprocket.
Insert the NEW master link pin thru the end link of the new chain and thru the end of the old chain which just fell off of the sprocket and is lying on the ground.
The upper end of the old chain should still be draped over the top of the rear sprocket.

Just to make sure things didn't fall apart in the next step, I installed the old clip into the pin slots of the new master link.

Shift the transmission back into neutral so both sprockets can turn.

Now, rotate the rear wheel so that it is turning "backwards".  The old chain will start unwinding off of the top of the rear sprocket while the new chain is being pulled towards the engine sprocket.  Continue turning the wheel until the new chain engages the top of the rear sprocket and moves down below the chain guard.
Remove the clip and then the master link pin from the old chain.
Install the master link pins so that the ends are towards the outside of the bike.
At this stage, I shifted the transmission back into 2nd gear to keep things from moving.

INSTALLING THE NEW SIDE PLATE

The new side plate will be a press fit onto the two master link pins so your going to need something to press it in place.

My background in mechanical engineering taught me that scratches and nicks in a hardened steel part will lead to failure and the jaws of my (new) 10" Vise Grips are heavily serrated.  To protect the steel master link from these sharp edges I bent a small strip of brass sheet metal (1/32 X 1/2 X 1 inch) into a flat bottomed "U" and placed it on one jaw of the Vise Grips.

Because the new sideplate must be pressed onto the new master link pins, and when it is installed it will have the ends protruding above the sideplate, I placed a 1/4" nut in line with one of the pins.
  With the brass sheet against the back of the link and the other jaw on top of the nut I then adjusted the Vise Grips so they would produce just a little squeeze and then tightened them.
Moving the nut to the other pin I repeated this squeezing.

Re-adjusting the Vise Grips so they would produce a little more squeezing I repeated the above on each pin.

When your doing this, keep an eye on the location of the side plate.  You will want it to be installed just to the point that it is flush with the inner area of the clip groove.
Don't over-tighten the side plate against the  roller side plate.

INSTALLING THE NEW CLIP

When you install the new clip you want the CLOSED END to be located so it will be traveling forward when the motorcycle is being ridden.
With this in mind, install the clip into the groove of the upper master link pin with the closed end pointing UP.
Slide the open end of the clip down between the pins and then against the groove of the lower pin.
Place your regular pliers on the clip like you did when you first removed it.  That is, place your pliers so that one jaw is resting on the upper, closed end of the clip and the other jaw is grabbing the lower pin on its exposed surface.
A light squeeze of the pliers and the clip should engage the lower pin while the closed upper end slides into place on the upper pin.

You will want the new sideplate to be lightly touching the clip to give it support so if there is a gap between the outside of the side plate and the inner surface of the clip, use a screw driver against the inside of the new sideplate and tap it outward so it is just touching the clip.

Now, the only thing left to do is to align the rear wheel while your getting the right amount of tension in the new chain. (I tried to get about 1 1/4 to 1 3/8 looseness)
Don't forget to check the alignment of the rear wheel with the front wheel.

This took me more time to do than the entire chain replacement did.

Once the chain is adjusted and the wheel is aligned the first thing to do is to stomp on the rear brake lever.  This will align the brake shoes with the drums new location.
While holding the brake lever down, tighten the forward nut to hold the brake backing plate in position with the shoes centered.

Then, tighten the two remaining nuts to around 50 ft/lbs of torque and install the cotter pin thru the castellated nut.

My chain was lubed by the factory but I applied a good coating of chain lube just to make sure.  After giving the lube about 1/2 hour to dry (while I picked up all of the tools, rags and old chain) I took the bike on a 6 mile ride.
When I returned, the master link clip was still in place and the chains loosness was still where I set it so all is good.

I'll report on how the Diamond chain is doing after I have 1000 miles on it.

[barenekd]

One bit of advice about chain buying. NEVER buy an OEM chain. They are the bottom of the barrel for for ANY motorcycle, lowest possible quality they can get away with. I've had OEM chains on other bikes not last 10,000 miles. Good quality chain will last over 30,000. It's worth the price difference!
Bare
 

[TWinOKC]

One bit of advice about chain buying. NEVER buy an OEM chain. They are the bottom of the barrel for for ANY motorcycle, lowest possible quality they can get away with. I've had OEM chains on other bikes not last 10,000 miles. Good quality chain will last over 30,000. It's worth the price difference!
Bare
 

Thank you for the tip.  I have had lots of bikes but never replaced a chain, probably should have.  When the chain would get stretched so far it could not be adjusted, I would remove a link (or two).  Now I realize that was a big mistake.  Live and learn.   

[barenekd]

FYI. The March issue of Cycle World has a blurb, Page 73, on a new Chain Breaker/Press/Riveter tool. It does it all. Nice looking piece. Not cheap, but replaces a lot of other things you have to come up with to do the separate tasks without it!
Bare

[TWinOKC]

+1 

Looks like a nice tool but a little pricey.  Designed for use with 50 series chains.


http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/08-0470/

[barenekd]

I replaced my 17T sprocket with an 18T and installed a Tsubaki Omega O-ring chain.
Here are some pictures I took of the old OEM chain, good for 6500 miles, vs a real chain that should be good for 30,000 plus.
Note that the side plates are much thicker on the Tsubaki; .085 vs .062 on the OEM. The OEM chain also has split pin bushings which are guaranteed not to last very long you'll notice that the bushings are breaking up. Notice the bend in the worn out OEM. That's shot bushings and pins. The Tsubaki has solid bushings that are a heavier material than the OEM.
The sprocket was in pretty good shape. I would use it again, but I think I'm going to like the 18T real well.
Unfortunately, most motorcycle companies supply bottom of the barrel chains for there new bikes. I don't recommend OEM chains from any manufacturer. There may be some good ones out there, but I don't take my chances.
Bare
Bare

[GreenMachine]

thanks for the pics...pretty much explains it....i still have my OEM with a hair over 9500 miles...I'll take a closer look at it and see if I see the same thing happening...

[barenekd]

The general rule is to pull a link up in the sprocket and see how far it comes out. It should be very little. As I recall the max should be about a half a tooth or so The one that works real well on these Enfield chains is to pull it sideways, again shouldn't be much. A new chain will maybe go 1/2" either way. My old chain would go out over an inch.
Bare

[Arizoni]

My new chain has about 1,000 miles on it now.

I know it has loosened up just a little but so far the amount of looseness seems to be just about the same as when I first installed it.

At this rate I won't have to adjust it for another 3,000+ miles.