New chain question.

[ShovelheadB]

Hello. I’m working on my first build and to the point in mock up where I’m ready to install my chain. I noticed when I pulled the chain out of the packaging it was covered in a white grease. Should I remove that and if so how?

Also, I noticed my chain is touching my rear tire. Is it normal to have to shun out the rear sprocket? I checked the tire spacing and made sure it was centered with the neck again and it was.

Thanks in advance!

[ShovelheadB]

[JBinNC]

If your chassis is properly set up, you should have chain clearance to the tire, even with an oring chain as pictured. If you are using a wider tire in an otherwise stock chassis, or a hardtail, for instance, that has stock dimensions, the tire clearance to the chain is one of the limiting factors. You will have to be more specific with your question.

You can wipe the extra grease off with a rag dampened with something like WD40. The chain is assembled with the grease so it winds up inside the links and rollers, and the grease on outside is just a byproduct of the mfg. process. Also serves as a packaging preservative.

Jim

[ShovelheadB]

If your chassis is properly set up, you should have chain clearance to the tire, even with an oring chain as pictured. If you are using a wider tire in an otherwise stock chassis, or a hardtail, for instance, that has stock dimensions, the tire clearance to the chain is one of the limiting factors. You will have to be more specific with your question.

You can wipe the extra grease off with a rag dampened with something like WD40. The chain is assembled with the grease so it winds up inside the links and rollers, and the grease on outside is just a byproduct of the mfg. process. Also serves as a packaging preservative.

Jim

Thanks Jim. I’ll wipe it down. The frame is a Indian Larry hard tail and I’m running a 180mm rear tire, which they said would be fine. I’ll install the chain and tight n down the axle adjusters and of when the wheel is pushed back if it is still touching.

Thanks!

[Tattooo]

Buy a standard chain and it will solve many of your problems...... There is NO real advantage to running an O ring chain.....

[Guest]

I always line my sprockets up first. Another vote for not running oring, but if you have it and it fits go ahead.

[ShovelheadB]

Buy a standard chain and it will solve many of your problems...... There is NO real advantage to running an O ring chain.....

Any brand suggestions or does it not matter?

[Luky]

Buy a standard chain and it will solve many of your problems...... There is NO real advantage to running an O ring chain.....

I agree. No need for O ring chain.

[Tattooo]

Any brand suggestions or does it not matter?

It doesn't matter just buy a quality chain.......

[TriNortchopz]

How much more clearance do you need for the chain to clear the tire? What is the overall width of your o-ring chain?

A few measurements here for reference:

Size 50 (530) chain, overall width: 0.794"

https://www.usarollerchain.com/roller-chain-size-chart-s/4869.htm

Tsubaki non-o-ring nickel plated one on my Sporty. It is the widest at the pins, measured at 0.824"
and,
Tsubaki nickel plated o-ring chain and it measures .986" wide.

http://www.harleychatgroup.com/forums/showthread.php/27774-Maximum-530-Chain-width

OEM G5 Diamond Non-O-ring 17mm at plate and 19mm at rivets(o.748").

My OEM GT O-ring 20mm at plate, 22mm at rivets(0.866"), 23mm at clip rivets(0.906").

Tsubaki O-ring 22mm at plate, 24.5mm at rivets(0.965"), 26.5 at clip rivets(1.043").

https://forum.classicmotorworks.com/index.php?topic=22263.0

An option is to run a 520 chain, which is 1/8" narrower; need to get sprockets machined to 1/4" from 3/8"; this is an option used for Norton Commando guys to run an o-ring chain without eating the primary case.

or offset the rim from the hub for chain clearance, or offset the wheel with different spacers(if a mag wheel) - or a combination of those.

[JBinNC]

Use the chain you have. I for one like the oring chains. They will last longer than a standard chain, if both get appropriate care. Changing to a standard chain will gain you an eighth of an inch clearance at best, and you really need about 3/8" clearance to the tire. You can get away with 1/4" clearance on a rigid frame. Remember that chains flex sideways as well as up and down when running.
If you have a five speed transmission, spacing the sprocket out at transmission and rear wheel is relatively easy, and will give you the clearance you need, if the frame is wide enough to allow it. With a four speed it's more difficult. A chassis made for a 180 tire and a four speed will have an offset for the transmission or the motor and transmission, to get a chain line wide enough to accommodate the 180 tire. This is just part of your chassis set-up that you have overlooked, or anyway need to deal with now. Save your money and use the chain you have. The chain AIN'T the problem.

Jim

[ShovelheadB]

Use the chain you have. I for one like the oring chains. They will last longer than a standard chain, if both get appropriate care. Changing to a standard chain will gain you an eighth of an inch clearance at best, and you really need about 3/8" clearance to the tire. You can get away with 1/4" clearance on a rigid frame. Remember that chains flex sideways as well as up and down when running.
If you have a five speed transmission, spacing the sprocket out at transmission and rear wheel is relatively easy, and will give you the clearance you need, if the frame is wide enough to allow it. With a four speed it's more difficult. A chassis made for a 180 tire and a four speed will have an offset for the transmission or the motor and transmission, to get a chain line wide enough to accommodate the 180 tire. This is just part of your chassis set-up that you have overlooked, or anyway need to deal with now. Save your money and use the chain you have. The chain AIN'T the problem.

Jim

The frame is set up for both a 180 rear tire and 4 speed transmission, I put the chain on and you can see it’s hitting pretty badly. Is the offsets for the front and rear sprocket something I should have machines or something pretty standard?

[Tattooo]

Is the offsets for the front and rear sprocket something I should have machines or something pretty standard?

It depends on how much it's offset?????????? How much is it offset????? It shouldn't have any...........

[JBinNC]

The frame is set up for both a 180 rear tire and 4 speed transmission, I put the chain on and you can see it’s hitting pretty badly. Is the offsets for the front and rear sprocket something I should have machines or something pretty standard?

First, you have to consider the wheel and tire, and the sprocket location on the wheel. It sounds like you need to move the sprocket away from the tire for chain clearance. That's first. You can use a straightedge and do a couple of measurements to the tire with a steel rule to get the proper chain location with respect to the tire.
Second, you have to get the chain line correct from the transmission sprocket to the wheel sprocket. That might mean using an offset sprocket at the transmission (which doesn't really work well on a four speed), moving the transmission to the left (for which there are offset transmission plates available), and/or moving the wheel to the right.
It sounds like this frame "good for a 180 tire" is not very well thought out. On the other hand, you are probably dealing with about a half inch of adjustment(s) to make this thing right.

Jim

[ShovelheadB]

It depends on how much it's offset?????????? How much is it offset????? It shouldn't have any...........

It currently doesn’t have any offset but the chain is right up on the tire