changing chain and spockets

[Bert Patterson]

I'm in the middle of swapping to 530 chain. Cut the old chain off with a sawsall, easy......took off the back wheel and old sprocket, easy. Cleaning stuff up (a little) is nasty........

My problem.......I cannot turn the nut on the front sprocket. I bend back the little tab, I've tried an impact driver, big metal pipe on the ratchet while I try to hold a screwdriver in place to keep the sprocket from turning (it's in gear, but obviously it still moves).....it's swimming in PB Blaster......

Anybody have a trick. '82 GS1100E

 

[Guest]

I'll watch with baited breath. I have one that needs to come off, too. The trick is to loosen the nut while the chain is still on..with the back brake applied.

In my case the motor is out of the bike.

 

[67fire]

3/4" impact gun with a reducer to the 32mm/1.25" socket will definitely take it OFF! I might have the socket size wrong...
In gear, out of gear, brake applied, etc. Does not matter.
I have two of them, Bruce.

Eric

 

[Bert Patterson]

I'll watch with baited breath. I have one that needs to come off, too. The trick is to loosen the nut while the chain is still on..with the back brake applied.

In my case the motor is out of the bike.

If'n I'd a only thought of that first. This is the way I usually do things, though - 56 years of constant learning opportunities.

 

[Larry D]

Two tricks....either slide a 2x4 or similiar through the back wheel to keep it from spinning
-or-
have someone on the bike and push on the back brake.

Both work well.

 

[Guest]

3/4" impact gun with a reducer to the 32mm/1.125" socket will definitely take it OFF! I might have the socket size wrong...
In gear, out of gear, brake applied, etc. Does not matter.
I have two of them, Bruce.

Eric

I have an air impact, but not the right socket. I'll have to borrow yours and give it a try. Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Two tricks....either slide a 2x4 or similiar through the back wheel to keep it from spinning
-or-
have someone on the bike and push on the back brake.

Both work well.

His wheel is off and the chain has been cut.

 

[spyder2120]

had the same problem. thought since id had that nut off last year it would come of fine with the air wrench, so i removed my chain and back wheel first. needless to say the impact wrench did nothing even with the front cog braced with a wrench to keep it from spinning. after an hour and a half of pb blasting, heating and cooling and smacking on it with a hammer to break it loose i finally took a breaker bar and a long piece of pipe over the end for a bigger lever and gave it a big hard yank about 3 or4 times before it broke. it was pure rust in the threads that had it locked down tight. good luck buddy; you'll definately earn that 530 conversion. lol.

 

[Larry D]

His wheel is off and the chain has been cut.

Doh !!!
One day I'll learn to read more better......

 

[Clone]

Well, he does have a new rear sprocket and chain....
put them on loosen the front and replace the front sprocket

Job done:clap:

 

[p_s]

I had this problem changing the front sprocket on a friend's KLR where the chain was too worn for the brake trick. The 1/2" impact didn't work and we ended up splitting the nut with a dremel tool. Now he has a GS countershaft nut.

 

[Guest]

Well, he does have a new rear sprocket and chain....
put them on loosen the front and replace the front sprocket

Job done:clap:

He's converting to a smaller pitch chain.

Tony.

 

[TheCafeKid]

A 530 chain will actually FIT a 630 sprocket, enough to hold it in place. N1Elkyfan mistakenly ran a 630 chain on a 530 front sprocket thru a whole rally...

 

[GregT]

Wrap what remains of the old chain around the sprocket and out around the swingarm. clamp with visegrips or similar to the arm and go for it with rattle gun or breaker bar.
And learn from the experience.

Good luck

Greg T

 

[reddirtrider]

Wrap what remains of the old chain around the sprocket and out around the swingarm. clamp with visegrips or similar to the arm and go for it with rattle gun or breaker bar.
And learn from the experience.

Good luck

Greg T

Putting the old chain on is what I'd do. However, instead of clamping it to the swingarm, use some bailing wire and tie the chain together. A few wraps of that stuff will hold it long enough to break the chain free.

 

[Guest]

A 530 chain will actually FIT a 630 sprocket, enough to hold it in place. N1Elkyfan mistakenly ran a 630 chain on a 530 front sprocket thru a whole rally...

Good to know, TCK! A 530 chain on a 630 sprocket may or may not have lasted the whole rally for N1fan though.:-k

Tony.

 

[mriddle]

What he said.

Putting the old chain on is what I'd do. However, instead of clamping it to the swingarm, use some bailing wire and tie the chain together. A few wraps of that stuff will hold it long enough to break the chain free.

 

[Hammered]

2 things you could try Bert. A spanner wrench would work. It would grab to the teeth. Or, and if youre trying to save the old without gouges in it, I wouldnt recommend this one BUT You could put a pipe wrench on it. A large 18" one should larger enough to hold it and you can just snug your foot against it while you hit it with a impact.

 

[Guest]

I dont' know why, but I've never had a spanner wrench. I gotsta get me one.

 

[alke46]

I'll watch with baited breath. I have one that needs to come off, too. The trick is to loosen the nut while the chain is still on..with the back brake applied.

Count me in as one on the watch list. I just ordered the 530 conversion set-up today, so sometime next week I will be doing this as well.

Hopefully, the threads are right-handed yes? Nothing like trying to loosen something that is left-handed instead of the customary right-handed threads.