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Front Sprocket Removal - UGH

  • Thread starter Thread starter J_C
  • Start date Start date
J

J_C

Guest
Hey guys.... So I'm trying to remove the front sprocket. I removed the small nut and washer.

Using a monkey wrench (i know i know). I had already removed the brake caliper so I put a thick wooden rod through the wheel and braced against the swing arm. I put a 3 foot pipe over the wrench as a breaker bar and pushedwith a good deal of force... the sprocket turned but nothing else did...

At this point I can only think that I am stretching out the chain. What is the deal here. Any suggestions?
 
It's a normal thread as far as I can tell...

Hoping to stay away from having someone else do it :/
 
If it's giving you that much trouble, I'd have to agree with mekan-impact gun. If you don't have a compressor and gun perhaps you can ride it to a local garage without the cover on, have them break loose, finger tighten and bend the safety tab back over, drive back home and take it apart? Just a thought.
 
I don't think he's riding it anywhere any time soon:-) Doesn't the nut go opposite the righty tighty method? It seems to loosen, it should go opposite the forward motion of the sprocket.
 
The nut is a standard right hand thread. I never use an impact to remove or install this nut. Best way I have found to remove the nut is to place a metal bar between the front of the swingarm and one tooth of the sprocket. The length of the bar must allow it to contact a sprocket tooth at about the 5 o'clock position for loosening and around the 1 o'clock position for tightening.....I use a 1" round piece of aluminum, copper or brass would also be good.....Soft metals keep you from putting a ding in the sprocket tooth....This method also allows you to use a torque wrench, if your anal like me...........BadBillyB
 
Thanks Billy. I went out and bought the appropriate socket and the 1/2" wooden dowel I was using splintered. My father is coming up from the lot where they're building their house with some pipes etc so I'll see if I can give that a go.

Chef is right in that the bike's not going anywhere. If we can't get this off ourselves then we're just going to have to leave the sprocket on and remove the chain via the back wheel instead.

Someone must have used some red locktite on this thing.

Oh, btw, not sure if it's any difference or not but the washer that's suppossed to be between the nut and the sprocket isn't there. I'm wondering if perhaps some locktite or similar got between the nut and the sprocket sealing it even more.
 
J_C said:
Hey guys.... So I'm trying to remove the front sprocket. I removed the small nut and washer.

Using a monkey wrench (i know i know). I had already removed the brake caliper so I put a thick wooden rod through the wheel and braced against the swing arm. I put a 3 foot pipe over the wrench as a breaker bar and pushedwith a good deal of force... the sprocket turned but nothing else did...

At this point I can only think that I am stretching out the chain. What is the deal here. Any suggestions?
Click to expand...

Put the rear brake caliper back on.

Have some stand on the rear break pedal. This will, of course, immobilize the rear wheel and allow you to remove the nut.

The chain will only stretch so much and then stop. Keep turning.

Jeff
 
Last edited:
Impact wrench , bike in 1st gear and stand on the rear brake. It will come. If someone did use loctite, heat up the nut gently with a propane torch. This loosens most types of loctite. The impact wrench is important as you get the turning torque plus the hammering effect needed to loosen it up. Just like you need a impact screwdriver to get those goofy stubborn phillips bolts on the cases and elsewhere.
 
Yeah looks like I'll have to go with the impact wrench. Also looks like I'm going to have to go to the shop. I actually put so much torque on that nut today that I sheared off the male end that came out of my craftsman ratchet. (ow!) It resulted in me hitting myself in the forehead with my breaker bar! Doh!

I went on with life for now. I removed the chain by pushing the rear tire all the way forward, then took off the swing arm. Got the engine pulled and it's almost time for powdercoat! Yay!
 
J_C said:
At this point I can only think that I am stretching out the chain.
Click to expand...

Chains don't really stretch, that term is used to refer to the wearing that all the bushings and pins get. This effectively makes the chain longer than it was new, but it will not stretch like play-doh, and I can't imagine you would be doing any damage.

Anyway, I put the bike in gear, sit on the machine with my foot on the rear brake, block the front and rear wheels and use a 4' cheater bar on a huge 32mm socket while I'm on the bike.
 
I've been able to get similarly stuck bolts out using this technique: I put my socket and wrench over the bolt and hold the wrench with my left hand. I then hit the wrench handle with a light hammer to loosen the bolt. You don't want to hit it hard enough to break your ratchet. This works best with a good box wrench, but I am assuming you are using a 32mm socket with your 3/4" drive wrench and a 4" extender.
 
Buy an electric impact wrench, it is one of the best investments you will ever make. If you block the rear wheel, with something through the rim and over the swingarm, it shouldn't turn, the chain will not stretch only pull tight. put a proper sized socket on it with a pressure bar and get a meter long peice of pipe to go over the bar, stand on it. It will either turn off or snap off the shaft.
 
if it still doesnt want loose with all the advice you received,the last way to remove it is to use a small grinder like a dremel.you grind the nut(from flatside of the nut ,less material to removed)and you grind until you see the screw thread begin to appear,then with a chisel you hit the nut to unscrew it.usualy the nut break and come a little bit loose
i had to do it on my gs1100et alternator nut and i just did it last friday on the front chain sprocket nut ,no way to take them off even with 3/4 drive bar
 
Surprise!

Surprise!

I popped off my front sprocket cover only to find that the Nut holding the sprocket on was loose enough to turn by hand. :shock: The only thing holding it was the stop washer. What made me remove the cover was that the chain had become unusually tight in just one spot. I know that chains wear somewhat unevenly but this was pretty drastic.
So now I know that the sprocket may have been flexing enough to cause this and also caused the chain to wear unevenly. So this spring I am replacing with new sprockets and new chains. It's still ridable. So Im riding.
 
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