what did you wrench on today??

[Boriqua]

Well new sprockets and chain but even though I started at 9am and its now 5pm I still have to put on the chainguard, sprocket cover, and reattach the peg. Probably another 45 minutes but it will have to keep until tomorrow.

I would/should have been done by 1pm but .. if you didn't get the memo .... those $20 Amazon/ebay chain tools aren't worth $1.

I spent hours trying to get my master link flared. Now I had read all the bad reviews and poo pooed them and ... they are spot on. $20 in the garbage along with some 3 hours of time.

I had bought a clip on master link in case I ran into trouble but .. Once I had the front plate pressed it kind of became a mission. I will admit .. I did think about pulling that sucker and just installing my clip on but I worked it out.

So what would new install of chain and sprockets have cost me if I brought it to my local mechanic. Just curious. Parts cost me about $150 but that was with a spacer I didnt need and will put up for sale and that dreaded awful sucky chain tool. I am just looking to feel a little better about my efforts.

 

[steve murdoch]

I bet they would charge at least 2 hours labour to change sprockets and chain.
My local name brand dealer is currently at $106 an hour.

 

[Guest]

Add a couple of hours to get to the dealership and back, and total time is a wash.

+++++

I did one of the simplest possible jobs using a wrench. Last summer, I installed a Suzuki center stand on my Wee Strom. Bolting it on was straight-forward. Putting on the springs was a royal PITA, requiring strength that I just don't have. I bought several pry bars and ended up making a complex fulcrum to pivot a bar on, to maximize mechanical advantage....

Because the ground clearance is reduced with a center stand, Suzuki includes a longer feeler for the left foot peg. A few days ago I finally got around to changing the feeler, from about 1/2" to about 5/4" The strength of the blue Lok-Tite surprised me a bit. Last year, I bought a large set of Gear Wrench ratcheting combination metric wrenches, 5mm to 32mm. I have the usual collection of wrenches, coming from different manufacturers, different sets. They are mostly loose in boxes because the plastic holders that come with the wrenches break easily. The big set came in a tool roll that should last as long as I'm going to need the wrenches. This was one of my first uses, and I ended up needing to use a socket in a 1/2" drive ratchet to remove the old feeler peg. I figured that tightening the new feeler peg with new wrench would just about provide optimum torque.

 

[Boriqua]

Im pretty sure the parts would have cost me a good deal more at the mechanic as well. I should have used the savings to get a proper chain tool. Next time!

I also got to do a bunch of clean up on parts since everything was apart.

She looks good all new and its nice to be able to spin the back wheel and not have any tight spots!! It has since been buttoned up and everything is on and she is ready to ride.

 

[Burque73]

.......
I also got to do a bunch of clean up on parts since everything was apart.

That's one of the best things about doing our own work. That while it's apart type cleanup for me usually leads to discovering something else that needs attention.

 

[gustovh]

New front tire and tube on my TTR125. Now for the rear.

V

 

[Baatfam]

Finished installing the new top on the Miata this morning. Now it just has to sit in the sun until I can latch the top.
Love the glass window...

 

[Jedz123]

Made the TU250X a heavy(errr) breather.

 

[bobgroger]

Well new sprockets and chain but even though I started at 9am and its now 5pm I still have to put on the chainguard, sprocket cover, and reattach the peg. Probably another 45 minutes but it will have to keep until tomorrow.

I would/should have been done by 1pm but .. if you didn't get the memo .... those $20 Amazon/ebay chain tools aren't worth $1.

I spent hours trying to get my master link flared. Now I had read all the bad reviews and poo pooed them and ... they are spot on. $20 in the garbage along with some 3 hours of time.

I had bought a clip on master link in case I ran into trouble but .. Once I had the front plate pressed it kind of became a mission. I will admit .. I did think about pulling that sucker and just installing my clip on but I worked it out.

So what would new install of chain and sprockets have cost me if I brought it to my local mechanic. Just curious. Parts cost me about $150 but that was with a spacer I didnt need and will put up for sale and that dreaded awful sucky chain tool. I am just looking to feel a little better about my efforts.

What was wrong with the chain tool? I have one that has done about 6 chains so far with no issues. It is a Alpha Moto brand. Are you SURE you didn't need that spacer? It goes between the countershaft and the sprocket to space the sprocket out 6mm so the nut doesn't bottom out.

 

[Boriqua]

What was wrong with the chain tool? I have one that has done about 6 chains so far with no issues. It is a Alpha Moto brand. Are you SURE you didn't need that spacer? It goes between the countershaft and the sprocket to space the sprocket out 6mm so the nut doesn't bottom out.

I didnt need the spacer. There were three thin shims in the back of the sprocket. They probably equaled less than 1/3 the thickness of the spacer. I know the spacer was to go on front but it didnt need it. I threw a caliper on both the new 530 sprocket and the old 630 and they were the same thickness. Everything was the same in the rear and front except for sprocket diameter and the nut tightened up just fine.

The tool .. ugh ... It broke the chain just fine. I ground the head of the link to be cut with a dremel and course sanding wheel and the tool was able to push the pins out just fine except after 2 pins the push rod was noticeably bent. I had ground the pins flush to the face plate.

The trouble was with re-installation of the new master link. There is an flat anvil with a groove that goes across the back of the link and a push plate with two holes that in theory go over the pins at the front. Except on mine the holes that were in the front push plate didnt line up with the pins in my master link. I kept trying to get the master link front plate to seat and it wouldnt budge. Which of course led me to bend the cheap steel handle used to press. Then I realized it was never going to move because the holes were to far apart.

I resorted to using the tool with a single anvil but using a nut to fit over the individual pins at the front and went back and forth between the pins to make sure I sat the plate evenly.

Then after all that I checked the existing links with a caliper and made sure I had pressed my new master plate to the same depth.

Now it was time to flair ... Bwhahahahah .. I break out the "rivet" attachment which is simply a rounded shaft and went to flair the head of the pin. I measured the thickness of the pin so I would know exactly how much flair I was adding. I got a couple of turns on the tool and figured let me check because I dont want to much flair and I took my caliper to the pin head and no change ... Hmmmmm .. so I go at it again. Take it off and nothing. So I look at the "rivet" shaft and the tool is so soft a steel that it had pressed into the cavity of the pin but didnt flair anything. Basically it made a nifty deep circle with shoulders of the rounded head of the tool. The pin had made an extrusion out of the "rivet" tool. The more I turned the more pronounced the shoulders became as the tool embedded itself in the head. I then tried to create more of a taper on the tool and tried again .. same thing .. it just dug into the pin. The face of that "rivet" tool was originally a dome and that extrusion you see was what went into the pin head cavity.

I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out what to do. I had already pressed my master link and didnt want to take it off and replace it with the clip link. Then I remembered that I had recently taken apart a reloading machine and kept the bearings. They were about 3/16 in and hardened. I managed to use the tool to push the bearing into the master link pins and used a crescent wrench to turn the handle as the cheap handle was bent and Wala ... instant flair to about .6mm

I have used chain tools on bicycles for years. This was just a sloppy tool and I had to resort to ice cream sticks as shims to make it work without needing three hands but I could have lived with that. The problem was the steel it was fabricated of. Its just not hard enough or robust enough for the task.

Edited to add
Took the bike out and its awesome.

 

[bobgroger]

I didnt need the spacer. There were three thin shims in the back of the sprocket. They probably equaled less than 1/3 the thickness of the spacer. I know the spacer was to go on front but it didnt need it. I threw a caliper on both the new 530 sprocket and the old 630 and they were the same thickness. Everything was the same in the rear and front except for sprocket diameter and the nut tightened up just fine.

The tool .. ugh ... It broke the chain just fine. I ground the head of the link to be cut with a dremel and course sanding wheel and the tool was able to push the pins out just fine except after 2 pins the push rod was noticeably bent. I had ground the pins flush to the face plate.

The trouble was with re-installation of the new master link. There is an flat anvil with a groove that goes across the back of the link and a push plate with two holes that in theory go over the pins at the front. Except on mine the holes that were in the front push plate didnt line up with the pins in my master link. I kept trying to get the master link front plate to seat and it wouldnt budge. Which of course led me to bend the cheap steel handle used to press. Then I realized it was never going to move because the holes were to far apart.




I resorted to using the tool with a single anvil but using a nut to fit over the individual pins at the front and went back and forth between the pins to make sure I sat the plate evenly.

Then after all that I checked the existing links with a caliper and made sure I had pressed my new master plate to the same depth.

Now it was time to flair ... Bwhahahahah .. I break out the "rivet" attachment which is simply a rounded shaft and went to flair the head of the pin. I measured the thickness of the pin so I would know exactly how much flair I was adding. I got a couple of turns on the tool and figured let me check because I dont want to much flair and I took my caliper to the pin head and no change ... Hmmmmm .. so I go at it again. Take it off and nothing. So I look at the "rivet" shaft and the tool is so soft a steel that it had pressed into the cavity of the pin but didnt flair anything. Basically it made a nifty deep circle with shoulders of the rounded head of the tool. The pin had made an extrusion out of the "rivet" tool. The more I turned the more pronounced the shoulders became as the tool embedded itself in the head. I then tried to create more of a taper on the tool and tried again .. same thing .. it just dug into the pin. The face of that "rivet" tool was originally a dome and that extrusion you see was what went into the pin head cavity.



I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out what to do. I had already pressed my master link and didnt want to take it off and replace it with the clip link. Then I remembered that I had recently taken apart a reloading machine and kept the bearings. They were about 3/16 in and hardened. I managed to use the tool to push the bearing into the master link pins and used a crescent wrench to turn the handle as the cheap handle was bent and Wala ... instant flair to about .6mm

I have used chain tools on bicycles for years. This was just a sloppy tool and I had to resort to ice cream sticks as shims to make it work without needing three hands but I could have lived with that. The problem was the steel it was fabricated of. Its just not hard enough or robust enough for the task.

Edited to add
Took the bike out and its awesome.

Guess there are good Chinese copies of decent tools, and not so good Chinese copies. I must have been lucky. Yours is the copy of the Motion Pro one like mine?

 

[Boriqua]

Absolutely! I have leatherworking tools cheap from China that are better than more expensive , more highly regarded tools but this particular tool is a hunk of junk.It was not close to up to the task.

 

[RichDesmond]

Made the TU250X a heavy(errr) breather.

Very cool! Was that kit from Sudco or someone? Noticeable difference?

 

[Guest]

Well new sprockets and chain but even though I started at 9am and its now 5pm I still have to put on the chainguard, sprocket cover, and reattach the peg. Probably another 45 minutes but it will have to keep until tomorrow.

I would/should have been done by 1pm but .. if you didn't get the memo .... those $20 Amazon/ebay chain tools aren't worth $1.

I spent hours trying to get my master link flared. Now I had read all the bad reviews and poo pooed them and ... they are spot on. $20 in the garbage along with some 3 hours of time.

I had bought a clip on master link in case I ran into trouble but .. Once I had the front plate pressed it kind of became a mission. I will admit .. I did think about pulling that sucker and just installing my clip on but I worked it out.

So what would new install of chain and sprockets have cost me if I brought it to my local mechanic. Just curious. Parts cost me about $150 but that was with a spacer I didnt need and will put up for sale and that dreaded awful sucky chain tool. I am just looking to feel a little better about my efforts.

Why didn't you just use a clip master link, I've been using them for years, never had a problem with them.

 

[Boriqua]

Why didn't you just use a clip master link, I've been using them for years, never had a problem with them.

oh I dont know .. I know the "right" way is with a proper flared master. I too have always used a clip on master and had bought one and it was sitting mere feet from my squatted position. The chain I removed which had been through hell and back also had one and it obviously withstood the test of time.

But ... I figured .. hell if I have the right tool I can do it the "right" way. Ugh.

Didnt have the right tool!

Then once I went through all the trouble of pressing the front plate of the master on all even like even if I had to use a nut to do it ... I was in no mood to push it back out to then substitute it for the clip on. I figured I had committed and I had to see it through.

Three hours later .. I was still trying to flare. Thank goodness for that stupid bearing I held on to because men do stupid stuff like that. I had no reason to keep 3 bearings but .. turned out .. this time man sense was good sense. Who knew??

 

[Guest]

Not sure that this qualifies as "wrenching", but I did get both bikes out of hibernation today and did some polishing on the Honda. The frozen rear brake disc didn't fix itself over the winter (one can always hope, right?), so I guess I'll be rebuilding the caliper and having the disc resurfaced before I can ride it again. But it was good to hear it running well after sitting for 4 or 5 months. After posting a thread in another section, Ed Ness assured me that motorcycle discs can be resurfaced, with the same caveat as car rotors about thickness. Happily, there is a shop just about 30 miles from me that does that, so I won't even have to pay for shipping. For anyone who's interested, here's a link to their website:

https://truedisk.net/

Scott

 

[cowboyup3371]

Adjusted the idle mixture screws on my bike and replaced the leaking valve cover gasket then troubleshot Charmayne's fuel gauge. It seems she's going to need to learn fuel capacity via mileage while I search for a new gauge

 

[aclaytonb]

Yanked the carbs off to replace cheap chinese fuel lines with some motionpro tygon. While they were off, noticed that the connecting tube rubbers were wasted. Tore carbs apart, replaced the junk bits, re-assembled, and put it all back together. Hanging idle issue presents itself. Turns out that in my hurry to reassemble carbs, I didnt tighten the fuel slide connecting rod screws. Took it back apart...fixed...put back together.... sigh.... shouldda bought the good fuel line to begin with.

 

[bobgroger]

Yanked the carbs off to replace cheap chinese fuel lines with some motionpro tygon. While they were off, noticed that the connecting tube rubbers were wasted. Tore carbs apart, replaced the junk bits, re-assembled, and put it all back together. Hanging idle issue presents itself. Turns out that in my hurry to reassemble carbs, I didnt tighten the fuel slide connecting rod screws. Took it back apart...fixed...put back together.... sigh.... shouldda bought the good fuel line to begin with.

We ALL have learned that lesson. Myself I have learned it many times....

 

[Grimly]

I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out what to do. I had already pressed my master link and didnt want to take it off and replace it with the clip link. Then I remembered that I had recently taken apart a reloading machine and kept the bearings. They were about 3/16 in and hardened. I managed to use the tool to push the bearing into the master link pins and used a crescent wrench to turn the handle as the cheap handle was bent and Wala ... instant flair to about .6mm

I have used chain tools on bicycles for years. This was just a sloppy tool and I had to resort to ice cream sticks as shims to make it work without needing three hands but I could have lived with that. The problem was the steel it was fabricated of. Its just not hard enough or robust enough for the task.

Edited to add
Took the bike out and its awesome.

Now that you've found the perfect tool - your re-loading device - you won't need this piece of advice, but for anyone else in that situation, here it is.
It's amazing what you can do with two hammers.
Use the heavier one as the anvil, and position it behind the chain. Use the smaller one to smite (verily, smite) the soft pin over into a peened shape.
I've been doing it with two hammers for decades. I'd suggest that anyone who finds themselves with a chain, a crappy tool, and a soft link to get an old chain first to practice on, as you don't want to mess up the one you really need to get right. It's not difficult, just needs a bit of feel for the job, that's all.