chain alignment

robsmaze · Posted: May 27, 2009 1:25 am Post subject: chain alignment

i switched from a 60 tooth to a 58 tooth sprocket and now i'm having a problem with the chain "jumping". Until we get someone planing on deep starts the chain seems to pop almost off the sprocket every once in a while. I think i either have a bent link, a bent sprocket (its hard to tell) or chain alignment problems. anyone ever encounter this? anyone have a good way to get the chain aligned?

Gnarly Dancer 42 · 360 flip Joined: 21 May 2007 Posts: 5121 City: kalamazoo

how tight is your chain? any chance it's just loose?

ride5 · Frontside 180 Joined: 14 Oct 2003 Posts: 325 City: san jo

your chain is too loose. lossen your motor mount bolts. remove the belt from the tav. make sure sprocket and motor are square with eachother. spin axle to make sure moves freely with no binding. tighten engine back up. wala. you may have remove a chain link...

Montgomery · Backside 180 Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 976 City: Rogers

Move the engine or take a couple links out of the chain

TWG · Kickflip Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 3258

if you went to a smaller sprocket your gonna have to take out a link or maybe just a half link. 2 teeth really isn't that much depending on what size chain you run. unless you built your winch with a way to adjust the chain

wakeboarderx03x · Posted: May 27, 2009 4:04 pm Post subject:

If it's lined up, it shouldn't pop off even if there is a lot of slack in the chain.
The easiest way for perfect alignment is to have the engine running at idle and the sprocket/spool just freely spinning. Then just look closely at the teeth running through the sprocket. And if you look close enough, you don't want to see the sprocket going back and forth(left/right) on the chain.
Kinda hard to explain, but once you got that your golden.

TWG · Kickflip Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 3258

wakeboarderx03x · Posted: May 27, 2009 4:54 pm Post subject:

TWG, haha

And I believe my chain has popped off all of zero times...

Montgomery · Backside 180 Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 976 City: Rogers

TWG, Are you saying I should drop a load ?

TWG · Kickflip Joined: 25 Sep 2006 Posts: 3258

Montgomery, yeah on wakeboarderx03x,

Montgomery · Backside 180 Joined: 26 Feb 2008 Posts: 976 City: Rogers

robsmaze · Posted: Jun 08, 2009 2:11 am Post subject:

FYI,
The alignment problem was caused by me getting to fancy!!! I had added a #35 chain idler sprocket on a spring for a chain tensioner. Apparently, the three point contact (i.e. TAV2, 58 or 60 tooth sprocket and then the chain tensioner all just slightly out of perfect true alignment exacerbates even the slightest tight spot in the chain. i took the chain tensioner off and went back to my old hard rubber roller and its worked perfectly ever since.
robby