E: Engine Rear Chain Fitting Problems and Tips

danno

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Non-VOC Member
This has come a long way from charging but in the context of rear wheel and chain removal it is probably worth telling a story from over fifty years ago. Down in the Kent and Sussex section we had a member by the name of Andy Kernahan. I believe that he is still member. He claimed that he could remove his rear wheel in less than a minute from scratch. Several of us present doubted this so out to his garage we went. Nothing was set up beforehand and the bike was leaning up against the wall of his garage. It took him a while to get the bike onto its rear stand, quite a while to find the split link and either pliers or a screw driver to, remove the link. The torque stays were loosened, the brakes rotated and the trunions removed from the brake arms and finally the tommy bar spindle undone and the wheel removed. It took about ten seconds over the one minute target. It is going to take danno and some other newer members some time before they realise just how clever a lot of Vincent design is and how quickly and easily some jobs can be done.

Yes, maybe should have started a new thread as it’s unrelated. I realize about the
clever design and read of a rear wheel removal competition once which made me think how is it done so quickly.
 

Nulli Secundus

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I have always used ordinary pliers to remove the link. I didn't know there's a special kind. The pliers slip off a couple of times before you get the hang of it.

I do have one of these (link below) for aligning the ends of the chain. I pull the ends together and test the position with the master link installed from the outside. Once it slips in easily, I put it in from the behind and install the clip. I snap the clip in with pliers behind the rounded end of the clip and the nearest pin.

https://www.amazon.com/OTC-4758-Sti...llation+tool&qid=1565787372&s=gateway&sr=8-29

Gary

That link also shows the pliers. I have successfully pulled chain ends together with a stout sacrificial plastic cable tie.
 

Gary Gittleson

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VOC Member
Huh. I didn't scroll down to see the special pliers. But I have to add that I'm not enamored of them. With a little too much enthusiasm, one could spread the clip past its elastic limit. Pushing the clip off spreads it just enough and no more.

This thread has indeed drifted, with numerous branches. If there's more to say on any of them we should probably start new threads.

Gary
 

Nulli Secundus

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VOC Forum Moderator
The pliers spread the tips no wider than the pin diameter. I agree spreading the legs wider than that will exceed the clip's elastic limits if say using pliers, or twisting a flat screwdriver against the clip inboard of the pins.

Another way to reduce the spread is to use a small flat screwdriver to lift one leg up and over, but then you risk losing the clip's flatness. The best advice would be never reuse the clip.
 

vibrac

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If the chain sprockets and clearance are correct then all this playing with links is, as said above usually unnecessary just loop the entire chain over the rfm Thats what Mr Vincent intended when he said "without tools"
 

Peter Holmes

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VOC Member
The pliers spread the tips no wider than the pin diameter. I agree spreading the legs wider than that will exceed the clip's elastic limits if say using pliers, or twisting a flat screwdriver against the clip inboard of the pins.

Another way to reduce the spread is to use a small flat screwdriver to lift one leg up and over, but then you risk losing the clip's flatness. The best advice would be never reuse the clip.
If treated properly you can reuse the clip as many times as you need to, probably the life of the chain would be sensible, as I stated in post 18 you certainly do not need any pliers, and you should not lift or gouge one side of the clip independently of the other side of the open end of the clip, all you need to do is use any flat piece of metal, the flat side of a large screwdriver is perfect, rest the flat side of the blade onto the two open ends of the clip and gently push the clip back, it is designed to ride over the chain pin and will only open the jaws of the clip to exactly the width of the chain pin, not a thou more, zero strain or distortion in either plane, the clip then simply lifts off of both chain link pins with ease, refit the clip using the same method, but lightly pushing on the closed end of the clip, again, zero strain or distortion, using this simple method the clip will not ping away into the distance and be lost forever, sermon over.
 

danno

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Non-VOC Member
If treated properly you can reuse the clip as many times as you need to, probably the life of the chain would be sensible, as I stated in post 18 you certainly do not need any pliers, and you should not lift or gouge one side of the clip independently of the other side of the open end of the clip, all you need to do is use any flat piece of metal, the flat side of a large screwdriver is perfect, rest the flat side of the blade onto the two open ends of the clip and gently push the clip back, it is designed to ride over the chain pin and will only open the jaws of the clip to exactly the width of the chain pin, not a thou more, zero strain or distortion in either plane, the clip then simply lifts off of both chain link pins with ease, refit the clip using the same method, but lightly pushing on the closed end of the clip, again, zero strain or distortion, using this simple method the clip will not ping away into the distance and be lost forever, sermon over.

Thanks.
I did have have a go using a flat blade screwdriver but it kept slipping off. Hadn’t cleaned the chain though.
I’ll probably stick to looping chain over the sprocket then fitting the axle.
First time I’ve had the wheel out so it’s really what you get used to doing and what works best.
 
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