When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
General Topics/Tech TipsDiscussion on break in periods, rider comfort, seats and pad suggestions. Tech tips as they become available will be posted here.
Manual says youre supposed to mark the compensator sprocket and primary chain when removing, so the sprocket is put back in the same place on the chain.
But why? The chain is much longer than the diameter of the sprocket, so different links are mating with the same sprocket tooth as it turns, so I dont get the reasoning?
the theory is keeping the same wear pattern and yes, the same teeth will engage the same roller as it goes around. however, on an oil bath chain probably not much of an issue but still exists.
a chain not under tension will set lower in the tooth if its rollers are worn, that said, when under tension, it will travel higher in the tooth limited by the pitch. roller wear does not effect pitch change but does effect how the chain set in the tooth under tension. when you start getting pin wear, that has an effect on pitch. diff between pin and roller wear.
how many follow that advice, hummmm, probably not many and shops included.
How do you figure this when some compensators are even tooth, some odd tooth?
You mark the outside of the chain, that way you won`t reinstall the chain running the wrong direction, nothing more to it.
I suspect this to be the case.
When I recently had my primary apart, I saw this in the manual as well, but couldn't figure out why it would make any difference if the chain slop at the top meets spec when assembled.
Since this entire assembly is unrelated to valve timing and such, I just can't understand why it would matter, other than to retain the orientation of the chain/direction of rotation.
While I do take off together, I have never put the chain back on exactly, not saying bad. I mark inside and outside. I doubt most people get the exact tooth alignment. Not that I am saying you shouldn't. But with 90k and 70k, so far so good.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.