Doug had a buddy replace his chain a few weeks ago, using what sounds like a ball peen hammer on his master link. Doug is concerned that they were not mushroomed enough.

I promised him pics of mine, done with one of those pro-motion (or motion-pro, I do not remember which) tools.

Would you gurus comment on whether I should tighten down more, or is it OK?
Then Doug can decide what to do concerning his. And of course, if mine is too lean, I will compress more.

If anyone has pics of a proper brad, please share!

Thanks

From what I can tell... it looks good.

Although you never to a straight on from the rear pic. So if you look at it from the rear, and you see that all the side plates line up together, you're good to go.

You got me scared, about the ball-peen hammer thing though..... Glad I'm not Doug. IF he's your friend, maybe you should offer to fix it for him.... useing the propper tools.

I can only tell you that if that were mine, I'd put the tool back on and flare it more.

+1 I just checked both of my bikes and mine are both a bit more flared than that.

Here's what the Honda manual says...

Measure the master link pin length projected from the plate

DID 1.15-1.55 mm
RK 1.20-1.40 mm


Diameter of the staked pin

DID 5.50-5.80 mm
RK 5.55-5.85 mm


Harbor Freight has a nice digital slide caliper on sale for about $15 I've had mine a couple of years now and it works great.

THAT's the kind of info that makes this board so good! I have a caliper & will check tonight.

Oldgeezer, how's that for info?

I don't know what brand of chain that is, although its easy to assume its a DID.


You should use the spec sheet that came with the chain as far as how much to compress/flare the rivet link. The DID chain supplied with the XX originally is not the same chain you buy aftermarket, and therefore the specs in the service manual will not apply. They may be the similar (after all, how many different ways can you make the same size link chain), but I can tell you that the masterlinks of the FACTORY DID chain and the AFTERMARKET DID chain have different sized link posts, and its reasonable to assume they may not meet the same spec for flaring.

Could that be why Honda allowed such a broad range in the spec? I totally agree with using the chain manufacturers specs if they are available.

When staking the pins you also have to go by feel. It can be very easy to press the plate on too much or stake the pins too much and bind the link, and still be within the specs. When I put my RK chain on last year, I set it to the middle of the Honda spec. So far so good, YMMV.

Any machine work has an acceptable range....this would be no different.

The spec sheet is usually in the bag with the master link and grease.

If I recall, I flared until the link got "sticky" in relation to its neighbor. I didn't have the concept of specs in mind. In hindsight, the stickyness may have been virginal. Anyway, I am going to rectify it tonight or tomorrow.

One of the nice extra touches with my EK ZZZ chain was these spacers that you slid into the chain. This kept me from manhandling the chain when crimping the master link.

Oh, that M/L looks like it needs a bit more work.

I would smack it little more,,,,,,,,,,,grab small hammer and whack it couple times till it looks good,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

BTW I`ve never used "proper tools" on chain work,never had problems with them,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,good mechanic does not need any stinking tools,just a hammer and wise grips,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Joe,

Remember back in the day you came over to work on my bike and poped the rivet?

That was fun.

Yes, it was a real blast yanking that fender out.

Wish we still had that bike "in the fold." It was plain simple gorgeous.

I just remember a whole lot of moaning and groaning watching you roll around on the floor.

I sold that bike for a song....I miss her. Should have kept it.

I always regretted not selling it to someone on the board.

That really doesn't sound right. Flaring the pins shouldn't push the sideplate onto the link.

Think of an axe head on its handle. You put the axe head over the shaved end of the handle, then you drive the wedge(s) into the end of the handle. That locks the axe head in place....it doesn't force the axe head further down on the handle. Its not exactly the same mechanism, but its the same concept. Expanding the pin on your chain link should not be moving the link...it should only hold it tighter and prevent it from coming off.

The sideplate is supposed to be pressed on with a tool because it is intended to be tight enough just like that. Staking the pins is insurance that the continued motion of the chain doesn't work the link free. Probably any flaring would be adequate to the task, but the idea is that with a slight flare like yours, the angle that the pin metal makes in relationship to the sideplate is minimal, and the sideplate would theoretically take much less power to work its way slowly up that shallow angle, whereas a "properly" staked pin has a near 90 degree angle which any forces acting to remove the sideplate would have to overcome...and it would be easier to actually break the pin. The folks making these chains are smarter than me and have more experience with how they work, so I'm inclined to take there suggestions on how to install them.

Hope this makes some sense....I'm only on my first pot of coffee this morning.