500 Cam Chain Soft Link Retaining Pin

[Tom Eatman]

In my two-stroke days it was a new set of pistons every Saturday after qualifying. Aprilia cranks would get swapped after 900 km, the Honda and Yamaha cranks would go 2000. When working on the oil pumps, oops I mean four-strokes, the engines got a revision after 2000 km. New rings, new crank and conrod bearings, along with valves and springs. Fortunately this wasn't my money but simple paranoia meant we had zero DNFs.

Tom

 

[Paul Marx]

I know for a fact that the v.Dijk Endurance Racing Team renewed the cam chain in the 24 hour 750 Zane engines every time after qualifying.  Gijs just doesn't like taking risks.  Just about everything else let go in various races, but never the timing chain...

As Andy stated, standard practice in well-led teams.

piet

My only experience was the 99 Bol d'Or where two Zanes were running, van Dijks' and a french team. The difference in preparation after practice was noticeable. The french team were very flash, practising wheel changes with a stop watch and using air tools. The italians under van Dijk were very calm and basic.
The French bike went out after a few laps, they'd cross threaded the clutch center nut due to precipitation and the use of air tools.
The van Dijk/Italian effort unfortunately went out after crashing around 23.00 hours.

Ciao
Paul

 

[andychain]

There basically 3 types of bikers, road riders, club racers (including track day) and high
budget race teams.

It has always surprised me about the fickle nature of these groups.

Road and club racers will blindly use a product, 520 is a good example, because the high roller
teams use it. GP bikes get new chains just about every practice and race because they can.
The chains will do minimal mileage and get binned with little wear. As a young karter I would
raid the bins for 219 kart chain after a big event and in 2 years never purchased a chain or had
one fail. That changed when daddy started iwis in the UK  

With the big teams looking for ultimate weight savings narrow chain makes sense. Even then
only with the sprockets as the iwis 530 is about the same weight if not less. The number of BSA
and triumph owners who convert to 520 cos it must be the way to go amazes me.

The problem with all chain is simple. In the main it will fail without warning if it goes beyond its
wear limit or gets a shock load, so on high reving race engines it is changed as a matter of course
as it is a cheap piece of mind. I have just had, yesterday, the cam belt changed on the trusty Volvo,
not because it needed changing but because they can fail without warning. Also as a matter of
course changed the water pump as it looked original fitment and has done 190,000 miles. I also change
the oil and filter every 3-4000 miles. The motor is sweet, will still get to 130mph and I can sleep at night.

The correct answer to the original question is to do whatever gives you piece of mind technically dont
do it but in practice no harm will be done considering the miles the average Laverda clocks up.

Why do I get the feeling this bloody thing will run and run.
 
 

 

[nealebms]

Hi
Nissan are having problems with the micra timing chains,stretching so much (at 30,000 miles)that they throw the phasing of the crank and cam sensors so far out that they wont even start .Dont think that they were expecting that to happen as its an engine out job and getting on for 1000 pounds to fix.
Neale

 

[dja981]

There basically 3 types of bikers, road riders, club racers (including track day) and high
budget race teams.

It has always surprised me about the fickle nature of these groups.

Road and club racers will blindly use a product, 520 is a good example, because the high roller
teams use it. GP bikes get new chains just about every practice and race because they can.
The chains will do minimal mileage and get binned with little wear. As a young karter I would
raid the bins for 219 kart chain after a big event and in 2 years never purchased a chain or had
one fail. That changed when daddy started iwis in the UK 

With the big teams looking for ultimate weight savings narrow chain makes sense. Even then
only with the sprockets as the iwis 530 is about the same weight if not less. The number of BSA
and triumph owners who convert to 520 cos it must be the way to go amazes me.

The problem with all chain is simple. In the main it will fail without warning if it goes beyond its
wear limit or gets a shock load, so on high reving race engines it is changed as a matter of course
as it is a cheap piece of mind. I have just had, yesterday, the cam belt changed on the trusty Volvo,
not because it needed changing but because they can fail without warning. Also as a matter of
course changed the water pump as it looked original fitment and has done 190,000 miles. I also change
the oil and filter every 3-4000 miles. The motor is sweet, will still get to 130mph and I can sleep at night.

The correct answer to the original question is to do whatever gives you piece of mind technically dont
do it but in practice no harm will be done considering the miles the average Laverda clocks up.

Why do I get the feeling this bloody thing will run and run.
 
 

Perhaps you should bin this thread and start a nice new fresh one. 

                                                                                          Dave

 

[chrisk]

Andy's input into all matter chains is great, I never really appreciated chains before 'The Chain God' spoke. Thanks Andy.

Here's another one Andy. Why do they put brand names on the outside plates? The isn't the stamping going to weaken the link?

I'm a tad hungover :-\, maybe still pissed , so if this makes little sence, forgive me.

 

[andychain]

Originally the logo or brand was put there to show pride in the product and no it does
not weaken the plate.

iwis still has the iwis logo and Germany on the plates as it is still made in the original factory
in Munich although they do have other plants in Germany.

Renold used to have Renold UK or Renold England on the plates, this is now just Renold as they
produce in many companies.

It used to show where the product was made and when goods from certain countries were
considered in some way superior, notice that Japan in stamped proudly but not India !!!!!!

It is also worrying that many companies will, for the right quantities (getting less by the year),
will put whatever logo or name on the chain, many use etching where the change form
one logo or make to another is a simple method of changing a head. You would be amazed how
many branded marks are made in China and India, with Korea catching up fast.

Chain is metal based and although on the face of it steel is steel....wrong. Take samples of different
steels to your local uni and ask them for comparison tests. DIN is basically a load test and just
about any crap will pass. Iwis as standrad is typically 1/3 higher than DIN. Iwis also has chromised
pins in most chains as a standard feature not an "add on". If yopu want to know that is ask your
local bearing company if they can supply 

I once asked a mate a British Steel, when it was at its height, to make me some pins to the same.

Lesson over if you want more crash the cash.

One thing for those with old bikes using crank links. Recently I have seen more and more chains
with cranks rivetted in, very good, but fitted the wrong way round, yes there is a correct way.
If you need info contact me as it too boring for here and I already here yawns.

Andy
spec as iwis, they were buggering me about on delivery. His answer was simple "we dont know where
they getting that produced but we cant touch it".