Topic: 400f sprocket question(s)??

[Zane]

I recently replaced my chain and front sprocket.  (Honda still makes the front sprocket, but not the rear one.)

As I was doing that chore, I checked out the back sprocket, and it has a sort of plate cover attached to the outside side.  I have noticed that any replacement rear sprocket(s) available do not have that cover.  It also seems that the four holes that this plate is mounted to do not exist on the replacement, after market sprockets.

So what's going on with that?  I like that guard plate (or whatever it is).  Is there a way to transfer the old one, or should I be looking for an OEM rear sprocket assembly that is complete with that plate?

Also, has anyone ever chromed a rear sprocket - or is that a dumb question (and idea)?  Seems to me that there's a chance that a chromed one would be stronger and stay cleaner - but I don't know much ....

Also, what's the best way to care for those four rear sprocket mounting pins that sit in the four bushings in the rear wheel?  I can't find any info anywhere on that .....  Should they be lightly greased with bearing grease, or what?

Finally, is any amount of play in the front sprocket acceptable?  Mine moves side to side a fraction of a mm.  However, it does not seem to wobble at all - just that side to side looseness.  Is that okay?

Thanks anyone who can answer .....

[Bodi]

The black ring would be a pain to put on a new sprocket, you'd have to drill the sprocket and I think it should be pretty hard steel. Then drill out the old rivets and mount the thing, either with rivets or bolts. Go ahead if it means that much to you:)
There are "original OEM" sprockets on Ebay without the ring, obviously not real Honda parts. Beware.
I got the last Honda 400F sprocket in Canada and I must like the black ring too, the cost was about 4X a plain aftermarket one.
Chrome would not make it any stronger. Chrome wouldn't stand up on the teeth, and just chip off. After that the teeth would tend to rust at a horrific rate because chrome plating causes an electrochemical reaction that vastly accelerates rusting if the chrome surface is broken allowing air to get at the steel underneath.
You should put some grease or, preferable, anti-seize goop on the pins when installing the sprocket. It won't matter to the ride but next time you want to pull the sprocket it won't be rusted into place.
The front sprocket will have axial play, the attaching plate is a bit thinner than the groove in the splined shaft. Totally normal.

[aptech77]

Second that!

[Zane]

Thanks you two....

Yeah, when I originally ordered both sprockets I was kinda shocked at the price of the rear one - including taxes I think it came to just over a hundred bucks (Canadian).  I was a tiny bit relieved when they told me Honda didn't make the rear sprocket any longer.

So what do most folks do then, when replacing the rear sprocket?  Do they just go without that guard thingy?  (If so, that would make my bike a little better, in a way.  I have those aftermarket Boge (Orca) shocks we were all talking about a while back, and running without the plate would increase that super small clearance I have in there, I think.)

Anyway, thanks again.

Cheers,

Bill

[crazypj]

Its only there in case the chain jumps off into the swing arm, designed to guide chain either back onto sprocket or prevent jamming and locking wheel, I forget which.
 I always thought it was stupid and never re-fitted one.
PJ

[nickjtc]

Its only there in case the chain jumps off into the swing arm, designed to guide chain either back onto sprocket or prevent jamming and locking wheel, I forget which. I always thought it was stupid and never re-fitted one.

I guess that Honda figured that some owners might be so sloppy over their chain maintenance that they would let their chains get looser than a prostitures underwear. The ring keeps the chain in place in such a case.

[GroovieGhoulie]

I always thought that the black plastic guard was a splash guard designed to keep oil from flinging off the sides of the chain as it circled the sprocket?  At least that what a '70s magazine test said.

[cmorgan47]

either way, sounds like extra rotating mass to me.

[nickjtc]

I always thought that the black plastic guard was a splash guard designed to keep oil from flinging off the sides of the chain as it circled the sprocket?  At least that what a '70s magazine test said.

That's a possibility. I would have thought that the chain would have to be pretty goopy for anything to come off the sides though.

[Zane]

"To each their own" I guess is what the old lady said when she kissed the cow.

I kinda like that sprocket cover - I think it makes the rear wheel look a little cleaner/sleeker.  However, it appears as if I'll have a difficult time finding the complete sprocket/sprocket cover assembly to purchase new(ish).

[Gordon]

I always thought that the black plastic guard was a splash guard designed to keep oil from flinging off the sides of the chain as it circled the sprocket?  At least that what a '70s magazine test said.

That's a possibility. I would have thought that the chain would have to be pretty goopy for anything to come off the sides though.

Yeah, I think the bike would have to be lying on it's side for anything to fly sideways off the chain, but then you'd have bigger problems to worry about in that case.

[nickjtc]

I think the bike would have to be lying on it's side for anything to fly sideways off the chain, but then you'd have bigger problems to worry about in that case.

erm, har har har!

[Zane]

What about that sprocket cover making it a little safer for a passenger?  (Okay - a vintage passenger with bell bottoms....)

[Gordon]

What about that sprocket cover making it a little safer for a passenger?  (Okay - a vintage passenger with bell bottoms....)

I think the chainguard would pretty much take care of that part.

[aptech77]

Dump the extra
weight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Finger break, ok!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!OK, you all get the POINT.   

[CB400FAN]

Sorry this is a bit late but might still be relevent.
I re fitted the plate to my new 400 four rear sprocket by drilling and tapping the sproket 8mm and fitting it with four 8 mm bolts and spring washers. I like the look of the plate too.
As for the front sprocket a little sideways play is ok just make sure you have a tab washer on the bolt heads.

[nteek754]

Hey all  wow in my 30 years of collecting I have one sprocket that  the  ring is attatched by rivits all the other ones are held on  by the sprocket bolts  oh Im running the  750s  so maybe thats the diff   and  on the chroming part yes Ive seen it done and it works  fine  other post is right about  comeing off the tooth itself  but as far as  rusting  hmmm keep the chain oil to it and you will  be ok  good luck  Craig in Maine  seven fifty four ever