Topic: Anybody ever have this happen to their chain???

[Thunder]

So i was prepping the bike for a possible role in a movie (will tell more about that if they choose her), when i was cleaning the chain and noticed this. It appears about half the link plates have tiny cracks in em!!!!! Scary.
This is a pic of the worst.(sorry bout the quality, cellphone.)



The chain came off an old bike i had , but i checked the links for free play. The chain was never too tight, if anything i kept it on the loose side and always well lubed. Its possible the chain had these cracks before and i didn't notice it but any ideas to what caused it?
Cheers
Thor

[GammaFlat]

Wow - that's terrible.  I've not seen that happen before.  The story could be a lot worse. 

She's probably good for another 1000 miles - NOT. 

[Bakeoff]

Someone beats on their chain....   Good thing the movie deal came up, or you'd probably be stranded the next time you cracked open the throttle.

I haven't seen one crack like that since my BMX days.  That's why chains are part of doing maintenance.   

[Markcb750]

I have never seen anything like that happen, you are lucky you where not riding when it failed the rest of the way, good way to bust an engine case!


Was it stiff from corrosion?

[tmac]

OR YOUR LEG !

[MoMo]

Worked in a cycle shop for at least 14 years, that is a first ...Larry

[ekpent]

Little dab of JB Weld your good to go----NOT---Time for a real chain and consider yourself lucky you still got your lower cases------. Thanks for pointing it out and we should all take a peek now and then,especially them young guys out there who want to hit the TON. ------

[Steve_K]

Take a good at your battery tube route and make sure it does not vent on the chain.  Battery acid will do that to tempered steel. 
Glad that it did not let go when in use. 
Steve

[BobbyR]

I have not seen anything like that but in looking at it I have a theory. I would think the wheel has or had been out of line for a long period of time and the links have been subjected to significant side forces. You say they the other links have developed cracks, if they are all on the same side, that would fit.

[nickandkristy02]

great now i have to go check the chain on my rd350

[Terry in Australia]

Damn Defence department computer firewall, I can't see the pics! I'll have to check 'em out when I get home, but I like Bobby and Steve_K's theories Thor. Cheers, Terry.

[Thunder]

Cheers Guys.

Battery vent isn't routed down that away but that's good to know for future.
The Idea of the wheel being skew fits (no pun intended) , but that I'll have to put down to a PO.

Thing is, about 20 of the plated are cracked, some in more than one place. I will check today if its all on one side when i go to a chain place (in the car)and see what they gotta say.
Could incorrect sprocket  "profile"? have done this, like the teeth were too big?
Not saying it was this as the chain fitted well into the sprockets, but to my mind if the "teeth" were too large the tension whilst riding would've exerted lateral forces on the chain plates?

I dunno. Tx for the ideas
Thor

[bryanj]

Thts exacty what happen when the early 750's broke chains and cases, Honda put it down to incorrect battery vent routing and fitted all those nice stickers to tell you where to route it

[Thunder]

Ok, update, back from the chain shop.
They were suprised but said it could be from having put the sprockets on the wrong direction. IF the sprockets are worn and bend slightly in one direction, it puts undue stess on the chain when installed.
The sprockets were not new, but to my eye they didn't have much in the way of a bend or slant.

But what they said makes sense?
Thor

[crazypj]

Ok, update, back from the chain shop.
They were suprised but said it could be from having put the sprockets on the wrong direction. IF the sprockets are worn and bend slightly in one direction, it puts undue stess on the chain when installed.
The sprockets were not new, but to my eye they didn't have much in the way of a bend or slant.

But what they said makes sense?
Thor

nope, they are full of it.
 Don't have a correct answer so make up something plausible 
bryanj got it,
I've never actually seen it before but it's battery breather hose routing.
 Yamaha had a major recall because chains broke.
They fitted longer breather hose and re-routed it.
 I did hundreds of Yams but never saw chain like that, usually just the rollers broke off (probably rained too much in South Wales  )

[Thunder]

Well, i bow to the collective knowledge on here. i will double check the routing of the Battery vent, but as it came of another bike i have it's possible the damage was done when i put it on.

Thanks for the help and i have learned some stuff today.

cheers
Thor

[dave500]

had the chain ever been rusty and dry?is it an old cheapie chain?ten more seconds and it looks like it would have snapped.

[HondaNorway]

Damn! That's the worst chain i've seen! Lucky you noticed it now, could go terribly wrong..

[Deltarider]

Some years ago, when I was bringing my bike on the centerstand, all of a sudden the bike gave way and went on his side like a dying elephant. I could only prevent the bike from hitting the concrete too hard. I was shocked to discover the centerstand was broken due to what seemed to me as metal fatigue. Anyway I had it welded by a friend and the stand is still on. But now that I read the above, I wonder whether as a result of an incorrect routing of the battery vent tube, the metal of the stand had softened. Any ideas?
Maybe the stand is made of bad quality metal. It's certainly not Rearden metal, that's for sure.

[Markcb750]

Thts exacty what happen when the early 750's broke chains and cases, Honda put it down to incorrect battery vent routing and fitted all those nice stickers to tell you where to route it

Excellent catch!


*Another reason why I like AGM batteries.

[MCRider]

Been an off and on topic here for years. here's one of the more recent threads:
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=72783.msg808964#msg808964

[Kong]

If you all don't mind I'd like to revisit something said in the original post.  You all may have missed this but here is part of what was said:  "The chain came off an old bike i had"

It sort of makes arguments about the sprockets and battery vent lines moot when we don't even know what kind of bike it came off of but might just as likely be the source of the problem as the bike its on now - probably more likely the source if the chain was on the other bike longer.  I do not know why I think this, I have no idea where I heard it and I don't know that I've ever actually seen it in print, but it has always been my understanding that you should never reuse a chain or switch one from one bike to another.  In fact I thought it was the general recommendation that a new chain be used whenever new sprockets were put on a bike; that chains were nearly as expendible a part as brake pads.

[Steve_K]

Changing chains and sprockets at the same time is a good idea.  That said, on old bikes that I got with the chain rusty and done for,  I have just replaced the chain.  Note: the sprockets had little wear and chains on old CB 750s and 550 don't cost that much.  Newer bikes with high hp need both changed. 
Still, I think its likely acid did in the chain.  Best of all is that it found before it broke.
Steve

[madmtnmotors]

Looks like the chain is smaller than the sprockets, i.e. a 520 chain on 530 sprockets. The chain came from "another bike" per original post.

[MCRider]

Looks like the chain is smaller than the sprockets, i.e. a 520 chain on 530 sprockets. The chain came from "another bike" per original post.

Could be. The "pitch" (distance between pins) is determined by the "5", all 5 series chains have the same pitch. A 4 or 6 series chain would be so far off it wouldn't work a bit.

The 20 or 30 is the width. I don't know if a 20 would even fit on a 30 sprocket. Maybe a 525 could be a tight fit on a 530 sprocket. Don't know.