Topic: Having serious issues riveting a cam chain. Advise needed

[74cb550k]

OK let me start by saying i have read over 3hrs of posts on this topic. I have the motion pro cam chain riveter, i bought all of the links and chain from z1enterprises. The bike is a 74 cb550K. I am a diesel/heavy duty tech by day so i do have some mechanical incite and am not a total idiot (up for debate). With that being said, this thing is kicking my A$$. So First off I have heard of "soft" rivets, i find it hard to believe there is anything "soft' about the rivets from Z1 I cannot for the life of me get he head of the rivet to flare or mushroom. Here is the sequence of what i am doing
First i have to drill the loose side plate just a little to get it to set on the male links "egging" it out just enough so i can press the plate on without requiring 6 hands.
Then I press the plates together as evenly as possible until the link plates are flush.
I then in a VERY slow even motion use the cam chain tool to push the plate in slightly as to expose the male ends of the link so i can mushroom them.
Here is where it all goes south. I set up the rivet tip and anvil on the cam chain tool and attempt to mushroom the rivet, but what really happens, is that the male end of the link does not "flare" or "mushroom" but it presses the complete link together before it even looks slightly indented on the rivet head. Then this makes the rivet WAY over tight and leaven the end of the rivet still not flared. I have spent probably 5 hours and 5 new rivet heads on this stupid cam chain. Now I have to buy MORE links and I am still not convinced that this is gonna work. If you know something i don't lemme know. Did you use a special rivet? Is there a better way to flare the link over? I wonder if my hydraulic brake line flaring tool would work?

Thanks

[Staggerlee]

I bought the same chain & link from Z1 and had the same issues.  I ended up #$%*canning the both of them and getting the correct chain and link directly from Honda.

The "soft nose" link that you need will look like this:



I fought with the stuff from Z1 for days; the Honda stuff went together in minutes.

[74cb550k]

Do you have part #'s. That looks like it would work better than that other POS i have. Is it a stock 550 chain  and a master link as well? Is it on the microfiche.? thanx

[Staggerlee]

It's a stock 550 chain, but the link is from a 450/500 twin.  The 550 chain is endless, so you'll need to pop a link out with your tool and replace it with the master. Compared to the EK chain that you got from Z1, the Honda links slide apart like butter.

P/N on the link is 14410-283-000; I haven't got the number for the chain handy, but it should be easy to look up.

[Trevor from Warragul]

David Silver have soft links - the one for my 350/4 worked really well (and looked the same as the picture)

[Staggerlee]

So will the local Honda dealer, and you'll likely get it a whole lot sooner.