Primary chain event

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Gilesy

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Primary chain event
Primary chain event
I was out riding yesterday, fairly briskly on an open twisty road when there was a 'thump' and a judder but the bike seemed to recover. However there was a loss of power and the clutch had started to slip badly. I stopped, there was no obvious damage, however the drive chain was bar tight. The Alton starter still worked and the bike ran so I rode it to a safe place to stop and my mate came and trailered me home.
I took off the cover and found this. What had happened was one of the set screws fixing the inner chaincase to the crank case had worked loose and had pushed the triplex chain over one row onto the clutch housing. Both chains were bar tight. I slackened off rear chain and moved the gear box right forward, I could then dismantle the Alton set up and pull the engine sprocket and the clutch hub. You can see by the damage to the inner case how far forward the clutch had moved, the force must have pulled the gearbox forward on the drive side, hence the tight rear chain. Amazingly nothing is obviously bent or broken. My question is should I put all back together and press on or what? Has this chain 'jumping' event happened to anyone else? The Alton starter has no bearing on this apart from the set screw, my fault for forgetting the Loctite.
Cheers
 
What does the primary chain look like?
<---That had a bolt fall out of the Mk III hydraulic chain adjuster and boogered one of the sideplates on the chain, so I replaced it. The MkIII gearbox is fixed in place, so no other issues.
 
I don’t think the chain case screw ‘pushed’ your chain over. It looks to me like the screw got in between the chain and sprocket, this would have put huge strain on everything as the chain got pulled super tight, then when the screw got spat out, the chain fell over onto the other sprocket teeth.

You really should check the crank and gearbox mainshafts aren’t bent. You must have strained both. The Crank primary shaft to crank cheek is a known weak point anyways.

So long as you’re not racing, all of the above is probably gonna be fine. Personally, I would replace the primary chain. When a primary chain lets go it wreaks havoc and you don’t know how much you've weakened yours already. Just not worth the risk IMHO.
 
Give everything a good clean and inspection, if all OK then put it back together with loctite this time and let it set over night, give all chains a good clean and make sure every link is good and you should be all good to go.

Ashley
 
Chain and sprockets, if the rest of the band is able to strike up a tune. It doesn't take much, however, to bend the mainshaft (or layshaft), at least check it and the crank for run-out. If you can easily remove the clutch rod, and if it rolls true on a proven flat surface, that's a good sign, but doesn't mean you are out of the woods, if the clutch rod wants to lay flat and not rotate.....The fact that you could push it onto a trailer or bed of a truck is a positive sign.

If the clutch moved forward that far, I'd wager that the mainshaft has taken a measurable set and it would be prudent to check the transmission case for cracks...

Sorry for you fella, what a mess. I can almost feel your pain and sincerely hope I'm dead wrong; I also hope you find a solution on the surgical deck, not the answers in the coroners office.

Best.
 
Look at the chain closely. Those look like chain roller pieces in the case. I have experience with this failure. At quick view the chain looks OK. Like Jim said best to replace it and also look inside the clutch for more broken parts.
 
Be a good time to replace the chain with a duplex chain from the chain man.

Ashley
 
Thanks for all your replies. I think fast Eddie is right in that the screw got caught between chain and sprocket, the force of which kicked it over a row and pulled the gearbox forward . The swarf is all aluminium, I've run a magnet through it. Even so replacing the chain seems like the safe option. What makes the duplex chain better? Can you get them from 'The chainman' even though I don't think it's Andy anymore. The mainshaft spins with no play in the bearing and the push rod works OK. I rolled it on a piece of engineers glass and it ran true. The other puzzle is that the other two screws securing the inner case were also loose. I realise I didn't use Loctite because they came with spring washers. It would have been a very bad day to not tighten all three. Perhaps best to contact Monsieur Alton starter motor.
Cheers
 
What makes the duplex chain better?

Its made by Iwis and originally designed for Mercedes timing chains and their requirement to last, it has the largest pin size allowed within the confines of the size parameters and the best materials, so making the chain, which is a series of bushes held together by steel links, both long lasting and strong. First used by Andy as a replacement for the Triplex primary chains for Laverda 1000 triples when they stopped being available, these pump out more HP and Torque than a Commando.
 
The triplex chains today are not as good quality as days gone by and Andy the chain man was selling the duplex chains of better quality, he has retired but not sure if its his son or someone else took over the business, I replaced my triplex chain with a new one that I had its a Renols chain but not as good as the orginal chain and soon will be replacing it with the duplex chain from the new chain man, there has been good reports about running the duplex chain with better quality and smoother running.

Ashley
 
Are these the screws that came out? Is there room for hex heads and lock wire?


Primary chain event
 
You guys make me feel bad. the only time I see a dirty Commando is when it has connecting rods hanging from a hole in the crankcase...Mine is just a dirty backstreet tramp in comparison to these. Even the used oil looks waxed...
I know I've used the 'word' before, but since you've got it down & it's suffered a known considerable shock this is the time to pull out the old magnaflux kit. There's nothing like the assurance of knowing that unseen fractures are,or are not there. You can get water based which cleans up easier, though the regular is better IMO. It can and will show any cracks in the affected areas. Just $.02 from the gallery.
 
That the clutch push rod rolls and appears true is good news. Have you, or are you planning to dial indicate the mainshaft and crankshaft?

I recommend taking a hard look at the teeth on the engine sprocket and clutch basket; if you see any cracked or seriously bent teeth I'd encourage you to consider replacement. I would think that the sprocket(s) that picked up the passenger fastener has got to show some damage, the only question here, in my mind is whether or not the damage can be repaired, which may (should) be a moot point.

Because.

Given what the chain went through I'm surprised that there is any talk of re-using it; clean it up, chrome it up, put a belt buckle in it and sell it to a 1%er. Anyway. If the sprockets are original proper protocol would be to replace sprockets and chain as a set. Conceivably Alton included both, don't know, but if so, and they aren't seriously damaged, they may be worth rolling the dice for.

I'd like to see pictures of the sprockets and the chain.

Best
 
For myself I'd toss the chain & engine sprocket, give serious consideration to the clutch basket if damaged. The shafts do indeed deserve an indicator, as the trans case & crankcase should have thorough inspection for cracks. If the bike were mine I would do the magaflux dye check on those two areas surrounding the shaft penetrations because if any are indicated they likely shall grow through time/further use. Probably won't find any, but I tend to lean to the safe side on failures like this.
 
I think you are all going overboard now with talk of cracks sprocket bent shafts etc etc, do a visual inspection after a good clean up, yes replace the chain but worring about anything else I am sure would have servived without damage, put it back together with loctite etc and take it out if there any major damage you will know after riding it but I recond it will be fine, remember its a street bike and if you know your own bike you will know if something is wrong. I have had things fail before on my Norton over the 43 years of ownership some been a easy fix others a bit more thinking or replacing the failed parts, one of my major failures was my rear brake drum and sprocket where the circlip casting mount broke and only about 30mm left and the circlip fell out, ordered a new drum and while waiting for it to come from RGM I put the drum up on a lathe and machined the circlip mount deeper and put a bigger circlip in, well after 7 years now its still working and the new drum is still sitting under my workbench.
It can be very stressfull over worring about what might happen and if it was my bike it be back together now riding it and I would know if its not right, but I do know my own bike.

Ashley
 
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