primary chain

Is 13000 miles about it for a primary chain? I just found a broken roller when I was servicing my clutch.Is there anything that I should check as far as tension,etc. as this motorcycle was not beaten and fluid level was always constant.

I'd expect it to last a lot longer than that, not sure how long but at least double sounds reasonable.

Have you checked the alignment, it's easy to to lose or forget shims if there's been a rebuild at some time.

Yes, you should get easily twice that mileage, mine's at over 30,000 now & shows no sign's of needing replacement any time soon, most of it has been done well loaded, often 2 up & not hanging around. make sure you're not running too tight, when you adjust, over tighten the primary chain, then use the adjuster to pull the gearbox forward to loosen the chain, then tighten the gearbox bolts to hold it all in that position. then you can adjust your final drive chain. Adjusting in this way, the adjuster bolt holds the gearbox from being pulled backwards by whip or snatch in the final drive chain, which then tightens the primary chain. Hope that all make sence.
Regards, Tim

I don't know why, but every time I mess with that gearbox adjuster, I get it backwards. Usually I'm pretty good with spacial things but that one always gets me. I need to write that one down, Tim, thanks.

Dave
69S

Don't use new stock Renold triplex primairy chain (old stock is fine) because the rollers are no longer made of an one piece bush but rolled to a bush. To be recognized by a seam lenghtwise (sharp eyes needed). They definitely will split open in time!
BTW Renold did the same to their camshaft chain. So you have to watch very closely before you buy!

I just bought a new primary chain from Old Britts but haven't installed it yet. Anybody know what kind they sell? Is there a "preferred" source?

I stopped selling Renolds primary chains- and timing chains= years ago, after having the split roller syndrome on primaries far too often. After I bought Andover Norton I switched them to the chains I had been using successfully for several years by then. Not only did renolds switch to split rollers, but I understand the norm (diameter of rollers) for that chain was changed, so the old primary sprockets/clutch baskets with new norm split rollers won't work.
Old stock Renolds is indeed o.k., but I doubt in there is any left in Europe, that would have to be pretty old- 15 vor 20 years? The US is often good for very dated NOS. To be fair, never had problems with any timing chain, be it Renolds or any other make.
I run primary chains on all my Commandos, road and race, no problems whatsoever with our chains.
Joe