Chain Issues

[kartkiller]

So today I finally get the urge to cut and relocate my motor mount. I get that all squared away and get home to mount my engine and now the chain is too tight. So I add a link and its too loose. I have ran out of room to move the engine forward to take up the slack. I moved the mount about two inches backwards. I'm getting so sick of this cart. Everytime I take one step forward, I go two steps backwards. Today has not been a good day to begin with and then this. I guess I can cut the mount back off and move it again or raise the engine to take the slack out of the chain. Now I know why I let it set for so long before messing with it

 

[Doc Sprocket]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Post one, so we need not type 1000.

Slow down, step back, take a breath. There is a solution, probably more than one. You may have to fiddle with the engine position a few times in order to get it right. Look into "half links" aka "offset links". Other options include shimming the engine vertically, or extending the mounting slots. or even a combination of multiple tactics.

 

[addision87]

could build a chain tensioner out of an old urathane skate board wheel and some small peices of scrap and a spring

 

[kartkiller]

A picture is worth a thousand words. Post one, so we need not type 1000.

Slow down, step back, take a breath. There is a solution, probably more than one. You may have to fiddle with the engine position a few times in order to get it right. Look into "half links" aka "offset links". Other options include shimming the engine vertically, or extending the mounting slots. or even a combination of multiple tactics.

I will try to take a picture tomorrow. I have already tried a half link but could not get it to work. I cannot extend the mounting slots far enough to take the slack out. I am leaning more towards raising the engine to take the slack out at this point. I gave up tonight due to the heat. Will attack again tomorrow.

 

[itsid]

Wait 1 Link and it goes from too tight right to too loose?

depending on chain size that'd be not even half an inch, right?

I don't know how you mounted the motor and how much room you might or might not have to "move it", but it might be possible to just add washers or hard rubber grommets to your motor mount, that way you would not only move the engine a tiny little farer from the sprocket (maybe enough) but you would also decouple the motor vibrations off of the chassis.

just an idea as long as we don't have any picture to come up with a more reasonable solution

'sid

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I can't for the life of me, imagine how +1 link is too loose, -1 link is too tight, and a half link won't work either.

 

[Gokarts4Life-11]

I had the same problem with my cart. I bought some large washers and stuck a few between the engine and the motor to raise it. Work great and the chain has perfect amount of slack

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[landuse]

Definately use a half link. I can also not see how it would not work

 

[philip metzner]

He may have the clutch sprocket right over top of the wheel sprocket. When its like that sliding the engine front or back doesnt give much adjustment to the chain. Will have to shim engine with thin washers.

 

[Sgtwalters]

X3 on the washers to get some of the slack out, I just ran into this problem 2 days ago when making a new chain. Took me about 30 minutes putting links in and taking them out.

 

[kartkiller]

He may have the clutch sprocket right over top of the wheel sprocket. When its like that sliding the engine front or back doesnt give much adjustment to the chain. Will have to shim engine with thin washers.

Bingo! Never made it to the hardware store. Have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. Will try tomorrow

 

[OzFab]

Hold up: Having the clutch directly above the axle sprocket is, centre to centre, the shortest possible line between the two. Sliding the engine either forward or back will tighten the chain; I don't understand the problem...

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Hold up: Having the clutch directly above the axle sprocket is, centre to centre, the shortest possible line between the two. Sliding the engine either forward or back will tighten the chain; I don't understand the problem...

Which is why I mentioned the possibility of lengthening the mounting slots.

If the center of the PTO is just slightly forward (or rearward) of the center of the axle, then this problem could occur. There may just not be enough length to those slots. The OP said he relocated the engine mount plate, and doesn't have enough room to slide the engine further. Is that because of the slots being too short, or because of physical interference with something?

 

[kartkiller]

The problem would be because of the slots being too short. If I slide the engine fully forward, I'll have about a half an inch between the tank and the seat but no room in the plate to grind out without going all the way through the plate. I know none of this sounds even remotely possible but I sat out in almost 100 degree heat trying to figure out chain lengths last night. I have ten feet of tractor supply chain and no matter what I do, there is nothing that works. I dont know if I should try to cut the plate off again and move it forward half an inch or so or just use washers to raise the engine up

 

[gallagher19]

The problem would be because of the slots being too short. If I slide the engine fully forward, I'll have about a half an inch between the tank and the seat but no room in the plate to grind out without going all the way through the plate. I know none of this sounds even remotely possible but I sat out in almost 100 degree heat trying to figure out chain lengths last night. I have ten feet of tractor supply chain and no matter what I do, there is nothing that works. I dont know if I should try to cut the plate off again and move it forward half an inch or so or just use washers to raise the engine up

Use the washers. I know exactly what you are going through. I had that problem with one of my karts. I was ready to sell it!! But then the guys on here mentioned the washers and voila!! It is working great and has for two years now. Thank goodness.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Mock it up with washers, and then make a shim plate from steel sheet or plate. Washers are not what I would consider a good permanent solution. Any flex in the plate, and you could crack your engine case.

 

[OzFab]

Why can't you slide the engine back?

 

[firemanjim]

Dude! Had this problem for over a YEAR..... could not go forward cause tank hit seat and back was not working either. I tried washers under engine, half links,whole links,nothing worked. I FINALLY pulled off gas tank and relocated it to the back of the seat. Now i got a snug chain and can do do-nuts all day..... Will post a pic after work. My clutch sits just forward of the tire/sprocket center....

 

[Poboy kartman]

If this one does, it's probaby only side to side.I would look undetneath and shim accordingly.I

 

[kartkiller]

Dude! Had this problem for over a YEAR..... could not go forward cause tank hit seat and back was not working either. I tried washers under engine, half links,whole links,nothing worked. I FINALLY pulled off gas tank and relocated it to the back of the seat. Now i got a snug chain and can do do-nuts all day..... Will post a pic after work. My clutch sits just forward of the tire/sprocket center....

Well I had my tank off the engine but did not like the look of it, thus the reason for me moving the motor plate.
Fabroman, I cannot slide the engine back further because I have ran out of room on the motor plate