Spring links

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

Hi

I know this subject has been done to death but on one of the threads I'm sure I heard someone mention using silicone to help retain the clip, so if I'm right, what sort of silicone do you use? and how do you use it?

While looking at a new Himalayan I noticed they are using spring clips.

Thanks all

Grumpy 

[tw586 88]

if you are talking about the chain link clip, I always use thin tie wire on the side of the link

[Tex 36,816]

Hey Grumpy, if no one else has done so I will give you chapter & verse when I get home..

They call me Mr Spring Clip..

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

52 minutes ago, Tex said:

Hey Grumpy, if no one else has done so I will give you chapter & verse when I get home..

They call me Mr Spring Clip..

Looking forward to it Mr Spring Clip.👍

[SteveThackery 3,090]

11 minutes ago, Grumpy old man said:

Looking forward to it Mr Spring Clip.👍

 

Yep, me too!

 

[Tonyj 6,907]

2 hours ago, Tex said:

Hey Grumpy, if no one else has done so I will give you chapter & verse when I get home..

They call me Mr Spring Clip..

 

Thought they called you Mr Lover Lover. Mmm just like the vicar but some what quicker. (soz tex ) just channeling my inner shaggy 

[Tex 36,816]

Right, I’m home with a cuppa, Mrs T is clattering about in the kitchen making a pie. And Diesel is sitting at her side, ever hopeful she might drop something tasty. Or anything at all really..  

 

A little background for those unfamiliar with the arcane intricacies of the spring clip. The whole assembly that joins the two ends of the chain is the master link, which comprises of a side plate with two pins riveted through it, a removable side plate and a horseshoe shaped clip which locates in groves machined in the pins.

It was a perfectly sound method (indeed, the only method) of joining a chain right up until the late seventies when the horsepower of the emerging breed of ‘Superbikes’ made the possibility of failure a worry. The worry wasn’t entirely unfounded as a couple of high profile failures bore witness.
 

For example, in 1973 (or 74, don’t remember exactly) Kawasaki sought to publicise it’s new Z1 with some record attempts at Daytona. A team of four riders (Yvon Duhamel, Hurley Wilvert, Art Bauman and Cook Nielson from memory) were to ride two only lightly modified Z1s round the outer banked circuit for 24 hours seeking to raise the record - which at that time was still held by a 500 Velocette - to an average of 120mph. More than halfway through the attempt one bike broke a master link and, the rules of record breaking being as they are, had to stay where it was until the mechanics could get to it and fit a replacement. The delay cost that bike any chance of the record but the other one ran faultlessly to the finish.

Racers began to rivet their chains to eliminate a possible weak spot and, as we all know, anything a racer does soon finds it’s way onto road bikes but there’s really nothing wrong with a, correctly fitted, spring clip. The 500cc Paton (75 hp, 140+ mph) raced in the Classic TT by John McGuinness has a spring clip that remains with the chain for life, being removed and re-used as often as necessary.

To correctly assemble a master link you need to lubricate both pins with a heavy duty grease before sliding them through the ends of the chain. The removable side plate should be a tight(ish) fit over the pins and be pushed fully ‘home’. Then the spring clip is fitted (closed end facing the direction of travel) by sliding it into place. It’s essential not to try and lever the open ends apart.

 

When a master link fails it’s normally because the spring clip has, somehow, gone awol and that allows the removable side plate to work it’s way off the pins and then the chain parts..  

 

There are three ways (finally we get to the point!  ) to secure a spring clip. All require that the side plate and the clip be properly clean. One is to put a dab of silicone (ordinary ‘household’ stuff, the sort you might use to seal plumbing) on the side plate before fitting the clip. The silicone is sticky and tends to ‘glue’ the clip in place. Another method is to assemble the clip onto a, scrupulously clean, side plate then put a generous dab of enamel paint over both. Leave to dry overnight and not only does the paint stick the clip and side plate together but it provides an early warning of possible failure by visibly cracking. The last method is the one we use on the racers. Assemble up the master link, fit the clip and then loop a thin wire (household fuse wire is fine) around the centre of the removable side plate and the clip and twist the ends together until it’s tight. 

Most bikes fitted with standard (ie not O ring) chains will used a spring clip. Most O ring chains are riveted. Each remain totally relevant. 

 

Hope that helps, Lloyd?

 

 

 

 

 

[Grumpy old man 4,670]

7 minutes ago, Tex said:

Right, I’m home with a cuppa, Mrs T is clattering about in the kitchen making a pie. And Diesel is sitting at her side, ever hopeful she might drop something tasty. Or anything at all really..  

 

A little background for those unfamiliar with the arcane intricacies of the spring clip. The whole assembly that joins the two ends of the chain is the master link, which comprises of a side plate with two pins riveted through it, a removable side plate and a horseshoe shaped clip which locates in groves machined in the pins.

It was a perfectly sound method (indeed, the only method) of joining a chain right up until the late seventies when the horsepower of the emerging breed of ‘Superbikes’ made the possibility of failure a worry. The worry wasn’t entirely unfounded as a couple of high profile failures bore witness.
 

For example, in 1973 (or 74, don’t remember exactly) Kawasaki sought to publicise it’s new Z1 with some record attempts at Daytona. A team of four riders (Yvon Duhamel, Hurley Wilvert, Art Bauman and Cook Nielson from memory) were to ride two only lightly modified Z1s round the outer banked circuit for 24 hours seeking to raise the record - which at that time was still held by a 500 Velocette - to an average of 120mph. More than halfway through the attempt one bike broke a master link and, the rules of record breaking being as they are, had to stay where it was until the mechanics could get to it and fit a replacement. The delay cost that bike any chance of the record but the other one ran faultlessly to the finish.

Racers began to rivet their chains to eliminate a possible weak spot and, as we all know, anything a racer does soon finds it’s way onto road bikes but there’s really nothing wrong with a, correctly fitted, spring clip. The 500cc Paton (75 hp, 140+ mph) raced in the Classic TT by John McGuinness has a spring clip that remains with the chain for life, being removed and re-used as often as necessary.

To correctly assemble a master link you need to lubricate both pins with a heavy duty grease before sliding them through the ends of the chain. The removable side plate should be a tight(ish) fit over the pins and be pushed fully ‘home’. Then the spring clip is fitted (closed end facing the direction of travel) by sliding it into place. It’s essential not to try and lever the open ends apart.

 

When a master link fails it’s normally because the spring clip has, somehow, gone awol and that allows the removable side plate to work it’s way off the pins and then the chain parts..  

 

There are three ways (finally we get to the point!  ) to secure a spring clip. All require that the side plate and the clip be properly clean. One is to put a dab of silicone (ordinary ‘household’ stuff, the sort you might use to seal plumbing) on the side plate before fitting the clip. The silicone is sticky and tends to ‘glue’ the clip in place. Another method is to assemble the clip onto a, scrupulously clean, side plate then put a generous dab of enamel paint over both. Leave to dry overnight and not only does the paint stick the clip and side plate together but it provides an early warning of possible failure by visibly cracking. The last method is the one we use on the racers. Assemble up the master link, fit the clip and then loop a thin wire (household fuse wire is fine) around the centre of the removable side plate and the clip and twist the ends together until it’s tight. 

Most bikes fitted with standard (ie not O ring) chains will used a spring clip. Most O ring chains are riveted. Each remain totally relevant. 

 

Hope that helps, Lloyd?

 

 

 

 

 

Well I knew all that! What a disappointment 🙁.

Only joking, thanks Tex, oops,( sorry Mr S C ). Really useful.  Thanks again.

[Spindizzy 7,109]

My next chain on the NC will be joined by a spring clip with a blob of silicon and locking wire.

 

Side note if you use one on an O ring chain, make sure the sideplate (which should be an interference fit) is only squeezed on enough to allow the clip to just snug in to place.There shouldn't be a clearance between the side plate and the clip. If you do go a bit mad, once the clip is on gently lever the side plate out to be flush against the clip.

 

 

 

 

[Andy m 23,473]

Now I'm torn. I had the breaker out to remove the CB's chain yesterday. The new chain is supplied with both links. I'm tempted to rivet it only because come sale day it's the sort of thing that gets the general biking population howling*. I think if the rivet isn't 100% neat and tidy, that's when I'll go with the clip. 

 

*Tex, if you fancy a bit of devilment copy your post onto MCN without stating your background. They all know clip links come off, smash the gearbox casing, remove the riders left testicle and make sparks that will set the atmosphere on fire and thus wipe out all life on earth. They were told this by people charging very reasonable prices for the use of a rivet tool. 😁

 

Andy

[Spindizzy 7,109]

14 minutes ago, Andy m said:

Now I'm torn. I had the breaker out to remove the CB's chain yesterday. The new chain is supplied with both links. I'm tempted to rivet it only because come sale day it's the sort of thing that gets the general biking population howling*. I think if the rivet isn't 100% neat and tidy, that's when I'll go with the clip. 

 

 

Simple, put the clip link in but on the other side....nobody ever looks there 

[Tex 36,816]

5 minutes ago, Spindizzy said:

 

Simple, put the clip link in but on the other side....nobody ever looks there 

That’s a cool idea. And I bet it appeals to Andy’s sense of the perverse!   More seriously, if spring clips are as bad as (some) folks would have you believe, why do chain manufacturers still supply them as an alternative to riveting? I would have absolutely zero hesitation about fitting one to a 47 hp CB500. 

[trisaki 2,029]

99% of the time when you have an issue with the spring clip it's where a plonker has fitted  the clip the  wrong  way round , easy way of getting it right is to look at the top run of the chain the closed(rounded ) end of the clip  is facing forward  ie direction of travel , the amount of bikes I've failed on mots because they have been fitted the wrong way round  (even dealers get it wrong  ) , spotted in a mag a cb750 being roadtested belonging  to a well known  honda 4 specialist   ,a photo showing the back wheel  and the clip and part of the link hanging  off , roadtester had been writing about  what the bike was like at speed  previous to Parking it to taking piccies 

[Slowboy 20,359]

5 hours ago, Spindizzy said:

 

Simple, put the clip link in but on the other side....nobody ever looks there 

 

I'd like that twice if I could, genius👍

Edited December 31, 2019 by slowboy

[Andy m 23,473]

5 hours ago, Tex said:

And I bet it appeals to Andy’s sense of the perverse!    I would have absolutely zero hesitation about fitting one to a 47 hp CB500. 

Do I have one of those? Do I get whips and leather budgie smugglers to go with the chains? 😁

 

No problem here with a clip, but I had the breaker tool out so it got riveted. 

22 minutes ago, slowboy said:

 

I'd like that twice if I could, genius👍

Me too. 

 

Andy

[listener 11,158]

6 hours ago, Andy m said:

Do I get whips and leather budgie smugglers to go with the chains?

 

Watch you put those budgie smugglers on the right way round ... 

... And for pete's sake don't rivet them on! 

[steve916s 11]

It might have been me who mentioned silicone in relation to spring links quite a while ago.

On a DID VX2 I found the spring link fitted ok, but the spring rattled around a bit on the pins.

It was the kind which has a 'closed' rounded end where the two sides butt together. Not the 'open' ended kind which grip the pins.

After a few thousand miles, there was a touch of red oxide where the spring link was rattling on the pin.

Probably would have been ok, but a blob of silicone put my mind at rest.

I've since had another VX2 which was the same.

Firm believer in spring links!