chain life

[The Reverend]

Well, I've had an issue with debris in my float - likely from the diaphragm in the petcock (time for that diaphragm eliminator kit?) so as a temporary fix, I picked up a $4 Visu filter, part FF 707C. Install took all of a minute. We'll know in a day or two if it works as planned.

[revmaaatin]

--- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com, "The Reverend" wrote:

> > Well, I've had an issue with debris in my float - likely from the diaphragm > in the petcock (time for that diaphragm eliminator kit?) so as a temporary > fix, I picked up a $4 Visu filter, part FF 707C. > > Install took all of a minute. We'll know in a day or two if it works as > planned. >

Big 'R' Rev-- My experience with the diaphragm failing is that it pee's gas on the engine. Could be that it washes down stream to the float bowl...just not my experience...therefore, probably not. smile. = In all my experience of diaphragm failures, it must pee gas on the engine (and the next act, sets your bike on fire!) cough. Since Fred sells the diaphragm repair kit--maybe he could comment on failure types. My started with a mysterious fuel stain, unknown source, then eventually, a full fledged leak that I could see happen. A word of caution on that fuel filter--you may be going to 'reserve' sooner than before the installation. It would be worth watching, perhaps deliberately checking the mileage. With my fuel filter, (two types) reserve came a full 50 miles early,@~4 gallons used and reserve was only good for about 8-10 miles. Of course, there is the double secret reserve of laying the bike on the left side and sloshing gas into the left half--good for another 8 miles. Ah, double secret reserve--nice to know, painful to use. YMMV (and reserve may very as well.) revmaaatin. (lil 'r' rev)

[The Reverend]

Hehe My bike just started that little weeping of gas. It's not quite enough to form a puddle on anything, but enough that the petcock is damp. I'll have to take a poke at the diaphragm kit shortly. The filter is AFTER the petcock in the fuel line between it and the carb. It's also a 90 degree filter, so from all I figure, it shouldn't affect anything, other than top-speed runs (hahaha) if it doesn't flow enough. I can't see the KLR drinking more than the filter allows, so I am not worried about it. I always write down mileage, so we'll see if anything changes. I've had to lean the bike to the side once to get home, but it was plenty enough to get me home. Maybe I just need a bumpier ride to get home? -----Original Message----- From: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com [mailto:DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of revmaaatin Big 'R' Rev-- My experience with the diaphragm failing is that it pee's gas on the engine. Could be that it washes down stream to the float bowl...just not my experience...therefore, probably not. smile. = In all my experience of diaphragm failures, it must pee gas on the engine (and the next act, sets your bike on fire!) cough. Since Fred sells the diaphragm repair kit--maybe he could comment on failure types. My started with a mysterious fuel stain, unknown source, then eventually, a full fledged leak that I could see happen. A word of caution on that fuel filter--you may be going to 'reserve' sooner than before the installation. It would be worth watching, perhaps deliberately checking the mileage. With my fuel filter, (two types) reserve came a full 50 miles early,@~4 gallons used and reserve was only good for about 8-10 miles. Of course, there is the double secret reserve of laying the bike on the left side and sloshing gas into the left half--good for another 8 miles. Ah, double secret reserve--nice to know, painful to use.

[Rick McCauley]

Yes, my sprockets are steel. Thanks for the tip on flipping the sprocket. sounds like a good idea. Rick A17

--- On Wed, 4/22/09, revmaaatin wrote: From: revmaaatin Subject: [DSN_KLR650] Re: chain life To: DSN_KLR650@yahoogroups.com Date: Wednesday, April 22, 2009, 7:03 PM --- In DSN_KLR650@yahoogro ups.com, Rick McCauley wrote: > > I purchased a DID chain, and JT sprockets to the sum of $200.00. > I don't want to do that any more than I have to. Lots of folks out there > make enough money not to worry about such things. I am not one of them. > > Rick > A17 Hi Rick, You did not say, but I hope those sprockets were steel sprockets. I don't believe the aluminum (rear) are very serviceable for most of our long-term, KLR applications- -my experience on other dirt oriented machines; they wear out very, very quickly. Much as been said here about the use of WD 40: many of us have gotten more than 15K some up to 20K smiles using a WD-40/similar cleaning procedure. What works for me--gleaned from the experience of many: I hit my chain after every ride, and at every gas stop while on an adventure ride using a WD or wallyworld equivalent. Now for what you did not ask. smile. Watch your front sprocket wear carefully--as it wears out ~3x faster than your rear sprocket--because it is 1/3 the teeth of a rear sprocket. That poor fellow has 3X as much action as the rear guy! As a personal technique: I keep a full set of C/S in my tank bag, 13,14, 15 for use with my 43rear. For pure grunt, I LOVE that 13 T--also knowing that I have limited my top speed to ~65mph/6Krpms. I rode that 13T for nearly 2500 miles last summer on the GDR. My first GDR was with a 14T and was constantly slipping the clutch to make it work. What a change the 13T makes--almost make the pig, a .... well, a well mannered 'dirt-pig'. Yes, Virginia, I love my pig. It is still a handful to pick up a heavily laden KLR, 13T or not! Most list wisdom-s suggest change all drive components together. shrug. If starting from scratch, by all means, change them all and start fresh. But they don't wear equally. If it were a race bike, I would agree with that 100% to change them all together, all the time. However, When you factor in the C/S wears 3X faster than the rear, it makes good sense and money sense to me to watch the wear patterns, and change The C/S early. My personal experience is that changing the sprockets before they are badly hooked, has very little (seat of the pants) difference or undue wear of the new front sprocket on a used chain. I change out sprockets often--due to riding conditions. Generally using up 4 or 5 C/S in the life of one chain. =20K WD treated smiles That said, I change the C/S earlier than most would as a way of preserving the chain. It works well for me. One/two/three additional time saving technique for changing C/S is the use of 1) the prevailing torque nut on the C/S (Eagle Mike Products) 2)Prevailing torque nuts on the chain adjusters 2a) or use a nyloc nut on the chain adjuster. 3) indexing the chain adjuster nut with a . and a double .. 180 degrees apart (punch it with a center-punch on the flat, 180degrees apart) when you finally got the chain correctly aligned. Generally the adjustment is 2 and 1/2 turns of the chain tension nut for each tooth change on the C/S. Crank off the tension exactly the same on both nuts ie 5 turns, drop the sprocket by one tooth, add 7 1/2 turns to the nut and it is nearly spot on every time for proper chain tension. The little index marks help you keep an accurate track of the number of actual turns of the nut and you will not have to search for the chain alignment. I did this 5 years ago--and doing this has saved many minutes on each sprocket change and much frustration. The key here is to make sure the chain alignment is absolutely correct before indexing the chain tension nuts. and, If you should ever have a question concerning chain tension--a little loose is better than a little to tight. To tight, and the C/S seal fails early, and the chain seeks the correct tension--shorting chain life. or worse. and one last thing for sprocket life--I have gone to flip-flopping the rear sprocket at each tire change. =5Ksmiles. Not sure how much longer the sprocket 'last' but I think it evens out the wear, and eliminates the 'hook' of extreme chain wear. Others on the list have been doing this also with good results. The C/S (post 95? models) does not flip well as it has a shoulder that is wider on one side than the other and changes the chain alignment, = chain wear. I think the pre 95's use a flat washer and is attached with two bolts. Others will have to comment on that--as I have a 98, 01--and the C/S changes around 95ish. revmaaatin. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]