Well im basically done but...

levsmith

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Mar 20, 2008
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Hutchinson, Kansas
well i got the bike pretty much done this morning and i went to take it for a ride but the chain keeps coming off. i think i might need an idler pulley. the engine is mounted to the seat post so i can tighten it by raising the seat, but then when i sit on it, it still loosens up a little bit, so i think that is my problem. just wondering what other people might think. also if you think it is the idler pulley, where is a good place to get them for pretty cheap cause i dont have much money right now, i just need to get it running. it doesn't have to be really high quality because im not going to ride 10 miles everyday. maybe just 10 miles a week for now, till i get a 4 stroke :). thanks for any help. i guess at thatsdax it would cost about 24 bucks. i was just wondering if there is anywhere a little cheaper than that. thanks again.
 
It may help to know what kind of system you're running that attaches directly to the seatpost. In any case if you think the seatpost is lowering itself and putting slop into your chain replace the quick release with a nut and bolt (with hex heads) and tighten it down good. If you're already using a bolt try to replace it if you can't get it tight enough. The idler should not be needed if you have a way of tensioning your chain by moving the engine. When a chain is new a certain amount of stretching occurs that is normal and you just have to tighten it up more often until the chain breaks itself in. I've had to tighten my statons chain up 3 times now with 190 miles on the system and every time is further between adjustments. However it never got so loose as to fall off the sprockets, just loose enough that I could feel a bit of jerkiness while riding from the slop.
 
ok thanks

It may help to know what kind of system you're running that attaches directly to the seatpost. In any case if you think the seatpost is lowering itself and putting slop into your chain replace the quick release with a nut and bolt (with hex heads) and tighten it down good. If you're already using a bolt try to replace it if you can't get it tight enough. The idler should not be needed if you have a way of tensioning your chain by moving the engine. When a chain is new a certain amount of stretching occurs that is normal and you just have to tighten it up more often until the chain breaks itself in. I've had to tighten my statons chain up 3 times now with 190 miles on the system and every time is further between adjustments. However it never got so loose as to fall off the sprockets, just loose enough that I could feel a bit of jerkiness while riding from the slop.

alright thanks for the reply. it is an echo weedeater attached to the seat. it only loosens when i sit on it. i think its because the seat is up high enough, that it doesn't have a bunch of support and just flexes a little, making the chain loose. im just not sure what to do. i was thinking i could make the idler really tight against the chain when im not sitting on it that way when i did sit on it, it would loosen it up just a little. i just dont know of a way to make the chain extra tight when im not sitting on it, so that it would be right when i am. if that makes any sense at all. sorry if it doesn't. i think im going to go out and try some stuff to see what i can do. thanks again
 
Your seat post shouldn't flex so much as to cause the chain to come off. Maybe the engine is shifting to the side or down when its pulling really hard. Try bulking up your engine mounts because idler or not if the engine is twisting itself under load the chain is still going to misalign and skip off the teeth.
 
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