couple issues with new setup

willfargo

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Aug 19, 2011
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I bought a "new" grubee kit on a bike from some jerk on craigslist. claimed it was just barely broken in and just needed the chain connected. had my brother go pick it up while i was at work. turns out its an old used engine and was NOT assembled hardly at all. long story short, he did some terrible work mounting the engine (crushed the frame to fit u-bolts) and i finally just finished setting it up tonight. going to try and get it running tomorrow. heres my issue. The chain is VERY tight. at first, it was either really slack on the top, and then i would adjust it, and it would get very slack at the bottom. needed just ONE link to be removed, but of course they must be removed in pairs. so i removed the pair, couldnt connect it to the rear sprocket, so i took of the back wheel, and hooked it to the rear sprocket. then put the wheel on. now its very tight. when i release the clutch the rear wheel locks up. does the tightness of the chain have anything to do with this?
 
Sounds like one i saw for sale here in denver recently for 200$ new kit plus a bike. Just go over it thoroughly and enjoy the ride and learn from it. If you just need a motor they can be had alot cheaper than a whole kit..........good luck bro and dont let it get ya down. Everyone gets taken by a scumbag at least once in a life time.
 
That problem with the chain is typical because the rear sprockets aren't machined 100% round and true.
you also have to make sure that the sprocket is cenetered on the back rim as best as possible.
getting the chain to where it's not too loose or not too tight sometimes requires a 1/2 link of chain to be installed.
If it is a used engine, why was it not assembled?

I have a problem with the description...if the guy said that it was barely broken in and just needed the chain connected....HOW was he able to run the engine to break it in?
WHY was the chain not connected?
sounds like maybe he had a chain issue OR he couldn't figure out how to get the chain right.
don't go assuming that these engine kits are junk just because the guy had no clue how to so it right. There's a lot more to it than just bolting the engine to the frame and hooking up the chain.
there are a lot of things that need to be tweaked to work, a lot of the nuts & bolts should be replaced with higher quality ones, and blue loc-tite should be used.
 
So i have the kit all assembled. My one problem is that the chain keeps bucking off the rear sprocket. from looking closely it looks like the rear sprocket is not aligned correctly with the front sprocket. it sits about a half inch or more out farther than the front sprocket, so after i peddle 10 times it pops off. how do i get the back sprocket closer to the wheel? is it safe to remove the rubber or metal bracketing?

also.is there somewhere i can get new carb tuning screws? the yutz that sold this to me seems to have taken a channel lock or vice grip or plier to the screws rather than using a screwdriver, and they are mashed up and rounded down to nothing
 
Hey motorpsycho, I am having the same problem with the chain, mine's stretched a bit now after the amount I've done on it, how do you put a half link in?

willfargo, you can take off the metal bracket from the side closest to the sprocket, will have to take it all off to do so, put the sprocket back on in line, and tighten the bolts properly so it stays true, star-pattern for tightening.

Screws, any fasteners shop should be able to help with those if you can get them out.
 
you can flip the sprocket over which will move the chain more towards the tire.
you can also remove the rubber soacer that sits between the sprocket and the spokes to move it further in, but you shoudl put something between the sprocket and the spokes (like a thinner peice of rubber).
I have my sprocket right against the spokes with no rubber between them and i have not had any problems.
a lot of people say not to do it this way because the sprocket right against the spokes could cause the spokes to break.
I personally have not had that problem, and both of my bikes sprockets are installed this way,
They've been this way for 3-4 years with no problems.

you have to buy the 1/2 links(i think sick bike parts sells them, but you can find them on e-bay too). basically what a 1/2 link is, it a link of chain that has a male (pinned) end and a female(hole) end. if you look as the links in your chain, you have a male link (outer) and a female link (inner).
normally you have to remove 2 links to shorten the chain so that the ends can go back together...so you end up with 2 female ends, and then you put a master link in to hook them together.
the 1/2 link allows you to remove one (male) link for the chain, which will leave you with a male link on one end of the chain, and a female link on the other end of the chain.
the 1/2 link has the male end that connects to the female link on the end of the chain, and afemale end that connects to the male end of the chain.
you have to look closely at the links in the chain to fully understand, but here's a couple pics. of a 1/2 link to make it easier to understand how they work.
Half20Link.jpg

halflink.jpg
 
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