chain tensioner replacement

GoldenMotor.com

papirican71

New Member
Sep 7, 2009
7
0
0
florida
hi all. this is my first post, and i hope there is somone here who can help me. since i felt that the tensioner wheel that came stock with the kit was garbage, i looked for other ways to make this better. i noticed in the one post on here that someone used a idler sprocket (17t) from tractor supply company and just mounted it to the stock tensioner bracket. So i purchesed the idler sprocket, but have no idea how to go about mounting it to the tensioner bracket being that the sprocket has a huge hole in the center. does anyone have ideas on how i could mount this sprocket to the tensioner? I know that i would need a bolt, washer, lock washer, and a nut to secure it all , but i don't know what size. please help!
 

Venice Motor Bikes

Custom Builder / Dealer/Los Angeles
Mar 20, 2008
7,266
1,797
113
Los Angeles, CA.
hi all. this is my first post, and i hope there is somone here who can help me. since i felt that the tensioner wheel that came stock with the kit was garbage, i looked for other ways to make this better. i noticed in the one post on here that someone used a idler sprocket (17t) from tractor supply company and just mounted it to the stock tensioner bracket. So i purchesed the idler sprocket, but have no idea how to go about mounting it to the tensioner bracket being that the sprocket has a huge hole in the center. does anyone have ideas on how i could mount this sprocket to the tensioner? I know that i would need a bolt, washer, lock washer, and a nut to secure it all , but i don't know what size. please help!
Dood... The stock tensioner wheel might be garbage, but it will work!
But if the feeling of needing to tinker with building a better one overcomes you, then be creative! Start watching those chopper shows! Go to your LHS & look at all the nuts & bolts & washers & bushings & stuff & try to find something that will work. You'll be proud of yourself once you fixed it!
Good luck, & post some pics of what you build... we like pics!! (^) .weld

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... Welcome to the forum! :D
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
Thanks xlite! That damn tensioner really worries me, not so much mine as I've got it covered - but on alla kid's bikes I see around. For so many this is their first venture into motorized vehicles, if not - than it may well be their first build-it-yerself adventure.

Even other than the kids - so many people think these kits are "plug-n-play" and that if they just follow the directions (such as they are) that all will be well...

I really wish China Gas (or whomever) would get rid of the dang thing and include one that spans across both bars - of all the bits and their relative shoddiness, that stupid roller guide is the only one that really worries me.

As it's incredibly unlikely they'll ever change although there's so many good alternatives - I figured I'd dump 'em all in one place so newbs could choose amongst them.

Please feel free to add to that thread and/or link to it if you wish ;)
 

Hardly Davidson

New Member
Oct 28, 2009
15
0
0
ontario canada
Very good thread Barely. Specially the point about safety. Unfortunately it's true that "a few" bikes must use the tensioner.
Tensioner????????? is that the silly doodle that i turfed into the spares pile? I guess that my method of shimming the rear engine mount is the wrong way to do it then..........but it does significantly reduce the vibration of my bike so i will leave it like it is. actually when the tensioner ate half the spokes out of my rear wheel i went with this route..bf..bf.
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
Shimming the rear mount? Hmm... wouldn't that alter the front mount's alignment with the frame? I'm not naysayin' - if you can rid yerself of the damn roller guide - more power to ya ;) I wanna see a pic of yer engine shim method if ya get the chance.

It's not an option for ALL bikes to run w/o one simply because of chainstay clearance is all.
 

Hardly Davidson

New Member
Oct 28, 2009
15
0
0
ontario canada
Dude, I just used a 1" x 3/16" piece of flatbar with 2 holes drilled in it and put it between the mount and the engine it made the engine ride a little higher on the front frame but fits perfectly and eliminated about half the vibration. I have over 6000 kms on the worst piece of crap Supercycle cruiser I could find and still going strong. I highly recommend this mod unless you like the tingly feeling in your arms after a long ride. I commute 50kms a day and had to do something to retain spokes in the rear wheel lol.
 

BarelyAWake

New Member
Jul 21, 2009
7,194
21
0
Maine
Yeah I can see that now lol, I had a different pic in my brain and THAT one didn't work at all o_O I'm used to that though - silly brain.

Unfortunately with my build I'd end up chainsawing my chainstay in half... I wanna say chain again just cause I can.

chain.

:D
 

xlite

New Member
Jun 18, 2009
735
0
0
ny,ny
Yeah I can see that now lol, I had a different pic in my brain and THAT one didn't work at all o_O I'm used to that though - silly brain.

Unfortunately with my build I'd end up chainsawing my chainstay in half... I wanna say chain again just cause I can.

chain.

:D
Instead of drilling two holes in a shim a few guys here use "t" shaped pieces that slip between engine studs and set tube. That way you don't have to remove engine bolts to adjust tension.

As far as rubbing the stays, it turns out super easy to spread them with a block of wood and long bolt. I had to do that on a couple bikes.