tensioner pulley

Graham said:
nothing fancy...just whatever is going to get me back on the road asap
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If all you need is the little pulley, alot of people use a skateboard wheel which is very easy to find. They come with roller bearings that have an 8 MM diameter. Should be what you need. They are better than the standard kit pulley. I usually turn my own out of Delrin.

John
 
If you are really in a rush you could make one up or if possible just shorten the chain. Some bikes work out well without the thing.
You could also order one;Page Title
 
I want to do the skateboard wheel thing, but I dont have access to a lathe to carve into it. Could I get away without doing that or perhaps is there another method?
 
You could put your drill in a vise or use a drill press for a poor man's lathe... I've done it, not pretty but pretty effective.
 
Graham said:
I want to do the skateboard wheel thing, but I dont have access to a lathe to carve into it. Could I get away without doing that or perhaps is there another method?
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I have not actually done it this way but I've read here where some guys have chucked the skateboard wheel into a drill and used a file to cut the chain groove. A drill press would work better and be safer than a hand drill. You'll need some way to keep the wheel from spinning on whatever you use through it. When I cut wheels on a lathe I remove the bearings and run a bolt through the bearing bore and tighten it. Then I chuck the bolt into the lathe. Something to keep in mind is that there are 2 different styles of skateboard wheel. The better ones are one piece ureathane and the less desirable ones have a solid inner core with a rubberized outer jacket. The 2 part ones don't lend themselves to being cut into because the outer skin comes off and leaves you with a hard core that isn't much better than the kit tensioner wheel. Good luck.
 
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Graham said:
I want to do the skateboard wheel thing, but I dont have access to a lathe to carve into it. Could I get away without doing that or perhaps is there another method?
Click to expand...

Here's my "method".

I put the bolt through the skate wheel, "drive" the wheel with a bench grinder, and cut it with a hacksaw blade.....dangerous and exciting, but effective.
 
i like the power drill method, but if i were to do that would i be using the tip or side of the drill for carving?
 
Graham,
You use the drill to drive the skateboard wheel and some other tool, like a file, to cut the groove while the wheel spins. Picture this: A wheel with a bolt through the hole in the middle and the bolt in the chuck of the drill as you'd put a drill bit in it. Now, pull the trigger, the wheel spins and you file a groove in the surface of the wheel deep and wide enough to hold the chain. You might find it helpful to carefully clamp the drill in a vise to hold it steady while you work...unless you're one of those folks with three hands. You'll need to push the bearings out of the wheel, not hard, they're just lightly pressed in, then find a bolt that you can put through long enough so you can tighten it in the drill chuck. Obviously, you'll need a nut on that bolt to tighten the wheel to keep it from turning on the bolt. Sure hope this helps. If all else fails you might check with a local machine shop. They might cut the groove for you and not rob you...if you ask nice and show them your bike.
 
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