tight chain

1/2 to 3/4" slack is ideal. Any more or less and you could have problems. Measure the slack by leaving the clutch engaged and rolling the bike forward. The upper portion of the chain will go slack. Measure at the center of the chain span between sprockets.
Hope this answers your question.
Tom
 
tom my guy had the chain so tight you could use it as a gutiar..how do you get the chains both at the right tension? any thought would be helpful
 
Check out chain tensioners on this forum. Some folks put a tensioner on the pedal chain and nothing on the engine chain, others use a half link on the engine chain to get the overall length close enough to avoid using a tensioner.
Here's a link to a informational thread:
http://motorbicycling.com/f4/chain-tensioner-falling-into-spokes-mystery-19727.html

In my post, #6, I linked to another thread that shows one of the safest ways (IMHO) to use a tensioner on the engine drive chain.
 
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I've been running a spring loaded tensioner for a year now and have not had any problems. I switched to #41 chain and replaced the Tractor Supply spring loaded roller with a sprocket. Works great for me.
 
Tinsmith said:
I switched to #41 chain and replaced the Tractor Supply spring loaded roller with a sprocket. Works great for me.
Click to expand...

I have been wanting to do this for some time now

I got a tensoiner on order from tsc but where did you get the sprocket to replace the roller

i didnt see any that seemed small enough at tsc
 
I guess I need to elaborate a little more. I don't offer a lot of advice 'cause my knowledge on these bikes is fairly limited. I mostly read. I am an old metal worker in a machine shop so I forget sometimes that some things aren't that simple. I had a 2-3/4 inch 15 tooth #41 sprocket laying around and also a bearing for it. I had to bore out the sprocket and press in the bearing. You might want to try out the roller. From some of the past posts I've read, a lot of the fellas are real happy with the roller. It already has a bearing in it and it's quiet. If I remember correctly, some have gone to the hardware store and bought a small stiff "helper" spring. You should be able to attach it to one of the mounting bolts and you may have to drill a small hole in the arm to attach the other end. I will see if my wife can show me how to post a picture of what I did. It's not fancy, but works well.
 
Here are a few photos of my modification of the Tractor Supply spring-loaded roller tensioner. I mounted it on the down tube and cut and welded the stock kit roller in a different configuration. I had some #41 chain and a sprocket so I swapped out the roller for the sprocket. Pressed a bearing into the sprocket and added a helper spring. The sprocket has plenty of lateral movement so it runs where it needs to. Haven't had to touch it since I installed it a year and a half ago. Hope this might be helpful. Dan
 

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Give Me The Tractor Supply Parts # For The Tensioner And The Spring...and The Sproket So I Can Order It...can't Seem To Find This On Search For The Store
 
here you go old surfer
Search Results
you will see a spring and the tensioner on the top left on the search results

i beleivve the tensioner assembly includes the spring though i could be wrong

and I gotta say Tinsmith that is the first time I have seen a velocity stack on such a small engine
 
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