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Why did my 5,000 (but 9 years old) chain snap?
Posted by : Danny K (92.236.79.44) 
Inappropriate or SPAM?
On Wednesday 23/05/12 at 04:26:44
My question is right at the end (It's the same as the title).
But first, the prologue:
My chain is - correction, was, the original (2003 reg C90) and I've only covered 5,000 miles on it since my ownership of the bike in 2007 (only 19 miles on the clock when I obtained it). Well it snapped spectacularly last week, mangling top and bottom chainguards and rendering them unusable, and locking the back wheel up as it wrapped itself around the rear chainwheel. I was coming to a halt as it happened, so no falling off etc., Deep in the countryside and no buses it was a £35 taxi ride home (ouch!) and hiring a van (£62, double ouch!) to pick it up last Friday (pushed it behind the gates of a farming wholesalers for a couple of days, until work commitments allowed).
Sprockets as expected are not in the slightest worn, and the chain was nice and wet and oily.
I thought it would be just a case of buying a chain, fitting it and riding home, but the inside protrusions of the sprocket cover had been snapped off and thrown into nooks and crannies, but worst of all, the chain had violently punched quite a sizeable and angry looking, jagged hole in the alternator cover, throwing bits of alloy casing inside.
Once home I cleaned the bits out, degreased, and with silver (silver 'cos it matches the engine casings, see?) duck tape, sealed and covered up the jagged hole with multiple layers, and also the now exposed electrical earth, hopefully it will prevent the ingress of water/chain oil until I can find an appropriate late-type alternator cover (and sprocket cover) already got the chaincases, top and bottom ordered from eBay and on way (Fowlers wanted £60!!!!)
At the time I panicked over a chain and ordered one from Fowlers when I could have gotten it quicker and for half the price from a variety of eBay sources. Anyway, after cleaning the oily gunk away with a can of left over brake&clutch dust remover aerosol, the engine runs sweetly, it changes gear etc., just waiting for the chain (and chaincase).
The covers (with the gaping hole) will have to make do with duck tape bandages keeping water out from all the electricals in the alternator, until whenever.
Here's my question:
At my heavy 250 pounds and using the Cub as a pack horse, Have I kept the chain too tight for my weight/and or have I been ham-fistedly snatching gear changes to abruptly?
I mean, 5,000 miles and the chain snaps?!?
- Aww come on, that's not fair! Any ideas, on why it happened?
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