When should you consider changing your chain and sprocket?

[tommo891]

As the title suggest, whens a good time to change them....mine look a little umm rustyish dirty.....oh and would changing your fuel and oil filters, make a big difference to performance....?

Cheers

Tommo

[Mr Speirs]

Change Chain when it is at the end of it travel on the adjusters or when it's needing adjusted every few days or so. Sprockets when they become hooked.

Fuel filters if there was a possibility of fuel starvation if it were partially blocked, I'd change the oil filter when I dropped the oil on a service. HTH

[beabert]

I changed mine because of an advisory on the MOT. The front sprockets were hooked, i could pick the links up off the rear spockets, and like Mr speirs says always needs adjusting.

Saying that even my new chains need adjusting constantly, must be the way i ride.

[Sid Squid]

Chain wear can be estimated with a useful 'rule of thumb' test; sit on the floor by your bike and grip the chain at the three o'clock position on the rear sprocket, pull it backwards as firmly as you can, if this exposes more than half the height of the tooth on which the link you're gripping sits upon the chain is worn out.
Obviously there are other factors that determine whether a chain is usable or not, if it's an 'O' or 'X' ring chain are the seals damaged or missing? Are there any tight links? Are there any missing rollers?
Very generally speaking surface corrrosion is not a cause for concern, but if the chain is very rusty and doesn't run neatly over the sprockets the chain is suspect. Also look at the sprockets, if the teeth are hooked, that is when viewed from the side they are not symmetrical and show a peaked rolling over apperance like the crest of a wave, then they're knackered too, don't rely on looking only at the rear sprocket for that, the front sprocket wears much faster.
If you have a Haynes manual in it you will find pictures that show the shapes of the teeth on new and worn sprockets.

[andrewsmith]

as Sid.
the test described is the best way.
to give a typical mileage (this is dependent on a lot of factors) a well oiled and adjusted chain will last around 12-15k before it gives up the ghost

[Bibio]

I changed mine because of an advisory on the MOT. The front sprockets were hooked, i could pick the links up off the rear spockets, and like Mr speirs says always needs adjusting.

Saying that even my new chains need adjusting constantly, must be the way i ride.

time to fit a scottoiler.