Motrax Chain Riveter

[squirrel_hunter]

I bought a Motrax Chain Tool Tool to do Strechie's 'Cat. It is both a splitter and a riveter and cost £60. It rivets and derivets by screw force ie you turn the rivet pin to force the rivet, and it comes with a small selection of bits.


Picture kindly stolen from Demon Tweeks as the Motrax site doesn't have one that shows the tool very well, however I bought it from a local shop (for local people)

This was the first time I had used a screw type riveter as I have previous experience with the "when I nod my head, you hit it" (hammer the fuc& out of it) type. So how did I find it...

Well it worked well as a deriveter. I liked the way you pushed the new link over the rivets before riveting which did make the initial stage of the riveting process relatively easy. However to actually rivet the chain the device was a nightmare. It was extremely difficult to get enough rotational force on the rivet pin to force the rivet, but eventually the mission was accomplished.

However, the tool suffered, massively. Where a socket was used the bolt head showed signs of beginning to round. Some of the chain running pieces metal was gouged (think Suzuki Cheese) and worse of all the main body of the device around the handle suffered a major bend. Yes we bent a chain riveter tool. In my opinion the design of the body was to small and thus weak, and the metal was not tough enough.

I have since returned the device for a full refund. I would not recommend buying one.

A tip for de-riveting (un-riveting) and I think the Motrax blurb says so, is that you need to grind the heads off the rivets before you push them out.

Interesting stuff SH - I bought a Whale rivetter out of necessity a few weeks ago - you may remember the incident?!?!

I struggled with it - and due to being a cack handed novice, needed 3 rivet links and lots of PM help from Mr spannerman to get it right...which I did in the end.

The thing is, in the Haynes Motorcycle Workshop Manual, it shows the Motrax tool, and says something like; "to rivet the chain, turn the nut with a torque wrench until the specified torque is acheived, and you have a nicely rivetted chain" Blimey I thought, wish I had bought that one, it sounds so much easier....

Sounds like it may not be the case - and even with my ineptitude, it has plenty of life left in it!

Cheers,

BB.

[squirrel_hunter]

Interesting that you mention Whale BB, I was chatting to a mechanic yesterday about this and he recommended a Whale.

You ought to have seen the face he pulled when I said I had used one of the Motrax ones! He told me that hes used lots over the years including Motrax types and DID riveters but he found Whale to be the best.

Which Whale have you got?

'tis this one...

[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Billy/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.jpg[/IMG]

from 'ere:

http://www.bandcexpress.co.uk/cgi-bi...t=CH-ACC-TOOLS

[Sid Squid]

Are you sure that tool is for the rivet type you used?

I've posted on this before, there are two types of rivet link pin - and there are two types of tool as well, (unsurprisingly).

ahhh..well spotted. Its the same whale tool, but not the same pin.

The one I used has a 'v' shaped notch at the end of the tip.

[squirrel_hunter]

Originally Posted by Sid Squid

Are you sure that tool is for the rivet type you used?

Yes. But then you asked that question.

How do I know which type of link pin I have and which tool to use? Secondly recommend me a tool?

You forgot to mention the fact we needed about 4 pairs of hands to do all that at the same time as well ! Stretchie to use the wrench... and someone else to stop the tool from buggering off....

Strange I borrowed one of those Motrax tools last year to do my chain. Never had any problems with it, and fairly easy to use on my own as well.