05-28-2020, 01:41 PM
Well, Steve, the neck between drum and sprocket can only get so small! I also thought about the possibility of grinding the link plates, but I guess that's unrealistic. Maybe petition RLV to offer a special chain with reduced profile roller link plates. I realize the profile is probably a 100 year old standard, pre-ANSI/ASME B29.1 According to the ANSI standard, the link roller plate height should be .356, and I think that with a pitch diameter of 1.097 on a 9T No. 35 sprocket, the diameter over which the chain travels cannot exceed .741, unless I'm missing something. I don't have a 9T drum to measure, but with a 9/16" Mac shaft, plus the O.D. of the bushing, probably about .688, that doesn't leave much meat after the manufacturer leaves some clearance between chain roller link plate O.D. and the diameter of the neck between sprocket and drum. I imagine they're getting bushings of less than the .688 diameter, but that also doesn't leave much allowable bushing wall thickness. No wonder they howl after a short time of running! No wonder the roller link plates are hitting the neck! Ted