How to rivet Drive Chain ?

[Miki]

Hi Guys
As I'm about to replace the drive chain and both sprockets, I wonder if anybody can advice how to rivet the drive chain without a special tool. I spoke with an experienced mechanic and he convinced me that riveting the drive chain is much safer than using a clip. My current chain holds already 40000 km, and it is riverted (I did already 80000km on my 2001 GS, the original chain was endless one - without link). I already bought a chain with rivet connection and I really prefer it over clip.

Does anyone have any idea how to do it ??

[dgyver]

Obviously a rivet tool is the easiest but without one try using a hammer and punch. All the rivet tool does is flare over the link a little so the side plate cannot slide off. A rviet tool can be made from a c-clamp.

[Miki]

I know it sounds silly but ..... What is a c-clamp?

[higgimonster]

This is a c-clamp

[Miki]

He he, I even have one at home  :lol: Stupid me.

So how can I use it as a rivet tool?  Do you mean that I should crash the rivet using the C-clip instead of punching it ?

[dgyver]

You have to modify the c-clamp to be able to flare the pin. Probably the easiest way is to remove the foot and grind the threaded shaft to a point. It does not have to mushroom the pin very much.

[Rema1000]

While you're driving the pin in with the C-clamp screw, you don't want the other side of the clamp pushing on it.  So you'd want to drill/grind a divot into the center of the other side of the c-clamp (where the yellow dot is):


Also, to one side of the pin, you will have an "inner" (narrow) link, but to the other side, you'd have an "outer" (wider) link.  This would make the chain want to twist a small bit against the C-clamp.  You might use an extra side-plate off an old link (or a half of a chain clip), as a shim on the narrow side, so that the link sits straigh.

Hm, I wonder if you could weld an old front sprocket to the clamp, to hold the chain in-place.  You'd probably need to cut it down, and would need a 1/4"-thick bushing or something to make it sit out far enough from the end of the C-clamp.

[Miki]

Bunch of thanks guys. Hope to do it this weekend.