old trials fanatic Posted March 19, 2006 Report Share Posted March 19, 2006 OK took the B40 for it's first run today up at Burrycliffe. Didnt enter as this was the first time the bike has actually moved under it's own power, well if you dont count 20 yds down the drive, and as of 10:00 last night i had just finished the airfilter. So had a little ride around before the trial, observed a section to help out, then had a little ride after. Actually i was quite surprised as it wasnt that bad all things considered, oil leak from the front fork seals also the rocker spindles and chain case but nothing some silicone wont cure. The chain did jump off once however and after talking to a couple of guys with Faber framed B40's they said the chain tensioner being fixed to the frame not the swinging arm wouldnt work that well especially over rocks. So looks like the Mig welders coming out tomorrow night but thought i would ask the assembled multitudes opinion first. So guys anybody modified the chain tensioner mounting or have any experience of where you should mount one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted March 20, 2006 Report Share Posted March 20, 2006 chain tensioner moved to arm on my cub never had a problem, just tilt it back a smidge ( a 2lb hammer is probably best) so that the chain doesnt just touch the rear edge and wear through it too quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtrider Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 My chain tensioner is fixed to the frame and it's never thrown a chain since I've had it- about 4 years- rocks or no rocks. Is everything correctly aligned and tensioned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtrider Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 My chain tensioner is fixed to the frame and it's never thrown a chain since I've had it- about 4 years- rocks or no rocks. Is everything correctly aligned and tensioned? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinshockdude Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 your bike looked great on sunday!! chain coming off is almost always down to mis alignment of sprockets use a straight edge to check,mine was 5mm out and it caused chaos. chain came off at the top of a steep hill,you can guess what happened next!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclebuck Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Hi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 Thanks for the comments also the compliment twinshockdude your bike always looks well trick and very professional. Grasped the angle grinder and mig welder with both hands and the chain tensioner is now mounted on the swing arm. Also double checking the sprocket alignment. One thing i did find on inspection was that the chain could catch the bolt mounting the chain tensioner when it was fitted in its original place. Especially when going from a closed throttle descent straight onto the throttle again for a climb or rock step. There seems to be very little clearence on my swing arm and i've had to modify quite a lot of bits and pieces on the frame along the way. Footrests are also being moved this weekend. Will have to wait and see what it's like with the tensioner moved. May not have been the problem but it's now got a much better mounting so watch this space. All in all i've not been too impressed with the quality of the Faber frame. Perhaps mine is a Friday after a good session down the pub one? It came covered in flux around the brazings, rear spindle lug one side 16mm the other 17mm, silencer bracket incorectly positioned etc. I've also had to weld on brackets for the chain guard, new frames have them now. Slim down the area around the brake plate as the Cub one would not fit unless i did. Remove and refit the silencer mounting plate. Fit a lug for a side stand. I gave up on the spindle lug and have had a special spindle made 17mm one end and 16mm the other. I just hope the James frame, not Faber, will be made to a much much higher standard. Same thing can be said of the Faber frames for the Cub. Very poor compared to the Macdonald frame. Oh well cest la vie. All part of the fun so they tell me. Hopefully will give it a try out at Clifton next month. Even if i dont finish theres no better test than an actual trial. Just got to get a licence now. Bugger more expense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Spent time recently looking at an 'otter' framed cub 'project' that the owner had given up on and deposited the bits of the puzzle with a man who can, although even he had to resort to moving lugs and such like if the mcdonald frames really are built by the same guy who used to build Pace mountain bikes they really were the business back in the early nineties when i was slim and fit, now fat and unhealthy i'd give him my money ( if i had any left!) those mountain bike frames were just short of a grand then! what price a cub frame today? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclebuck Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 OTF - blimey you are having a lot of problems with your frame. All the lugs and brackets on mine are exactly where they should be and there are certainly no problems such as wheel spindle lugs being different sizes?!? Both the Cub hub I first fitted and the Rickman one I subsequently fitted go in with no clearance problems, and the chainguard and silencer mounting brackets are exactly where they should be. Nothing needed altering at all and all we needed to add were some additional small lugs to mount the seat. Other people that have helped with putting the bike together have all been very complimentary about the quality of construction so I can only assume you somehow got yourself a substandard item. Perhaps it depends on who actually does the fabricating and I got lucky. Who knows? Anyway, sounds like you have it sorted now Have you fitted any kind of oil filter to yours? If so what did you use and where did you mount it? Cheers. Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtrider Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Likewise. Very pleased with the frame. Everything fits- cub hubs, silencer, chain guard etc. I don't have an oil filter fitted. I've thought about it but as you say where do you fit it? I have an external OTJ type that I could fit that I took off another bike with a Cheney oil in frame and that was fitted just under the front of the top tube. I've also seen B40 scramblers with a filter fitted near the bottom of the rear down tube. Not sure that either of these are suitable for the otter frame. What I do is change the oil regularly. The capacity is pretty low and it soon deteriorates. I learnt this lesson the hard way. Big end seizure on a road trial in the middle of nowhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted March 22, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Glad you are both happy with your frames. I think i just got a very bad one. Must have annoyed Howard at some time or another. Most other people i have met seem happy with them so it must be me or mine. Did wonder at one bloke on Sunday though. "Ahh Howard does good welding eh" err perhaps he does perhaps he doesnt but i dont think he actually builds them and apart from that mine was braized not welded? Whatever. Havent got an oil filter fitted. Couldnt think of where to put one to be honest. Like dirtrider i will be changeing my oil regularly after every other event. Oils cheep enough anyway. Got one of those magnetic sump plugs but havent fitted it yet. Too busy buggering about with chain tensioners, footrests, oil leaks, front forks and trying to source a pair of yokes with less offset. Never ending isnt it. Oh well all part of the R & D process. To be honest i'm just a fussy old bugger who likes fettling. Never satisfied. Well if youre crap at riding what else is there. If you fit a filter post a piccy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsrfun Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 OTF I have always fastened the chain tensioner to the swinging arm and not the frame thinking that when the suspension compressed the tensioner moved with the chain rather than being left further away from the chain run, this seems to work well but I have never mounted to the frame so have no comparison. I am building a Jackson framed Cub at the moment so I am interested to know what yokes you have tried and what offset measurement you consider best. Looking at the picture of your B40 you were using OSSA yokes were they a problem. Good luck with the tensioner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted March 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 (edited) Ossa yokes are fine just thinking of trying to find some with less offset to shorten the wheelbase a bit further. Dont fancy cuting and rewelding the frame as it's OiF. Been trying to weld the "Universal Tensioner" but dong know what the metal is but it's soft and it dont weld very well so once i have all alignment done will have to make one from scratch. Also going to have to get a spring made as all the std ones are the "wrong" hand. Do wish i could just leave things alone Good luck with the cub saw one recently with Montesa cota yokes. Seemed to work well enough and they are a lot cheeper than alloy billet ones. Edited March 23, 2006 by Old trials fanatic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totalshell Posted March 23, 2006 Report Share Posted March 23, 2006 good observation about the spring being 'wrong handed' Id forggoten I had the same problem with mine, cant remember how but i modded the original spring to fit got to spend time on bike on friday (1st round of PJ1 series on Sunday in the flat lands of Lincolnshire) so will check out what I did and try to describe Friday night Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinnied Posted March 24, 2006 Report Share Posted March 24, 2006 Some pics of my cub tensioner position http://homepage.mac.com/vinnied/Cub/PhotoAlbum14.html Vinnie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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