ACE 150 CHAIN CLACK
WORN CHIN SPROCKETS OR BOTH?
A DIRT WHEELS FAN WRITES: “I purchased a used Polaris Ace 150 for my daughter to drive. She liked the looks of the Ace over a regular ATV or UTV. The problem I have with it is the noise from the chain, especially when in reverse gear. The noise is kind of a clack that sounds like the chain is binding, but I have checked the chain and there are no binding or frozen links. Boss do you have a fix for this noise?” – Dennis and Dawn Miller, Centerville, MO
OUR PRO ANSWER: I think the problem is either with your chain or the sprockets. If the chain is stretched too far, the pin-to-pin distance (or roller-to-roller distance) is greater than the valley-to-valley distance of the machine’s sprockets. As the chain is run in a forward direction, the rollers will try to ride up the side of the sprocket’s teeth because they can no longer fit in the tooth valleys. This causes the sprocket teeth to wear on the driven side. When you go into reverse, the reverse side of the sprockets’ teeth that are not worn to match the elongated roller distance must now deal with that elongated chain. The chain’s rollers will ride up the side of the tooth and then be forced downward into the tooth valleys under power. This is where your noise comes from. To see if I am correct, tension your chain correctly, and I want you to pull on a chain pin that is on the rear of the rear sprocket. If you can lift that pin more than half way out of the tooth valley, then the chain is worn out and must be replaced. But before you do, you need to closely inspect the sprockets for wear because you can ruin a new chain by placing it on worn sprockets. Examine the leading and trailing slope of the sprocket’s teeth. If the slopes are not the same, the sprocket is bad and requires replacement. Generally, the smaller countershaft sprocket wears out before the rear sprockets does. But both of yours may well be worn out if you ran the elongated chain too long.
GOT A PROBLEM WITH YOUR ATV OR UTV?
E-mail us at [email protected], and include your name, city and state for us to give you our professional advice.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.