eccentric hub is stuck

[klee27x]

Before changing the chain on my 92 VFR, I tried turning the eccentric hub, and it's stuck. I loosened the 17mm pinch bolt first, of course, by about one turn.

I tapped the spanner a few times with a heavy hammer in either direction, with no luck. Bike on a rear wheel stand.

So what's the best thing to try next? Will removing the wheel get me anywhere?

[RVFR]

No kidding, never heard this one, Hmm, could help by taking the wheel off giving you more room, LOL to swing, the only tool I know of for the job is what you have, so I'd say try try again. Also if you can get your hands on a Snap-on Dead Blow Mallet 4lb. I'd be pounding on the out side axle. Surly you've adjusted this before, so would like to think it's just stuck. GL

[NorcalBoy]

I would attempt to remove the entire assembly and figure out what is stuck, I wouldn't just start arbitrarily wailing on the adjuster ring with a hammer. The entire assembly probably hasn't ever been lubed and is now siezed.

[klee27x]

I acquired the bike last November and only rode it for 8 weeks. This is my first time doing any maintenance other than an oil change.

On my previous two 3rd gens, I always took them to a shop, but my local shop no longer services bikes that are more than 10 years old. They won't so much as change a brake pad...

I found a home mechanic an hour away that owns a VFR, and I'll prob just take it over to him, seeing as my selection of heavy hammers is somewhat limited. :) But any wisdom is appreciated.

I read someone's post who had the same problem, but I can't find it, now. He said he messed up his back hub while unsticking this part, so I thought he or someone else might have some specific suggestions.

[RVFR]

I'm not saying beat the shit out of it. just in my line of work some times a little vibration is all thats needed, other wise one might look at taking it all apart, of course this comes from thinking you have adjust the chain in the last 2-3-4 months? Now if this bike has been sitting a long time, that's a whole other circumstance, then I too would be taking things apart first if the lite blow and tapping didn't loosen it up.

[klee27x]

Ah, ok. Here follow a really dumb question: Is it possible to "take it apart" while it's on a rear wheel stand? I don't have a center stand, or any other way to get the rear in the air. If it's possible, I'll give it a go, once my new front forks get here. I assume I'll be removing the "rear hub," whatever that is. :)

I also don't have a manual to go with the bike.. though I've looked on Ebay.

[squirrelman]

careful with that hammer !!


loosen the 17mm clamp bolt 3 or 4 turns and use a screwdriver blade to carefully and slightly spread the split line apart just a fraction and spray lots of lube on and around
the adjustment ring......

then tap, not hit with small hammer. use the special Honda adjustment tool !

[NorcalBoy]

The bearing holder is siezed in the swingarm...remove the bearing holder (use multiple applications of penetrating lubricant if required, to loosen the siezed pieces) and inspect the mating surface condition of both components. Seal the axle bearing openings of the bearing holder with clean rags and clean the mating surface of the bearing holder and the swingarm with parts cleaner. If necessary, clean swingarm and bearing holder mating surfaces with ultra fine sandpaper (1000 grit+). This will remove small attached debris and remove any small metal imperfections. Clean the lightly sanded surfaces to completely remove any sand residue with parts cleaner. Apply a thin coating of high quality assembly lube to the outside of the bearing holder and the internal swingarm mating surface and reassemble. Test the movement prior to reinstalling the axle/sprocket carrier assembly. If all is moving smoothly, clean and regrease the axle bearings, reassemble, adjust the chain and ride.

This cannot be accomplished on a rear wheel stand, you will have to create a way to hold up the rear of the bike, if you have no centerstand.

[NorcalBoy]

Originally Posted by RVFR

I'm not saying beat the shit out of it.

I thought I read: "I'd be pounding on the out side axle" in your first post, maybe I didn't understand exactly what you meant by "pounding", I'm sorry for any confusion. NCB.

[tgreene5]

Check this link to see if your manual is here (for free download)

Downloadable Parts Catalogs and Service Manuals

Theresa

[klee27x]

Ok, guys. Thanks for the tips. Leaving WD-40 overnight and tapping with a screwdriver got it unstuck, I think. Now it moves, but requires a hammer. Each tap will move the bearing a fraction of a millimeter, or so. I don't know if this is normal, but it definitely moves.

New question: The wear indicator bar... do you measure from the frontmost part of the rear sprocket, as measured in a vertical line up to the indicator bar? Or do you measure from the sprocket tooth that is closest?

Also many thanks for the manual link. But I'm quite surprised to see that the recommended chain slack is 0.6 to 1.0 inch while on the sidestand, unloaded. Other threads, here, confirm this to be accepted by many members. I wonder if it's unusually tight because of the single sided swingarm body being in the way, and if that causes unnecessary chain stretch? Certainly, on most bikes the accepted slack is 3-4 inches up/down while the bike is unloaded, is it not?

[squirrelman]

3-4 inches?? ????

no way dude, not on any bike!!

[klee27x]

Ahhh, my mechanic musta been homeschooled.

:)

[someguy]

hi...
just some thoughts...
had a similar problem.

WD-40 is crap for this kind of thing...IMHO
its for "Water Displacement"....

Go find some Silicroil.
www.kanolabs.com
The product is amazing and losening frozen and difficult parts....
there is nothing better. Used on racecars/machinery/aircraft, you name it...

Give it a day or two to work and things should open up for you, assuming it is what we think it is...

Can be found at hardware stores and automotive stores... call first....
it can be hard to find.

[RVFR]

Originally Posted by klee27x

Ok,on most bikes the accepted slack is 3-4 inches up/down while the bike is unloaded, is it not?

Mmm, No. 3-4"? I can hear it now clear from over hear.

One of the great things about the VFR is how easy it is to adjust the chain, first put it up on the center stand, thats if you have one, I'm thinking you should it's a 92 right? Then find the tightest part of the chain 1/2 way between the sprockets by rotating the tire and wiggling the chain up and down, a really lose chain is 2", 3/4" is what it should be. Just make sure you find the tight spot first and do the adjustment from that point. I never use the marks as an indicator, I use the touchy feel method. Good to hear it's loosened up. Yea I'd go get some Silicroil, great stuff for this sort of thing.

[ram4sales]

i'm having the same prolem on my '06, help!!!

[klee27x]

I finished reinstalling a new chain, and the hub works perfectly, now. Movement of the eccentric hub of just a few degrees makes a big difference in the amount of chain slack. So it does not have to move much.

What I did was follow the recommendation to use a flathead screwdriver as a "chisel." I bought a couple of screwdrivers in different lengths, till I found one that was the right length to fit. If it's too long, the tire/wheel will get in the way. Then get the head in between the hub and whatever that is underneath the hub... (I'm no mechanic :). Then with a shorty 3-lb hand sledge hammer, I tapped gently a few times. (This will hopefully lift the hub away from the flat surface it's resting against, ever so slightly, breaking whatever is bonding it. As opposed to putting the hub wrench on there and hammering away, this provides a much better angle of attack and won't damage the hub teeth or your hub wrench). I used this single-handed sledge hammer, cuz I had it. But come to think of it, it probably made it a lot easier, cuz you don't have much room to move a lighter hammer cuz the presence of the wheel gives you an awkward angle. With a heavy hammer, you only need to move it a couple of slow inches to get a good impact.

Just make sure to loosen the 17mm bolt first (loosen it several turns... cuz you want it to be loose enough to allow some very slight amount of lateral play, not just loose enough to turn) and try spraying it with penetrating cleaner like PB Blaster or WD-40 overnight. Be gentle when tapping. And check your progress frequently by putting the hub wrench on there and tapping on it. Once you have succeeded, the hub will move ever so slightly when you tap on the wrench. Then try to get some real oil in there where the WD-40 would have probably left some gunky old grease residue.

Although I didn't replace my sprockets, I still could not have imagined how easy it is to install and adjust a chain on this motorcycle. Once your eccentric hub is moving, it's just a matter of putting bike on rear stand, loosening 17mm bolt, loosening hub (counterclockwise from left side of bike), breaking chain, threading new chain on using old chain, setting master link, tightening hub a bit, finding tight spot in chain/sprocket, adjust as necessary, tighten 17mm bolt. Done. I bought the RK chain breaker tool set, which appears to be identical to the DID set. I understand you may need to retighten in the first few hundred miles, esp if you did not change out the sprockets. But 120 miles later, slack does not appear to have increased, yet.

*Neither this, nor my last 1992 VFR have had a centerstand. My 1991 did. I understand it was a factory option on these model years.

[ram4sales]

thanks for the info. i'll try it as soon as i can