Interesting Prices

[prometheus578]

Figured I'd pick up a cam chain breaker/riveter.
Bike Bandit: $88.82
K+L Supply: $62.50 (Dealer price)
PartsNmore: $50.00
Mike's XS : $39.00(What.. are these used tools? Why so cheap?)
How's about a valve spring compresser?
K+L Supply: $112.00
Mike's XS: $37.00
Now I've never dealt with Mike's before(Other than ordering last night) Am I missing something, here?

[Geezer]

I bought an electrical crimper from Mikes XS and I can't get one wholesale cheaper. I think he sells tools at cost or he must import them directly.

BTW, this is a tool you don't really need. Remove the cams, hang the chain over the front of the engine and then stuff lots of rags in the top of the engine and cover everty thing up. Now you can use a dremell too or die grinder to grind the pins off on one of the chain links. After you've done this, the link will pop off with little effort and may just fall apart.

Geezer

[prometheus578]

True, Geezer,
When I did the valves on my XS850 last month, busting the chain was no big deal, but holdin' a hammer behind the master link with one hand and tryin' to peen the rivet with the other took longer than I care to do again.
Humorous pricing note: I mentioned to the other mech at work that I needed a cam chain riveter.
"You should have told me... I have one right here." Opens his tool chest and pulls out the identical set. 'cept, he paid $125 from the MAC tool man!

[DiverRay]

You forgot about the mark up for the MAC name. It must cost at least $50.00 just to stamp it on the receipt
Ray

[Geezer]

I'm puzzled, why did you have to break the cam chain to do the valves on an XS850?

Geezer

Originally posted by prometheus578
True, Geezer,
When I did the valves on my XS850 last month, busting the chain was no big deal, but holdin' a hammer behind the master link with one hand and tryin' to peen the rivet with the other took longer than I care to do again.
Humorous pricing note: I mentioned to the other mech at work that I needed a cam chain riveter.
"You should have told me... I have one right here." Opens his tool chest and pulls out the identical set. 'cept, he paid $125 from the MAC tool man!

[81xsproject]

I was wondering the same thing

[beegshot]

Use a bicycle chain breaker

Back when I rebuilt my XJ650 motor, I was using vise grips, bailing wire, and duck tape as my primary tools. But, I still had my trusty BMX chain breaker. It worked fine on the timing chain. All you really need to do is fold the chain and get the drive pin on the breaker centered over the chain pin...it doesn't matter if the cam chain has a different pitch or not. You can get a cheap bicycle chain breaker for peanuts.

My $0.02.

Robert

[prometheus578]

Not too shabby.

Ordered the cam chain breaker Saturday, arrived Tues. That's service!
Need to break Chain: (photo stolen from Yamaha Triples Site)

[IMG][/IMG]
Cam chain passage in cylinder similar to XS1100, cept it's not in the middle. Large arrow point to the thin edge of a wedge-like obstruction that gets wider as it goes upward. Note how the chain has to pass on each side to go around the cam gears. Upper arrow points to the sparkplug hole in chamber, and lower arrow points to the area... (well actually, doesn't point to anything now that I look at it) Hard to explain, but the spark plug screws into the wedge like area in the head, and the chain runs across in a closed gallery above it. Chain must be removed/split to lift the head
[IMG][/IMG]
You can see how the chain and gears ride above sort of a gallery. There's the spark plug hole under the "bridge" of the gallery. Photo shows guy getting ready to install master link in chain.