Counting links and breaking chain question

[srfnson]

Ok I"m going to attempt to install my own chains and have bought several 10ft packages of RC50/60.

My question is my argo front chains are 42 pitch so do I count out 41 chain links and break it there and when I attach the master link that makes 42 links in total correct?

Just want to make sure I've go this straight before I break the chain...

Thanks for you help!

Paul

[Bazooo guy]

I would count 2 rollers as a link.....a half link has one roller on it so a connecting link only connects 2 links together and doesnt add any links to the length.
Cut the chain to length and try it on the sprockets if you need one more you can add a half link.

[thebuggyman1]

I believe the correct way to count chain is to count the pins......but 1 pin= 1 roller, so Bazoo guy is actually correct also.

[Noel Woods]

Jim is correct. When replacing the chain you will also find the process easier to put the master link in at the sprocket while the machine is in gear.

[Muddaddy]

Im in the same boat just heading to argo dealer to pick up 2500. worth of parts for 99 bigfoot rebuild, i was just going to count pins on old chain and go from there,and try to remember what grandpa used to tell me measure twice cut once. regards muddaddy

[srfnson]

Still a little confused on this guys...

the way argo states the chain length ie 42p -does that mean 42 plates including master link? Or is that 42 rollers?

Chain manufactures state that to measure length you count rollers and subtract 1 and you will always have an odd number of rollers in a chain. This doesn't jive with argo's 42p length description unless you add in the master link. So that would mean you count 41 rollers to get to teh 42p measurement????

[Muddaddy]

I was speaking with argo mechanic about this p stuff when picking up parts he believes p means pins,dont think he positive about it but just a thought. good luck muddaddy

[srfnson]

Diamond Chain explains it this way and the visual helped me understand the counting of pins vs rollers vs plates.

How should you count the number of pitch in a strand of roller chain?

While "one at a time" and "correctly" seemed to be the most frequent, and apparently most amusing, answers from our engineering team - after some consideration, we thought this deserved an answer that was a bit more practical.

One mistake that is commonly made when counting the number of pitches in a strand of roller chain is to include only exterior link plates. By counting only the exterior plates, only half the number of pitches end up being counted.

So then how should the number of pitches be counted? Taking a quick time out for a review of definitions - the pitch of a roller chain is the distance between the center of one pin to the center of the next pin. To count the number of pitches in a strand of chain, we would start our count from the first pin on one end of the piece of chain and move to the next pin, which would be on pitch, and then on to the next pin, which would be another pitch, and so on until the end of the strand of chain is reached.

Here's a quick visual to help illustrate:

[blown84gt]

I have always counted it by the number of "holes" in the chain for a sprocket tooth, be it for a motorcycle or a 6x6.

[Bazooo guy]

Cut it at 42 rollers (or pins)

[srfnson]

Thanks guys...

Counted the rollers on existing chain when I got home and it was 42 on front chains.....

Guess I was getting hung up on terminology...rollers, pins, plates etc. Seems pretty simple now...

Off to break some chain