Some fellow 'heads might have dealt with this issue. I have looked on airboat forums, micapeak, etc., and have not found any discussion. Everybody seems to be fitting duplex chains with master links and 'fish' clips. I wish to explore my options before starting work on a bare block with timing cover not yet removed and camshaft in the block. My mechanic says to go ahead and put the endless one in, but I read Brook Reams and Matt Parkhouse and come away with the impression that it would be a ticklish piece of work to try and fit both the crankshaft sprocket and cam sprocket at once, and using heat to boot...
Regards,
Ken Cruise
Can't help with the chain, but (at least for the later models) it's also important to replace the moving chain follower and get the updated tension spring.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Appreciate your reply, however my question is still open. I am considering cutting my chain and using a master link with the 'fish' clip to avoid having to slip both camshaft and crank sprockets on at the same time. No one else has replied saying they have put both sprockets in at once. I will post on the micapeak discussion group site to seek some clarity on this issue.
I updated the single row on my 1988 R100. First time doing the job and I was finished with the chain part in about an hour. As you can see in the photo, I compressed the tension plunger with a red cable tie. (The plunger houses the updated compression spring.) What's not shown is that I used a second cable tie to pull the 2 ends of chain together. It was wrapped around the 2 end rollers so as not to block master link insertion. Also the master link position has to be at that 2 o'clock position because there's a breather hole behind the chain that allows enough depth for the master link to enter from the rear. To hold and "fish" the master link into position I used a bread bag twist tie.
Those simple steps made fishing in the master link very easy.
Hope this helps.
Owning an old Airhead is easy.
Keeping an old Airhead running great is the true test.
Advertisement
