Front sprocket change, pit falls, tools, tips??

Checked the other day and my front sproclet is a 17. So I`v decided to throw a 16 on. I know some people have suggested 15, but that will gear it for 163 and make 2nd just abit slower topped out than I like. I think for now 16 will work well and i`ll play around with it abit more next season.

So its been years since I swapped one, but I seem to remember front sprockets usually have atab washer dont they? but this one doesnt seem to?? Will I need thread lock?
What size is the bolt? and will I need a whooping great breaker bar to get it off and do it up tight enough again??

Also while I`m there, I`m going to uprate my leaky italiano clutch slave and replace with an oberon as per recommendation (cheers Rob and others)

Pretty simple job far as I can see. No hidden pitfalls in there I take it? i`d imagine its just a push rod behind the slave? And that the oberon is a straight swap?

Any tips, pitfall appreciated as I have very limited tools available and the garag I do work in isnt mine, so I want to make sure I have everything i need before I start pulling things apart!

Cheers
Steve

Steve

I've not done a front sprocket on the Mille so won't comment.

Oberon was very easy. I removed both fairing panels and the belly pan too since it was covered with leaked fluid and needed a clean inside. You may get away with just the lh fairing side and loosening the belly pan at the back left.

Bottom allen bolt is a bit weird because it's hidden behind a rubber bung thing in a long tube that is a stay for the lh fairing side. Oberon (and I guess all the other aftermarket C/S) use the original clutch slave cast alloy back plate. This was a bit of a b*gger to remove from the original c/s since they are a very tight fit. I used a vice with some blocks of wood to hold the old c/s and a rubber mallet to hit the back plate until I persuaded it enough. I used some paraffin to clean the area of all the leaked gunk and also to clean the c/s back plate.

Once the new c/s was attached I used a large syringe to 'prime' the Oberon with fluid as suggested in the instructions. Once the clutch pipe was connected I used the same syringe with some flexible tube to back fill the system with fluid from the bottom. Then bleed and fill as normal from the top.

It was all pretty staightforward.

Hope that helps

Rob

yes you will need thread lock.. .think its only 50 nm.. .. someone will confirm that I hope

Important to prime the M/C with a syringe, apart from that pretty simple

Sprocket, check which way it comes off as there is a flange on one side, make sure the new one goes on the same way, 50nm it is to torque, use low grip threadlock, and once yer finished make sure and wash yer hands before ye grope the g/f:dowhat

Cheers guys

Rob - Yes mate that helps, so is the back plate is re-used gotcha! wont chuck that away then

BB1000 - what is 50mm??

Badger - how do you measure torque in mm?? And I dont have a torque wrench....
jus to clarify, "there is a flange on one side" you mean the raised part on one side of the sprocket yeah? Do you know which side it should be on? (It wasnt a garage that fitted the last one). Low grip thread lock, gotcha. but I`ll leave dirty, fused skin is one of her buttons

Oh also I looked into removing the side panel for access, where it attaches to the front belly V-piece it has these black smooth fastners, do these just pop out? Didnt wanna break em! And they dont have a centre piece that pushes in like the yammy ones...

nm (newton metre) mate not mm. Should have gone to Specsavers ;-)

Rob

SteveR said:

Oh also I looked into removing the side panel for access, where it attaches to the front belly V-piece it has these black smooth fastners, do these just pop out? Didnt wanna break em! And they dont have a centre piece that pushes in like the yammy ones...

Click to expand...

My fairing sides are held on with the usual dzus fasteners. Once they are off the belly is attached with button head allen bolts 2 on the front and 3 on rear right and one rear left I think.

Rob

I've just been to look and can see the smooth black things. I don't think you should undo those. I didn't. just take off the whole belly in one piece.

apostrophe said:

nm (newton metre) mate not mm. Should have gone to Specsavers ;-)

Rob

Click to expand...

Will book appt tomorrow :thumbup

Strange I wonder what they are for then? I assumed they attached the belly pan to the V-piece.

Thanks for checking :biggrin

Will have to borrow a torque wrench then...

SteveR said:

Badger - how do you measure torque in mm?? And I dont have a torque wrench....
jus to clarify, "there is a flange on one side" you mean the raised part on one side of the sprocket yeah? Do you know which side it should be on? (It wasnt a garage that fitted the last one). Low grip thread lock, gotcha. but I`ll leave dirty, fused skin is one of her buttons

Click to expand...

TBH mate i can't remember what side it is on as it is a while since i did one, hopefully somebody else can tell you.

I think you need to stop bashing the bishop.......................50mm indeed, made me giggle though:thumbup

SteveR said:

Will have to borrow a torque wrench then...

Click to expand...

Or the alternative torque wrench, give it one medium sized grunt, probably equates to the same size of grunt when you are on the vinegar stroke:dowhat

The whole bottom fairing is about 6 allen bolts and its off. Take the side panels off with the quick release screws, then its 2 bolts at the front, one on the nearside by the stand, and 3 on the offside around the exhaust (if its hot make sure you take out the exhaust shroud or it will melt on the pipe). piece off piss to remove it all and then you have easy access to everything down there. Its all sturdy and as long as you don't chuck it on the floor it will be fine.

badger said:

made me giggle though:thumbup

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ooo be nicce! :supergay

I thought you were supposed to be helpful! tut.
I`v got a haynes for it, i`ll see if it says in that

pieman - Mine has carbon fibre infills with R&Gs through them, with holes smaller than the bungs, plus carbon infills at the top which look like the attach to the side panels too, so not as simple as it should be, but its cool, was really just wondering how them black smooth ones right under the front work... :dunno

Right well anyway i`v ordered a 16 front sprocket from tash along with a pimpin blue oberon to match me wheels...just intime for the weather to turn it would seem...

Well:O

Finished it off today mate :thumbup

When an bought a torque wrench just for the sprocket bolt, then went and returned it when I realised it didnt go high enough for the back wheel :devious

Didnt realise how much chain slack one tooth difference would result in, and didnt have a 32 socket to slacken the rear when I started it last night! So managed to fit the new sprocket without even slackening the chain, only to realise I would have to adjust it anyway if I fancied keeping the chain on all the way home :jack

The oberon went in fine though :thumbup
And the fluid was black like lake water when I changed it.
Didnt have time for a proper test ride has had to rush off and do other stuff, and had to take my mate home on it!

Still the difference of the two changes is very noticable, what with the more response from the sprocket and the super light clutch the bike actually feels lighter.

Infact the clutch is so much lighter than it was, it hardly felt like it was doing anything at first.

Think I`ll like the 16 front, may play around with even lower gearing next year, but happy with this for now, all in all pleased :thumbup

you need a torque wrench to go up to 120mm to do the rear spindle:lol

Glad it was money well spent mate:thumbup

You sir, are a gimp :devious
:thumbup