Hitchcocks Forum

I have never under stood or worked out how the U type spring tensioner under the slipper adjustment is meant to be efficient it really only stops the slipper from bouncing when the chain is in the slack position and no weight on it I found a suitable size coil spring and put it on the buffer bolt on top of the rubber buffer to the under side of the tensioner with suitable washers for extra contact area this then pushes the chain up onto the chain when slack to stop some flapping about and when the chain is in its tight spot allows the spring to compress .It acts like one of those a rear chain tensioner. Don't have a too strong a spring so that it cannot compress when the chain is at its tightest I have also left the U spring in place. Has any one else thought the U spring was not very good ? Duffel

Duffel, what is it you want to know, few on here would know what you are talking about and we don't know what twin you have. Adjusters on the early twins similar but without the slider pad. The spring has little effect and I've never really bothered with it too much. I mostly set them up with an Indian adjuster anyway because they are cheap and easily obtained and you can fit it with our hosts rubber buffer if you want

Hi Norm the model twins I have is the later Connie and meteor minor the slipper has the nylon pad on I was referring to the primary chain when it is in the tight spot the chain is hard on the tensioner when chain comes round and has slack in it the tensioner can be lifted easy by hand to take the slack out of the top run the u spring does not put this upward tension on the chain so the chain whips a bit the coil spring I use over the adjuster bolt pushes this slipper tensioner up when the chain is slack and eliminates the slapping of the chain

I am aware that the timing chain is long but to have so much variance in tension seems to me that the chain is either knackered or of poor quality or not intended for high speed. Whatever I might be tempted to source and fit the correct item.

Hi Duffel, I know the tensioner you are talking about but as Bryan says if the chain varies that much I would think about replacing them, but if the spring works that is good but I don't think the original spring was much good

Hi Beezabryan and Norm I appreciate your comments keep them coming it may make me see what I am doing wrong
I put knew Clutch drum sprocket and new engine sprocket and of course a good make new primary Chain IWS .I have noticed this slack spot in all the Connie's and Meteor Minors I believe all chains even new will have tight and slack spots owing to the various loads put on them you only got to watch the chain when the primary cover is removed if you keep a few steady revs on the chains runs fairly steady take the revs off and watch it at tick over it will flap about that is why I put the coil spring on to keep the tensioner in contact with the chain in its slack spot so the slipper cushions some of this next time you have the p/cover of have a check of how much variation there is after you set the chain at its tightest point