New Chain Source

[4x4_e30]

The discontinued HV-024 has the following specs:
3/8 Pitch x 1-3/4 W x 34 Links (64 "pitches")

There's plenty of chains still available with the same width and pitch, except with more links. The cheapest one I could find was the HV-015 for $135, which has 49 links.

It looks like the HY-VO chains have a "master" blue plate that allows for a standard round pin to be staked in, since the iX chain uses a 2 piece rocker joint on all the rest.

You could probably guess where I'm going with all of this...

[nando]

nice idea! for $135, it's probably worth experimenting. but I heard the reason the HV-024 isn't made anymore is because the pins for a 1.75" chain aren't being made. So either that's wrong, or the HV-015 is out of production too and once the existing stock is gone, it's gone. It sounds like the pins are not the reason though.

another option is to use two narrower chains (7/8") and machine the sprockets. there is a chain used in a snowmobile that uses the same links/pitch as the HV-024. But modifying a longer chain may be simpler..

[4x4_e30]

I went ahead and broke my old stretched chain to see what was up. Looks like the blue link uses the same pins as all the rest.



These are the inner pins that ride between the outer plates:




There are wider chains with the same pitch that I could source the pin from, but then I have to worry about staking them with the correct preload. What I'm thinking is use the old ground off pins with the same old plate, that way I could match the preload by eye since the pins/plate are ground flush, then TIG them back together.

[nando]

aren't they just deformed on the ends so they don't slide out?

[4x4_e30]

Yea they're basically rivets. Problem is that after I grind off the tits to break the chain there isn't any material left to re-rivet it back together.