The best way to remove the front sprocket?
 

any advice about removing the front sprocket?
at the moment the nut will not open so i am looking to buy
an impact driver but what is the best way to use it, locking the rear with the brakes or put it in 1st gear?

You need two people, put a block of wood or something between the top of the rear tyre & the bike frame to stop the suspension from compressing, next put the bike into 3rd gear, get the second person to sit on the bike with the front wheel against a wall with the front & rear brakes on hard, then using a long breaker bar try to loosen the nut. If you are lucky it will come loose.

Otherwise a impact gun is the way.

I used today the impact driver that i bought (500nm) and didn't even used the brakes, the bike was on the lift and in neutral!! and the impact driver needed only 10 seconds to take it out so i am happy:BaseballHat_LNY2EG:

Good man.

Well done matee! I tried the wheel against the wall in gear etc etc, but there was only me so had to lean over the bike with my foot on the brake.

Got it off eventullay but quashed a finger and lost the nail when the socket came of at full power with my finger between the bar and the rear foot peg! All the missus could say was " why all the bad language, you look pail, did it come off"
Lol.
Every day is a school day!
A...

FWIW, and if you don't have/can't afford an impact driver but have a center stand: with the bike on centre stand, wrap a ratchet strap around the brake pedal and centre stand and pull as tight as you can to lock the rear brake hard. Then, as Kev says, attack it with the longest bar/torque wrench you can. :smilies0944:

Just as well this doesn't have to be done too often: the front sprocket is supposed to be torqued to 120Nm - the engine only kicks out 58Nm so I hate to think what extra stress is being put through the chain. (So fit/torque up the new sprocket before replacing the old chain)

As for the cush drive rubbers :smilies0943:

or you can take an old piece of chain, one end around sprocket, other end fixed on frame

Hmm, cool idea....might try that - as long as I can do it without damaging the frame/paint??????????


As for: ".. the front sprocket is supposed to be torqued to 120Nm - the engine only kicks out 58Nm so I hate to think what extra stress is being put through the chain."

Think I spoke too soon: 120Nm applied to the sprocket, which has an approx effective radius of 35mm, gives a tensile stress of 3429N or 3.43KN in the chain (120 / .035).
The tensile strength of a DID 520VM is quoted as 35.8KN so it's not really a problem for the chain - it just didn't look/feel right when I was doing it.

Incidentally, if you can be sure the socket won't slip off the sprocket nut (support socket extension bar with axle stand or similar) you only need to stand on the torque wrench/bar to loosen it: assuming a typical body weight of 75kg (11.8 stone) and a bar length of say 400mm you get a torque of 30kgm = 294.2Nm. Even at 55kg (about 8.5 stone) you would produce about 215Nm.

(Please excuse the anorak moment!! Just thought I'd better eliminate my previous doubts with some maths :happy9:)

If you know a machinist, they can knock up a tool to sit onto front sprocket with some steel pins Inbetween the teeth, make sure it's hollow for a socket to fit inside through it for rattle gun breaker bar and has a handle, super easy once made and no stress on engine, cushion rubbers, brakes ect
Can attatch photo

I chickened out and took it too dealer. Did it in 10 mins for a few pounds. Cheaper than buying more tools. As my first sprockets and chain lasted 13000 miles, not something I'll be doing anytime soon.

When I brought a second hand engine from eBay the nut was corroded so bad onto the drive shaft that even with a long bar or high powered impact gun the rear wheel was slipping despite full force on the brake. In the end I got a grinder and cut it and it came off easily. I think a combination of the heat and weakening the nut released it, just be careful not to cut too close to the drive shaft and end up damaging the threads. This should only be necessary for the most stubborn of drive nuts. I also prematurely damaged my chain putting so much stress on it during the original attempts to remove the nut and had to replace it shortly after.

https://s12.postimg.org/jzt5sm0m5/nut.jpg

Wow that's impressive were they the original OEM ones?

Hi my original chain and sprockets lasted 13000 miles as well, I think it would have lasted longer but I forgot to lube it for the return leg of this years xt660 meet total trip 640 miles for me.:eusa_doh: