Chain drives

Rotation of camshafts in an engine may be by

gears or by chain turned by the main crank. The disadvantage
of using gears is difficulty in alignment, lubrication and
disadvantage to wear from foreign materials as well as their
increased cost.The disadvantage of chains is the requirement
for tensioning and their finite life. Although for large
installations this can be very long.
Wear on the chain pins, bushes as well as the
chain sprockets can all lead to a slackening off of the chain.
This can lead to 'slap' and changing of cam timing.This alters
the leads of the fuel pumps and e!haust valves.. The degree
of angular displacement by checked using a manufacturer
supplied poker gauge.
"hain damage occurs if the chain is too tight or too
slack and the result is fatigue cracking of the links. #f the
tension is too tight, then this adds to the working stress of the
chain. #nsufficient tension leads to 'slap' with resultant damage
to chain and rubbing strips. $ertical misalignment of the
sprockets means rubbing at the side plates resulting in
reduction of thickness and possible failure.
"hain stretch and hence reduction in tension can be accounted for by movement of a
tensioning wheel. The tension usually being checked by movement to and fro at the centre of the longest
free length.
%a!. is about & chain pitch.
Recommended limit on stretch is about 1.5 to 2%, if ma!. movement of the tensioned is
reached before the chain has reached its ma!. stretch then a pair of links may be removed. When ma!.
stretch is reached, or if the chain shows signs of damage then the chain should be replaced.
The simplest method is to break the old chain and attach the new chain to it. The engine is
then turned and as the old chain is paid off, the new chain can be paid in. This maintains appro!imately
the correct timing, the tension of the chain can then be set.
'inal ad(ustment of the timing can be made following manufacturers instructions, this
generally means turning the engine until )o& is at top dead, then checking by us of pointer gauges the
position of the cam.
The cam drive is ad(ustable and can be slackened off, by hydraulic means on large modern
engines, the section of cams can then be turned relative to the crankshaft angle and the timing restored.
The chains are lubricated by the in(ection of a (ey of oil between the chain wheels and the chain rollers
(ust before the rollers are about to engage the wheel. Thereby an oil cushion is formed to dampen the
impact
A question asked by an examiner was to explain the polygon of forces with respect to chain drive.
This refers to the forces acting on the chain links as they pass over the chain wheel
Some of these forces are; Bending moment on the link as it travels around the sprocket
Stress changes on the link as it passes from the driving side to the driven
Tensioning of the chain dependent on the number of links between the sprockets varying i.e. related
to the pitch
entrifugal forces acting on the links