550 Front Sprocket Slop

This is my first post here - hopefully it posts correctly!
I've haunted this forum for awhile and have found lots of useful info for my bike! Thanks!
I have a question regarding aftermarket front sprockets. It seems that some of the aftermarket sprockets are not the correct thickness, causing unecessary side play and wear on both sprocket and chain. My model has a shim that is supposed to fit over the transmission shaft, rotate in the groove, and attatch to the sprocket via two bolts. I see that JT sprockets spec the thickness at 12mm. I measured one of the sprockets I have at 11.6mm. I wished I'd had this bike straight from the factory as it would help me to know what is normal and what isn't.
Has anyone else had this side play issue?

 

Nobody???? I know there's a few "chainers" out there. The reason why I'm really confused is that I have a spare motor that has the exact same problem. I've ordered a new JT sprocket and new spacer/clip in the hopes that will take care of the issue. Maybe it supposed to move on the shaft?

 

I'm not up on chains but I would think you would want the drive and the driven gear to have no side play on the chain. Have you contacted JT directly?

 

I'm not sure how much they would know about my particular bike. Don't they get their sprocket dimensions from the manufacturer? I would like to find out what the factory service manual says about the sprocket installation. I tried contacting the local yamaha shop, but they have "misplaced" the manual, whatever that means. They clearly state that they don't work on bikes older than 1992 anyway!

 

If it helps, my front sprocket is sorta sloppy as well. If you need me to, I can measure exactly how much 'slop' and let you know?
BTW, welcome aboard!

 

Thanks!!! It's nice to have a little confirmation that what I'm experiencing isn't abnormal. The measurement won't be necessary.

 

I found a picture online of what I'm referring to. Please see the attachment.

 

Whoops! See my gallery instead

 

i've never seen one that mounts like that not have some slop
even the ones with a giant nut on the counter shaft have some play
just so the shaft dosent look chewed up it should be fine

 

I received the new sprocket and measured it at almost 12mm. I tried it out on the spare motor and found that the side play is a lot less than the other after market sprockets I have. Evidently not all sprockets are made equal!

 

Front sprocket on my old Honda 200M 3 wheeler mounts exactly like that except it has 3 bolts on the retaining clip . Has lots of slop and lots of miles I've replaced sprockets and chain twice over the last 7 years , which may seem like alot to some people , but that old 3 wheeler sees more miles of trail riding and hunting than alot of peoples motorbikes that I know and that is mud and creeks and snow .
Doesn't seem right I know , but mine has always had side play

 

Sprocket/chain life varies a lot by riding conditions. When I was a kid we often rode in a sand & gravel pit. Chains and sprockets were a frequent expense.

 

i have recently orderd and recieved the service manual from Yamaha. It had its price tho $127.42 canadian after taxes! but was well worth it. as it covers XJ550h, XJ550J, XJ550K, XJ550L
all it says about sprocket reassembly is as follows:
Make sure that the sprocket and sprocket seat are clean, tighten the securing nuts in a crisscross pattern bend the tabs of the lock washers fully against the securing nut flats
The Drive sprocket securing bolt torque: 10 Nm ( 1.0m-kg, 7.2 ft-lb )

 

The adjustment you need to make when you install a new sprocket on the shaft ... is aligning the new front sprocket to be perfectly perpendicular with the rear sprocket.

Sprockets in perfect alignment ... and quiet-running, low-maintenance, O-ring chains are still going to need wrenching-on to keep at the right tension.

The sprocket hasn't been made yet that won't wear-out. It's really bad news to see a missing tooth. A missing tooth along with excess slack can jam-up the chain and mess-up a transmission faster than you can say "Shafties rule."

 

Cannon: You're referring to the rear sprocket.

 

Rick: You "shafties" are so biased! :lol:

 

IF it actually IS the front sprocket yr on about..
Suggest: Bob tracey's World o f Motorcycles (google)
Cheapest OEM parts anywhere, good service too.
If I remember correctly, a new yama piece costs a whopping $17.
Compare that to the jobber Junk bits..

 

lol oops! Error!