i have regeared my lt80 with 13/26 sprokets and #40 chain. Even with the half links I was unable to get the slack out of the chain. I would like to put a chain tensioner on it, but don't want to spend the big money on the one midwestmini sells. Anyone think this tension could work on a lt80:

Baja Motorsports Chain Tensioner Assembly - 5510238 | Tractor Supply Company

 

The 13/26 will fit perfect. loosen the rearend mounting bolts. It'll move around a lil to tighten it up.
I thought the midwest thingie was cheap (since I get twice as much for mine).
I doubt the thing above will work.
Get a roller and stick it in the chain and pull the chain tight. Drill a hole in the plate and mount the roller. That's the cheapest way.

 

I just put my #40 w/ 13/26 about 1hr ago (seems a little tight to me, i thought there would be at least a little slack, but there is none, is this sound right? i picked up 2mph, now it will do 21mph. Something has to be wrong somewhere, from what ive read, this thing should do 30mph now.

 

Blevin, what mods do you have so far?

I've done/doing:

uni filter
.30 shaved head
four rollers in front clutch
rear shoes at 180 grams
13/26 sprockets with #40 chain
90 main
boysen reeds
oil pump disabled

I'm putting the reeds in tomorrow, but everything else is done. I never clocked it before I started so I'm not sure what to expect. I have 2 lt80's and one is bone stock. That has been my gauge so far.

Jack, thanks for the tip on the chain. I didn't think about trying anything like that and all I need it just a little play and I'd get it on. I expect it to be tight at first, but it should stretch being new.

 

Oil block off & the chain combo, thats it. How does your modded bike compare to your stock one, as far as top end & acceleration? how big a diff. was the 90 main & reeds? What made the biggest diff. of your mods & how did it affect it?

 

Some of it has not been tested yet. The first time around, last summer, I milled the head, new head gasket, new front clutch rollers(4), cut the rear shoes, unifilter. That made a pretty good improvement in low end/acceleration, but since I did not regear the sprokets it ended up being slower top end speed. I take it this happened because of only having four rollers in the front clutch. It has power though and I could pull wheelies the entire length of my back yard! The stocker is really hard to pull into a wheelie.

This spring I was going to put the other 2 rollers back in to bring the top speed back even with the stocker and then realized I had already bought the 13/26 sprockets and the 90 main jet. I figure those 2 thing should bring back the top end I lost while taking advantage of the new found power from the other mods. Once I had the carb off I figured I was in there so for 20 bucks got some boysen reeds to put in. I think that will give quicker throttle response. Also putting in the 90 main jet without disabling the oil pump and switching to mix gas kind of defeats the purpose. So that will be done also. What's one more time of removing that damn clutch cover anyway......feel like I've done it a hundred times. I know this is long winded so the quicker answer is I'll know more next week. I will finish up the work Saturday, but it's suppose to rain so I probably won't get to test it out much.

 

Mr. Goodwrench:: put the 2 rollers back in and see if the top end comes back.

 

Jack, were you talking to me? I know putting the 2 rollers in would bring back the top end, but that's not the recipe I am going after. Once I test the mods I listed above I am going to look at fine tuning the clutch some more. I read an old post about using permanent marker on the clutch faces so you can see how far up and down the belt rides. Then use that info to tun the clutch the way you want it.

 

I had the same problem a couple of months ago and LT80 recommended loosening the bolts on the rear end. I believe there were about 6-8 bolts total including the ones on the bottom skid plate. Once loosened the chain had just the right amount of slack. I am not running any 1/2 links or chain roller with the 13/26 gearing.

 

Well, I got everything on and now it bogs from the start. I did 4 things regear to 13/26 with #40 roller chain, disable oil pump and switch to mixing my own, went from 92.5 to 90 main jet, install boysen reeds. I highly doubt the first 2 things would cause it to bog so I have to believe it's either the jet or reeds. Of those 2 I think the reeds are the most likely culprit. Could I have install the new boysen reed incorrectly? It seems like they only go on one way?