Shimano EP8 "clicking" sound after installing new chain

Turtlehead

Turtlehead

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Jan 5, 2023
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Location
Citrus Heights
2022 Orbea Rise H30
Replaced my chain this morning
As soon as I started riding/pedaling, I got this constant clicking sound.

At first I thought it was my derailleur and did a bunch of trailside troubleshooting there to no end. Makes the same sound even with the motor turned off and pedaling.

Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Here's video of the sound:
<div style="padding:177.78% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;" title="ep8"></iframe></div><script src="https://player.vimeo.com/api/player.js"></script>
 
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You've fed the chain through the derailleur incorrectly. Check it and do it again.

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Chain guide above chainwheel. Any rubbing ?
Also B-Gap. Is it set correctly, or derailleur cage or cagewheels could rub.
Also. Did you put back the same number of chain links ?
 
Astro66 said:
Chain guide above chainwheel. Any rubbing ?
Also B-Gap. Is it set correctly, or derailleur cage or cagewheels could rub.
Also. Did you put back the same number of chain links ?
Click to expand...
I pulled the chain guide up to where it had no possibility of touching, didn't fix it

B-gap - I played with it trail side, but did not neccessarily set it correctly - will check this tomorrow

Number of chain links, I've always just held the new and old chain up in the air and removed anything beyond the older chain's length. Probably a half-link short on the new chain in the sense that the old chain's stretch put it between links. BUT - I started watching a video earlier that was discussing how to set the correct chain length, so might be worth trying to sort that out from scratch.
 
Did you get the right chain ? Link thickness varies.

Also on this. Was the original chain and chainring correct ? Maybe you've fitted the right chain. But the original chain and chainring were wrong, so you now have a mismatching chainring.

Also on this. If you have skinny/fat teeth on chainring. Have you aligned skinny/ fat on the chain ?
 
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I had the same issue on my 25 rise m10 recently. Installed a new xt chain. I reinstalled old chain and no noise. I finally figured out it was how the chain was meshing with front chainring, which is steel. It seemed like a chain width issue. It probably would have gone away after the chain broke in a bit. I ended up getting an alloy chainring and a kmc e12 chain and noise was gone.
 
Astro66 said:
Also on this. If you have skinny/fat teeth on chainring. Have you aligned skinny/ fat on the chain ?
Click to expand...
That was my first thought also. You have a 50/50 chance of getting it wrong …or getting it right. Narrow/Wide cogs on the chainring must mesh with the chain.

An alloy chainring will tend to fit an old stretched chain over time …until it doesn’t or you start to get chain-suck.

Chain checker and a new link is a good idea.

For measuring chain length in the future, and for different bikes, use a wall or door frame trim to hang and measure specific chain lengths. Nail a finishing nail (or nails) at 6’ in height and hang your new chain from there. Mark the correct length (for any chain) near the bottom with a sharpie or tape.

Hanging a chain this way is better than laying it on a bench and stretching the chain, or counting each link.
 
I had the same issue, it was the front chainring was worn, new chainring and the noise went away
 
hilbil-E-bikr said:
I had the same issue on my 25 rise m10 recently. Installed a new xt chain. I reinstalled old chain and no noise. I finally figured out it was how the chain was meshing with front chainring, which is steel. It seemed like a chain width issue. It probably would have gone away after the chain broke in a bit. I ended up getting an alloy chainring and a kmc e12 chain and noise was gone.
Click to expand...
Weird thing with this is that I don’t think the chainring was worn. Chainring was steel and the chain was barely stretched to 3%. It seemed like a width issue but I was definitely on the narrow wide correctly. I thought it might have been a counterfeit XT chain but checked it and it was legit. I’ve never experienced anything like it.
 
Ok, thank you all for the responses.... I tossed my old chain back on, and everything is well.
Did not get to troubleshoot the chainring vs. cassette.
What should I be looking at to figure out which one it is?
 
Turtlehead said:
Ok, thank you all for the responses.... I tossed my old chain back on, and everything is well.
Did not get to troubleshoot the chainring vs. cassette.
What should I be looking at to figure out which one it is?
Click to expand...
Chainring is very cheap. I paid AUD$7 for the alloy Motsuv ones from Aliexpress. I have over 2000km on that chainring, on an Amflow. I have run them on my last 3 EMTBs, with no issues. So it's a decent chain ring.

Change the chainring and put back the new chain. See if that fixes it. That said. Your cassette does not look very healthy. Some rounded teeth. So maybe new Cassette, chainring and chain, wouldn't go astray. But start with the cheapest, being the chainring.
 
I just bought a new Helix Core e*spec Steel E-MTB Chainring off the back of this thread - £30 from ethirteen
 
longpete said:
Amflow with alu chainring? Go for steel. Alu is expensive misery.
Click to expand...
2000km on my Amflow M1 says it works fine. 3000km on a Shimano EP801 also fine. And 500km so far on my Avinox M2S, and no issues. At AUD $7. It's hardly expensive.

It's a chainring. If it drives the chain, it's working. And I was getting 1500km on my Shimano chain. The SRAM chain on my M1, at 2000km is showing almost no wear. So there is no chain wear consequence either.

If anyone wants to use a steel chainring. I have zero issues. But saying a $7 alloy wide/narrow chainring is expensive misery, is wildly inaccurate. I have had zero failure rate, long lives and perfect drive. Not sure what more you could ask of a chainring.
 
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