Yamaha Chain Case Top Gear 36mm Socket

[RobX-1]

Thought I would pass along this information in case it benefits someone else.

After searching for some time for a 36mm socket that was deep enough for it to pass the jack shaft and tighten the nut, I wasn't having any luck. I thought there used to be a tool that someone sold that not only could be used to tighten the nut but also held the jack shaft in place as you tightened but was unable to locate one. Since I always used a crescent wrench up in the tunnel on the drive axle which then allowed me to tighten the nut, I wasn't so much concerned with that aspect of the tool as I was just wanting to be able to get a socket on the nut to properly torque it. I was about to just order a standard 36mm socket and then take it up to a local weld/fabrication shop for them to cut in half and weld a tube in between the socket portion and the 1/2" drive portion but then came across this Grey Pneumatic 1/2" drive 36mm extra deep socket (PN#2036XMD). It's 5 inches in overall length with over 4-3/8" in bolt clearance depth which is more than enough to clear the jack shaft. My measurements indicated the socket depth needed to be at least 3-5/8". In the past I would always use a large crescent wrench to tighten the bolt and even though I never had any issues with it coming loose, it was always hard to tighten without the wrench slipping off and I always worried that it wasn't properly torqued. Since I had to replace the track on my 08 Apex and will be swapping out tracks on my 18 Apex X-TX, I ended up getting this socket from JB Tool; bought the last one in stock. It was only around $28 and thought I would have at least that much in a standard size socket plus the fabrication to extend it. At least this way, I can now assure myself that the nut is torqued to its proper specification. An added bonus was when I was going thru my 03 RX-1, I decided to disassemble the chain case since it had been a while since I had inspected it (from not riding it) so I have another use for this socket.

Here is more information on the actual dimensions of the socket:
http://www.gpsocket.com/products/product.phtml/2036XMD/

 

[Winderallday!]

RobX-1: You won't need it on your 18 Apex, no nut on the jack shaft, different set up on the 11+ Apex!

I also used a Crescent wrench( Crescent is a brand of wrench, we call them an "adjustable" wrench up here) for my pre-11 Apex', I used one wrench on the hex drive axle and one on the 36mm nut, with the chain installed it allows the nut to be torqued man-tight. The adjustable wrenches I have would not open quite wide enough for the 36mm nut, so I removed the lower jaw and machined about a mm off the face so it would fit.
Good find on the socket regardless, cheers!

 

[hibshman25]

Exellent find Rob! I've been wanting to search for something myself but just never took the time. They are on ebay and I just ordered one!


What track are you putting on the apex? I will have a nice 146" ice ripper track coming in soon if you are in the market for something.

 

[RobX-1]

That's just my luck; that they were on eBay and were cheaper. I was just so tickled to find what I had been searching for via a link to JB Tool's website that I did not bother to search Google or eBay just on the actual part number. Then to make matters worse, I find out I won't even need it for the 18 Apex. I have other buddies with Yamaha's so between them and me, that socket will still get put to good use.

Travis, as for the track I'm putting on my Apex, I was able to find a new 146" Ripsaw II track earlier this year from a Yamaha dealer in Canada; got it at end-of-the-season pricing with free shipping. With a majority of my riding being trail riding, I was worried the 1.75" Back Country would be too much so I opted for the 1.25" Ripsaw II. Since the 146" was not a common track and currently only applicable to Yamaha, I didn't have any luck finding one on the websites that sell tracks
I considered the Ice Ripper and other pre-studded tracks but ride with a buddy that has the Ice Ripper on his Renegade ACE 900 and he stated that if he had to do it over again, he would go back to traditional studs. And, considering the success I've had with the Stud Boy Super-lite Plus backers, it was a no-brainer to run their setup on this track as well. It's all studded up, 154 studs down the center, and ready to get installed once the Apex arrives.

 

[RobX-1]

I also used a Crescent wrench( Crescent is a brand of wrench, we call them an "adjustable" wrench up here) for my pre-11 Apex', I used one wrench on the hex drive axle and one on the 36mm nut, with the chain installed it allows the nut to be torqued man-tight. The adjustable wrenches I have would not open quite wide enough for the 36mm nut, so I removed the lower jaw and machined about a mm off the face so it would fit.
Good find on the socket regardless, cheers!

Good catch Apexallday. I guess back in the day we all must of had Crescent brand adjustable wrenches because that's what we always called them. It's sort of like Q-tips and kleenex's. When someone would ever ask me for a kleenex, I always say "Well, I have a tissue but it's not a kleenex." Anyways, the adjustable wrench I used on the 36mm nut was large enough to fit around it but there were still times it would slip and round the edge of the nut. Now, that won't be a problem with this socket.

You won't need it on your 18 Apex, no nut on the jack shaft, different set up on the 11+ Apex!

Regarding the different setup, is that it or are there others? After owning an RX-1 and Apex all these years. I've become very familiar with the chain case disassembly but this will be my first venture into the 11+ era of the Apex. Are there enough similarities between the two that you think I'll be fine or are there stark differences I need to know about? Tom hooked me up with a service manual for the 2013-2014 XTX and it appears like the nut is secured with a circlip but wasn't sure if that was the extent of it.

 

[Teamblue4]

chain case's are similar just no nut on jack shaft.

 

[Winderallday!]

Good catch Apexallday. I guess back in the day we all must of had Crescent brand adjustable wrenches because that's what we always called them. It's sort of like Q-tips and kleenex's. When someone would ever ask me for a kleenex, I always say "Well, I have a tissue but it's not a kleenex." Anyways, the adjustable wrench I used on the 36mm nut was large enough to fit around it but there were still times it would slip and round the edge of the nut. Now, that won't be a problem with this socket.




Regarding the different setup, is that it or are there others? After owning an RX-1 and Apex all these years. I've become very familiar with the chain case disassembly but this will be my first venture into the 11+ era of the Apex. Are there enough similarities between the two that you think I'll be fine or are there stark differences I need to know about? Tom hooked me up with a service manual for the 2013-2014 XTX and it appears like the nut is secured with a circlip but wasn't sure if that was the extent of it.

There is now a bearing in the outer chain case to support the lower gear set, not sure exactly when that came into being. The long bolt that holds the lower gear set to the drive axle has an internal circlip that you have to remove before taking the bolt out. In some cases on prior years, this bolt, if not tightened securely or loctite wasn't used, could back out over time and some even broke through the outer chaincase, so this circlip is meant to prevent that failure. There is no nut on the upper jackshaft inside the chaincase now, just spacers and an o-ring. Other than that, pretty much the same.

 

[hibshman25]

RobX-1: You won't need it on your 18 Apex, no nut on the jack shaft, different set up on the 11+ Apex!

I also used a Crescent wrench( Crescent is a brand of wrench, we call them an "adjustable" wrench up here) for my pre-11 Apex', I used one wrench on the hex drive axle and one on the 36mm nut, with the chain installed it allows the nut to be torqued man-tight. The adjustable wrenches I have would not open quite wide enough for the 36mm nut, so I removed the lower jaw and machined about a mm off the face so it would fit.
Good find on the socket regardless, cheers!

I think you posted wrong part number...I got mine and its certainly not big enough as its only 1 1/8 std. I just ordered based off part number you posted and didn't really reasearch it. Ha

After research it looks like part number should be 2036XMD...not 2036XD

 

[Redbeard]

Rob, if you can't purchase one, send me a PM and I'll help you out. A regular socket can easily be modified with a section of pipe.

Extending a 1-7/16 standard socket would also work in a pinch, if 36mm isn't available. It's larger than 36mm by about .5mm.

 

[RobX-1]

Travis, sorry about that but thought I had provided the correct part number of the socket I purchased but when I checked my Order History on JB Tool's website, you are correct in that it was P/N# 2036XMD (Grey Pneumatic 2036XMD 1/2" Drive x 36mm Extra-Deep Socket). I went back and edited my original post so that no one else is misguided by mistake. That is also why they were cheaper on eBay; although they both are the extra deep 5" socket it was the 1-1/8" socket and not the 36mm socket.

Nothernsledder, I'm good as I have 2036XMD socket that has 4-3/8" bolt depth but what you mention is the route I was going to take before stumbling upon this Grey Pneumatic 36mm socket.

 

[RobX-1]

Here is a pic of the Grey Pneumatic 2036XMD 6-Point 36mm socket and one of it clearing the jack shaft.

 

[CaptCaper]

So this is the socket that will work for my 07 Attak and 2010 rs Vector Ltx ?

 

[hibshman25]

So this is the socket that will work for my 07 Attak and 2010 rs Vector Ltx ?

It would work on your 07. The 2010 has newer style jack shaft with no nut for top sprocket.

 

[RobX-1]

Travis is correct in that it will work on your 2007 but I also believe it will work on your 2010 because I thought it was in the later years that Yamaha changed to not using a nut on the top gear. Apexallday posted earlier in the thread that it was in 2011 that Yamaha quit using a nut but when I checked the Apex SE/XTX 2013-2014 service manual which also has supplemental sections for the 2011 & 2012 years it still lists a nut being torqued to 65 ft/lb. At some point Yamaha quit using the nut but if a nut is being used, this socket will work. The picture I posted of the socket clearing the jack shaft was on my 2003 RX-1. I also used it on my 2008 Apex and was planning on using it on my 2018 Apex but was informed it no longer uses the nut.

 

[jrevans]

That is a bummer, i too ordered the incorrect one before it was changed. Thank you for catching it Travis.