Is 5/16" BBB Large Enough?

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by JonJo

All nominally 5/16th inch:

Not all 5/16 inch chains are the same!

Peerless ACCO G43 has a inside link length of 1.03 inch x 0.5 inch wide and a wire diam of 0.329 inch
Peerrless ACCO G30 has an inside link length of 1.1 inch x 0.507 inch and wire diam of 0.342
Peerless ACCO BBB has a link length of 1.000 inch x .5 inch wide and wire diam of 0.328 inch
Peerless Boatman's Pride G30 has a link length of 1.1 inch x 0.507 inch wide and wire diam of 0.342
Peerless Boatman's Pride G43 has a link length of 1.03 inch x 0.49 wide and a wire diam of 0.33 inch

Campbell G3 has an inside link length of 1.1 inch x 0.5 inch and a wire diam of 0.34 inch

If your chain is domestic is should be one of these, if its an import it might be similarly sized.

With a pair of calipers and a micrometer you should be able to sort out your chain type. But you need take a number of measurements as the gal might have different thicknesses.

There is a considerable difference in these link lengths. I do not know your gypsy but vertical ones are more forgiving as they sometimes only 'take' 3 links (or 90 degrees) horizontal gypsies take lots of links as the chain wraps round about 270 degrees and any difference between gypsy and chain compatibility causes the chain to jamb.

Not being an American it seems odd you can have a gypsy simply marked as the 'nominal' 5/16 inch when there are a number of variations of 5/15th inch?!

The only, or safest, way to get the correct chain is to take the gypsy off and size it with the chain in the shop/chandler. Gypsies are inordinately expensive, almost as much as new chain (or they are in Oz!)

Jonathan

I think you've got this backwards Jon, the vertical has chain wrapped all the way around reversing the chain direction. The horizontal is grabbingmaybe 2 links in the gypsy pockets.

[JonJo]

Originally Posted by colemj

The other way around - horizontal windlasses take fewer links.

Mark

I was not very clear, I was referring to horizontal gypsies taking more links You were both, conventionally correct, referring to a vertical windlass (with its horizontal gypsy), taking more links.

Jonathan

[JonJo]

More usefully,

Has anyone with an American, or imperial gypsy, changed from a 5/16th G30 to a 5/16th G43 (or BBB to G30) and found the gypsy compatible or incompatible. The link sizes are considerably different - do the imperial gypsies cope? BBB and G43 are similar, and I would have thought similar enough to make no difference.

I have not checked but I'm guessing other chain sizes, 3/8 etc have similar differentials - so is there a real problem if you were to have a need to buy new chain and decided to change from the more common (?) G30 to a stronger G43?

I do not recall seeing any mention of problems - but maybe people have lived with it.

Why G30 links are so different, another mystery.

Jonathan

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by scoobert

no idea what type of 3/8 this is. its not stamped.

It's stamped right here 3B........


.

[JonJo]

Most manufacturers stamp their chain with a unique mark, though some do not stamp at all. It is possible, because the marks are pretty simple, that 2 manufacturers use the same mark.

'3B' is a mark used by Peerless under their ACCO brand for their BBB chain.

Jonathan