Titus El Guapo, w. 73mm BB shell (measures up as 73). ISCG05 mounts same ‘at same width’ as BB shell
Shimano SLX/XT HTII BB w. 1* spacer
Shimano SLX cranks, w. SLX 22T inner ring. ‘slim’ shimano Torx30 bolts fitted
SRAM PC991 chain
Blackspire Stinger ISCG05 lower roller chainguide

All bolts up okay, but:

It doesn’t fit properly. The chain is wedged between inner ring teeth and chainguide backplate

Why won’t it fit?
What can I do?

Also, orange + green, Im having second thoughts ..
the rest of the bike is black, honest

bump

I’ll get Neil to have a look at this thread.

Welcome to the world of custom fitting chain guides LOL

Hard to see in a photo but it looks like its not meant to be used as a double with a chain guide… the frame that is. (assuming you have the BB spacers and crank installed correctly?).

If that is so then there are 2 options. Remove the granny and go 1x or file down the ISCG plate (only if you think grinding off a mm will get you the clearance).

Extra spacer on drive side bb. Then see if it’s the chainring bolts grinding on the device.

Its a 73mm shell though, so an extra BB spacer would reduce the nDS crankarm/axle overlap, and so that the plastic preload cap wouldn’t really have enough threads to work properly would it not?

stinger backplate I could try to grind/file flat or something
I guess it shouldn’t need to be all that thick as it oughten get smashed into stuff, nor is it supporting a taco bash or something?
Though even if I did, I’d reckon the chain is still going to catch the backplate a bit

Definately looks like you need another spacer, but that may well mess your chainline. The single spacer you have is the 2.5mm?

Looks like frame is only designed for single ring with guide.

As above poster, welcome to the world of the ”international standards fail”

I had exact same issue with mine. The bolts on the granny even rubbed on the backplate of the stinger and caught on the mounting bolts. As folk are saying, adding another spacer either 1mm or 2.5mm might sort it, but it will naff up your chainline and make the BB a bit tighter with a risk of your crank falling off if the plastic cap doesn’t screw in far enough. I abandoned the idea and am running without it. Might get a bionicon c.guide though as I have virtually no paint left on the bottom of my chainstay due to chain slap and crappy Titus paint quality!

stinger backplate I could try to grind/file flat or something
I guess it shouldn’t need to be all that thick as it oughten get smashed into stuff, nor is it supporting a taco bash or something?

You could do that but you can make it impossible to get it bolted tight and centred. Grind the plate on the frame (looks very thick), then to make up for the lost thread use longer bolts with nuts.

I’d forget all that though and get yourself a 32T dynasis and grind down the crank spider to make it fit. Then you need a new guide that has the upper part.

Now you know why they call it the “stinger” 😆

new guide with upper plate, you mean single ring it?
I have done on the XC bike, but for this bike no can do, for longer rides up big(ger) rockier hills and trying (more often than not failing) for no dabs (at least between gates) granny ring is where its at for me
I’ve not really had a problem with chain dropping in the UK, Im due to be headed for a more switchback infested region, previous experience (different bike) of backpedalling into turn after turn got me onto attempting ro reduce chain dropping this time around

1 2.5mm/shimano BB spacer yes

Granny bolts do catch stinger mounting bolts yes, but I can take a file to those

It looks as if I might get away with taking a little off the back of the backplate nearly to where the base of the conical/countersunk bit goes to, hopefully without interferring with the centring/tighteness with the countersunk bolts
Don’t think that’ll be enough, not sure I want to start grinding the frame. Hacking at a £22 chain device I can live with, but a frame (albeit one of the lowest priced, more so now) I not so sure about.
Plus I couldn’t just grind it all flat as it’d take it off the BB shell too, I guess it’d need an ISCG(05) facing tool of some sort and take a lot (relative to facing) off. Not sure I can be bothered with trying to find a shop with one of those atm

I have virtually no paint left on the bottom of my chainstay due to chain slap and crappy Titus paint quality!

Sorry? Paint that will withstand being hit repeatedly with a chain? Who makes this?

Sorry Brant but I’ve gotta agree with Howey on this one the paint on my titus is truly awful, and that comes from someone who owns coves 🙂

I shouldn’t really get sidetracked from the OP’s question – which Neil has been unable to get to today as we’re still behind from Mayhem.

But really. What paintwork stays intact when its smashed into repeatedly by a hardened steel sharp edged chain?

I know some high grade powdercoats will. But paint? I can’t think of any. Surely this is what chain stay protectors (or old inner tubes) are for?

Seatstay top guide and a bionicon device. Or just the bionicon as thats going to be quite a lot of work to fit nicely.

Surely this is what chain stay protectors (or old inner tubes) are for?

It is.. You should include one with the frame emblazoned with the appropriate logo..
, bit of (nearly) free advertising n’everyfing’n’allthat…innit.. 😀
Edit, I know you’ve got loads of inner tubes, cos i keep getting emails telling me…
Ps, I’m loving my new rockstar btw.. 😀

Brant, I agree, however the paint on mine was flaking off as i was doing the caliper bolts up and that was with washers under the heads. Oh and getting sidetracked is what STW is all about isn’t it ? 🙂

This

suggests an E13 DRS should work.

Couldn’t get my Superstar double roller guide to fit .Tried a second hand E 13 srs but ended up going 1×9 like this

Main pivot bolt now stuck and currently at my LBS for removal.
Still love it though 🙂
Oh and all the hex pins in my Kona wah wah pedals that lots of people rave about rounded and I can’t get them out now.
Life’s too short 😀

You can’t fit a 2.5mm spacer to solve it and think its the do all and end all. The plastic safety tab’s pin on HT2 chainsets won’t locate into the hole in the axle. You could remove it but then you open up another can of worms.

The paintwork on earlier Titus frames was a bit of a problem. The stone chips were so bad that some customers got resprays foc.

I take it the same guys that were painting them around 2006 are long gone?

Nick, it won’t be stuck. It will appear to be stuck but with a good solid support under the frame on the driveside,it should drift out a breeze.

Just don’t let anyone whack it to death while it hangs on a bike repair stand. No point in stressing other areas of the frame for no reason.

Brant,

It’s actually underneath the chainstay near the pivot that has taken the hammering, I have got a chain stay protector on but it doesn’t cover that bit. I do take the point though that you can’t expect paint to withstand being hit by something hard and pointy, but the paint does flake off very easily. I had a Zesty for 3 years and that barely had a mark on, I’ve had a Titus for a few weeks and it’s chipped a fair bit despite helicopter tape. Not that I am bothered it’s a MTB for **** sake. Just seems like pretty flaky paint. Also on both the frames I’ve had (first one went back with paint defect) they can’t even be arsed to paint round the mounting gear, you can see the undercoat! Aside from that is an awesome ride though and that’s all that counts!

Anyway, back to original post…get a bionicon!

martinxyz

I’ll let the LBS know ,he reckoned it may have been catching on the bearings.It is still screwed into the chainstay as it would only unscrew about 1 turn then the stays began to splay.Turning it on it’s side and taking the weight off the bolt and bearings as you suggest sounds like it may do the trick,cheers.

@ brant

any update from neil?

*Bump* Thinking of fitting one of these on the V3 El Guapo, has anyone managed it without issue?

OP – had the exact problem fitting a stinger to my 2012 EG. I can however confirm that a spacer or two solves the problem. I can’t remember what width they were though, I suggest getting various widths and trying them out. The chainline obviously changed, but didn’t adversely affect anything. I modified my SLX triple to a double at the same time, changing the front mech for the correct SLX double. With a little set-up time everything works perfectly. 7 months down the line and many miles including uplift days and all is well…

…apart from the Monarch losing air quite quickly… need to contact them and see about getting it sorted

update.

The Bionicon C Guide seems to be the hot ticket to resolve this problem, and is very affordably priced.

Thanks for looking into this Brant, though I’d prefer if possible to use ISCG mounts. Do you know if this is unique to the stinger or does it affect other chain guides like superstar for example? (E13 DRS is a bit outside of my budget!)

It certainly seems like the “inline 73mm” ISCG position means its single ring or nothing.

Thanks Brant, I will try it without a guide and if it becomes an issue then Bionicon it is.

bugger! this is a big bike to ride uphill without a granny.. how much would you need to shave off the tabs to run double, 2.5mm or something? there’s always seat/chainstay/bb mounted devices but i guess bb mount ones won’t work with the tabs there either?

another thing for EG v4 brant: offset the iscg a bit?