How much slack in the chain or tension in the rear derailleur

[Gregag]

I am using up a load of late 90's early 00's on a sort of touring build.

The rear Deore 8 speed changer seems, to me, to lack a little chain tension.
There is visible slack in the chain. I attempted to pull the changer apart and mess with the spring tensions.
Or is a little chain slack OK?

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

@benjabbi

 

[novocaine]

Spring should be able to hold the weight of the chain.
Hysteresis is a bitch. You might be able to wind more tension in, but I suspect its deaded.

Give it a ride, it will work but you'll be more prone to chain drops. The chain on my recumbent was nearly 5ft long, way more than the spring could cope with, it had wheels about mid chain but it still left some slack in the chain at the rear. Rode fine but without the front derailleur it would have skipped off easy enough.

 

[Gregag]

I will have to try it I guess. Feeling the slack won't help me, missus!
Its a proper carry on and no mistake.

 

[minor_LEGEND]

A picture would help, it may be that the pivot within the rear mech has got sticky & does not return against the spring tension properly. I just noticed an old XT 9 speed mech of mine is suffering this fate, despite my mechanical sympathy with it.

 

[Gregag]

A picture would help, it may be that the pivot within the rear mech has got sticky & does not return against the spring tension properly. I just noticed an old XT 9 speed mech of mine is suffering this fate, despite my mechanical sympathy with it.

Thanks.
I had the cage spring out and it is clean and amazingly not rusted. There is adjustment for spring tension, taking at least Einstein to work it out.
However I am going to get it finished and gingerly ride it hoping not to become a mangled sticky mess of chain and grease and worse in the process.