Removing Excess Links From New KMC Chain With Tool

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Big John

Guru
I initially had a problem with ten speed too until I discovered the pin in my chain splitter was too big to push a ten speed rivet out. Had to buy a new splitter appropriate for a ten speed chain. Fortunately it also works for other chains too as I have seven speeds on the winter bike and ten on the summer one so I just put the one splitter in my saddle bag in case the chain snaps while I'm out.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
Just out of interest, what do you mean by the old fashioned way?

Does it involve bashing the pin with a hammer to mushroom it at the end after fitting, which is what I used to do on 5 so chains. Not sure who taught me that. Probably Richard Ballantyne.
Have done it that way, but I meant just using the tool to push the pin back in, without using a quick link.
 

C R

Guru
Location
Worcester
The way the pins are peened in those kmc chains, I am not sure I would be happy to reuse one to rejoin the chain, not sure it would last very long.
 

midlife

Guru
I thought lots of modern chains weren’t meant to be rejoined the old fashioned way after shortening and you had to use a quick link ?
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
I thought lots of modern chains weren’t meant to be rejoined the old fashioned way after shortening and you had to use a quick link ?
They are not meant to be, but you can still do it. If you have a mechanical 20 miles from home, if you know how to rejoin without a quick link, then it will get you home. And avoid changing gears.
Hope nobody needs to though.
 
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ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
The way the pins are peened in those kmc chains, I am not sure I would be happy to reuse one to rejoin the chain, not sure it would last very long.
I thought lots of modern chains weren’t meant to be rejoined the old fashioned way after shortening and you had to use a quick link ?
They are not meant to be, but you can still do it. If you have a mechanical 20 miles from home, if you know how to rejoin without a quick link, then it will get you home. And avoid changing gears.
Ah, that makes sense...

I always carry spare quick links anyway.

I have been using cheap 8-speed chains on my singlespeed bike and carry spare lengths of 8-speed chain. There is no option to shorten the chain on a singlespeed bike so it is vital that it can be restored to its original length, either using a quick link, or a length of replacement chain.
 
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Pale Rider

Legendary Member
Just out of interest, what do you mean by the old fashioned way?

Does it involve bashing the pin with a hammer to mushroom it at the end after fitting, which is what I used to do on 5 so chains. Not sure who taught me that. Probably Richard Ballantyne.

As @Sharky says, using the tool to push the pin back in, hopefully to the same depth it came out.

I used a Park Tools Mini-Brute.

The technique worked the two or three times I've tried it, but I don't know if it works on 11-speed and above chains.

I reckon it should work on most older chains because it was the way I was taught about 45 years ago.

I'm not familiar with the mushrooming technique you describe.
 

Sharky

Guru
Location
Kent
When did quick links come in? I'm sure in the 60's when 5 speeds were the norm and 3/32nd chains were used, the chains came with one of the pins already pushed out, ready to be pushed in again by the tool.

Never had a problem in those days.
 

midlife

Guru
BITD 1/8th chains came with a removable link

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midlife

Guru
As Sharky says, 3/32" chains simply came with an opened up link, there was no removable link as it would get in the way of the pulleys and close together cogs of the block. I sort of "left" cycling about 1982 and there were no quick links then as we would think of them today.
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
Up to 7 speed, quick links didn't exist, and you joined a chain by pushing the un-peened pin back in so that it stood out equally from the outer side plate on each side.
Initially, 8 speed chains were the same, but the pin was a little shorter so it didn't stand out so far, and you had to be quite careful to get the pin centrally positioned.
At 9 speed, the pin was short enough that is was more or less flush with the outer side plate, and just pushing a pin in didn't make a reliable join. Consequently, they started peening the pins - i.e. punching the pin ends so that the end of the pin expands, and you've got a pin with ends slightly larger than the unstretched state of the sideplate hole it's in. You can't drive such a pin out and back in without damaging the sideplate (sometimes you can find a small ring of removed sideplate round your chain tool driving pin), so joining links were also introduced. They were also more or less immediately introduced for 8 speed as well.

Move on to the current day, and virtually all multi-speed chains have peened pin ends, with the result that even on 7 speed, just driving the pins back in results in joins that aren't as reliable as they used to be.
 
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