Joining New Chain?

[Tribal Chestnut]

Managed to fk the master link on my new chain (EK 520MVXZ2) today.

As the pins wouldn’t protrude beyond the outside plate, I couldn’t locate them in the holes on the outer plate of my chain tool (Motion Pro), which meant the tool slipped out of alignment and ended up squashing the plate against the pins. Only marginally but enough for the link to get stuck. Had to knock the it off with a small punch and hammer.

I could have avoided wrecking the link if I’d been a little more careful, but I was sick of the tool rotating out of position as soon as I started to turn the handle and my patience had evaporated, so I just thought ‘sod it’ and went for the brute force option.

Could a pair of pliers have provided enough force to locate the plate properly over the pins?

Every time I’ve seen this done it all looks so easy.

New link ordered &, obviously, I don’t want this to happen again, so anyone have any advice as to how I can keep the outer plate of the tool aligned or squash the plate in position using more delicate means?

[Abdul Abulbul Amir]

Did you do it like this..

https://youtu.be/6Yj4sKsguvU

[Tribal Chestnut]

Tried to (& failed).

[Register1]

Much better.
Use these all day long on loads of chains at work.

[Biker's Nemesis]

I use a Japanese DID chain breaker/riveter. They are expensive but they do the job well. Beware of cheap copies though, mine was £90 10 years ago.

[mak]

Register1 said:

Much better.
Use these all day long on loads of chains at work.

That looks like a generic push bike chain tool.

Biker's Nemesis said:

I use a Japanese DID chain breaker/riveter. They are expensive but they do the job well. Beware of cheap copies though, mine was £90 10 years ago.

That's the proper tool, do not underestimate pressing the outer link onto the pins, the tool above also allows you to rivet the pins over.

[gusm2]

I use the DID type regularly at work also and can also recommend it

[Tribal Chestnut]

Thanks guys.

My Motion Pro wasn’t cheap - also £90 or so, but more recently, & seems to be recommended on some of the other forums, but it’s probably just a mid-range jobbie TBF - fine when things are all nice and easy, but doesn’t cope with awkward links.

Do the DID tools have a way to lock the plates/chain in position so it can’t rotate out of place, or do you need the pins to protrude through the plate a little first?

[tim0409]

I messed up a chain replacement with a cheap tool and decided to buy the DID tool, which was expensive at £118 but worth every penny.

You locate the rear rivets in two holes on the back plate and it should line up from there; it’s explained in this DID tutorial -

https://youtu.be/EkY3Kd8Zgz0

[Tribal Chestnut]

Ta. Useful vid that - the DID tool has a chain sized grove on the slotted side to prevent movement and the plates the other way around - dimples at the back and slot at the front, whereas mine is slot at the back and holes at the front. A much better design.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Managing to push the plates on eventually, but got a little carried away.

Just ordered my third master-link.

F**king doughnut.

[trickywoo]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Managing to push the plates on eventually, but got a little carried away.

Just ordered my third master-link.

F**king doughnut.

I think it must be the Ek chain as DID are a doddle to fit even with a cheap tool.

[Max5476]

I'm chickening out and taking my bike to a garage for a new chain tomorrow.

I had grand plans to do it myself, but was rather put off by having to buy all the tools, and then making sure not to over / under crimp it.

[Tribal Chestnut]

trickywoo said:

I think it must be the Ek chain as DID are a doddle to fit even with a cheap tool.

It doesn’t help that the pins only have a micro-bevel to site the plate on, so getting it all to sit together nicely whilst it just wants to fall off is a PITA, but this time was entirely down to me - I over zealously gave the tool another half turn when I should have stopped and popped the caliper on it. Maybe I should have even stopped before even, but I ended up with the plates being approx. 0.45-0.50mm closer than the other links.

I tried to prise them apart a little, but with no real success. I also considered flattening off the pins and seeing if it would loosen at all through riding, but wimped out - things like this tend to sit in my mind so would slow me down even more.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Max5476 said:

I'm chickening out and taking my bike to a garage for a new chain tomorrow.

I had grand plans to do it myself, but was rather put off by having to buy all the tools, and then making sure not to over / under crimp it.

Ignore my travails - I really am making a meal out of it.

It will be satisfying to get it done and I have at least another two chains to do this year.

I think it’s worth doing, if you can borrow an impact wrench.

The crap tools can be made to work, I think, though I have found mine rather frustrating. Maybe less so if I’d gone for a DID as suggested above.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Just bought my fourth master-link. Beyond a fking joke now.

I’ve got no front brake anyway, so it doesn’t really matter now - I’m just going to resign myself to smashing up my fking MT10 next week.

[Fundoreen]

Abdul Abulbul Amir said:

Did you do it like this..

https://youtu.be/6Yj4sKsguvU

Cheers for this video. I had the kit from last year but no instructions on which tool to use at which stage. This video answered it all
including all the pitfalls.

[Max5476]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Max5476 said:

I'm chickening out and taking my bike to a garage for a new chain tomorrow.

I had grand plans to do it myself, but was rather put off by having to buy all the tools, and then making sure not to over / under crimp it.

Ignore my travails - I really am making a meal out of it.

It will be satisfying to get it done and I have at least another two chains to do this year.

I think it’s worth doing, if you can borrow an impact wrench.

The crap tools can be made to work, I think, though I have found mine rather frustrating. Maybe less so if I’d gone for a DID as suggested above.

But I am currently enjoying a coffee and cake while someone else gets dirty, I am quite happy for now. I'll give it a go another time.

[Tribal Chestnut]

Next time I’ll stock up on spare master-links before I get started!

[bgunn]

Tribal Chestnut said:

Just bought my fourth master-link. Beyond a fking joke now.

I’ve got no front brake anyway, so it doesn’t really matter now - I’m just going to resign myself to smashing up my fking MT10 next week.

Bloody hell! Whereabouts are you? I've got a DID tool that seems intuitive whenever I use it; so providing you're not too far I'd happily have a go.