Also, an old spoke works well. Bend a loop into it (where the circle part is on the pictured tool) and you get some extra springiness.

For whoever asked what those do, it holds the chain together so you can re-assemble a chain on the bike more easily. You stick the end hooks into some links in the chain.

Yep. In my experience, any springy piece of wire with a decent size gauge, ductility and length will do.

Regards,

The trick to this is to bend the chain-tool laterally to line up the pin with the opposite plate. Make sure the pin is PERFECTLY centered on the hole before tightening the chain-tool. I find that having the pin pushed up and barely touching the opposite hole allows it to almost self-centre. Then bending the chain-tool laterally will centre the pin. Then GENTLY spin the driver without moving anything.

Having good hand-coordination makes repairs a lot easier. Practice flipping quarters over and under all your fingers without dropping them. Then move on to rolling them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cEa35Qib9U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stzD0w8cefE

Just to point out something that may not be obvious to some, when you break the chain, if you leave a little bit of the pin not pushed through the plate, you have something for the chain to 'hook' onto when you reassemble the chain.

This was the prescribed method for 8-spd chains back in the day when you could pop the same pin back in the chain. It doesn't really help for chains that require replacement pins or links, though.

Why in the world do you need a spoke or hanger to hold the ends of a chain to rejoin them when all that is necc. to get the slack to ease the job is to lift the chain off the chainrings? All of the prev. mentioned solutions are for a problem that doesn't exist.

because sometimes, taking the chain off the rings doesn't give you enough slack, and you need something to hold the chain while you try to use the chain tool.

I've been using an old Cyclo chain tool same one for 30+ years, never broke a chain. turdfergusun's idea of leaving a little bit of the pin always helps. Granted these methods and the old cyclo chain tools may not work for new style 10 speed chains, but isn't this the C&V forum??

It does if it's properly sized and run thru the small cog. Try it.

I guess I have to take my dura-ace chain back for a refund - the box didn't have a master link or extra pins so I used a chain tool. I hate master links - for some reason I cannot get them to work. The first one I tried took an hour.

UMmm. No. It isn't. Just classic and vintage mechanics here.

New Shimano chains have a pin partially inserted in one end that is used to join the chain initially. You have to be very careful not to shorten the chain from that end when sizing it.

They also come with an extra replacement pin in the box, at least they used to, and it was easy to discard accidentally if you weren't careful.

i install several hundred chains per month at the shop where i work, guy. i know how to do it properly, note that i said it is SOMETIMES necessary, and not OMFG I NEED TO USE IT ALL THE TIME LIFESAVER!!11! reading comprehension is not for everyone, i guess.

it doesn't if you have extra long chainstays (18inches), a road triple, and a long cage MTB RD for your 11-32 cassette on your touring bike, because chains only come stock with so many links, and i am sure as hell not going to add links to my 9-speed chains. also, some full suspension bicycle designs make it difficult to derail the chain from the small ring for installation, due to pivot and linkage locations, and bikes with chain retention devices often make it impossible to remove the chain without breaking it, so yes, the tool is necessary SOMETIMES. broaden your scope of experience outside of your own bikes and maybe you'd understand that. i'd rather spend an extra 10 seconds using the tool, than have to spend 10 minutes explaining to a customer why their $4,000 "all mountain" bike has scratches all over the main pivot. i seldom use that tool, but occasionally it comes in handy.

The "tool" takes maybe one minute to make, costs nothing and is very handy as it frees your hands to align the chain ends to insert the pin or master link with no difficulty. There is no downside to it and no reason not to use one.

Touchy, touchy, touche'... And the name's not "guy", and yer not the only one with the wealth of knowledge based on expiriences youve had. I work with the same designs you do and have never been so careless as to be in the position to have to explain damage I'm careful enuf to avoid. It's been my personal expirience having wrenched for 10 years that it is an unnecc. step in what is a simple task. Having also dealt with the above situations (on my customer's bikes ), I respectfully submit that it is NEVER necc., based on technique. Is it useful? I think maybe. Is it necc.? I think not. I probly should have been more clear in my original post on this side-topic to the OP's original question, but I was in a hurry and dida driveby reply. Talk to the kids you work with like that but Ive been around awhile, too. I'll go back to my whisky now... I'll share

remember, if you buy a new freewheel, you must buy a new chain,these parts ware in together.,never use an old chain on a new freewheel or a new chain on a old freewheelor you will have problems.

since the thread has been briefly revived, i thought i'd chime in...

the other day i had a cannondale synapse with an integrated BB, oversized carbon BB shell, and i definitely had to use that tool to hold the chain slack enough so that i could get the shimano pin through. i could've added a link to the chain, but since it was a compact crankset, i knew the guy would be cross-chaining small/small, and the chain would catch the RD pulley cage if it was any longer. i could've probably gotten by without it, but since the customer was bringing the bike in because he was having "skipping issues," which i confirmed was due to a connector pin that hadn't been pushed all the way through, i wanted to make sure there was no room for error.

I don't think this is correct. I agree that if you are replacing the freewheel it might make sense to replace the chain at the same time. But I think the goal is to replace the chain before the freewheel gets excessively worn so you don't have to replace both.

According to the guy down on the corner, it's fine to drive while totally baked on the weed he sells.

Of course they don't want you taking the chain off to clean it; they sell replacement chains.

[You really had to search to find a NINE YEAR OLD thread to spew in.]


I'll bet you ignore the recommendation for oil changes in your car, too. After all, the manufacturers SELL CARS!




Whatever happened to critical thinking?

Have you looked at car manufacturer recommendations lately? 7,500, even on up to 15,000 miles for BMW. Of course I'd ignore those and stick with the 3,000-5,000 that has served me well for decades.

Quote:

Whatever happened to critical thinking?

Critical thinking requires that even "expert opinions" like manufacturer recommendations be examined in light of common sense. Not properly cleaning a chain will cause it (and the rest of the drivetrain) to wear more quickly. A company that sells all the drivetrain components telling you not to clean your chain properly isn't looking out for your best interests.

the modern chain is Only made to be shortened , then Joined By a Quick Link . Or a high end chain tool that expands the rivet Head again
to Be tight into the link plate hole (Rohloff, Campagnolo tools )

the hole in the side plate was stretched to get it off, the Chain making machine expanded rivet head, pin ends ,
It can never be more secure than if left alone, as it came out of the Box.

Chains back in the 5&6 speed era had pins that stuck out wider than the outside links , now(except for 1 speeds) they have to not stick out at all .

Critical thinking also involves understanding the opposing positions. Shimano is not telling you "not to clean your chain properly". Instead, you are trying to introduce the axiom that one can only clean a chain properly by removing it. Obviously, others disagree.

So let's address that matter directly. How does one clean a chain properly?

The first step would be getting it away from things that a good solvent will damage, so unless you're planning to remove the saddle, tires, RD, cable housings, paint, etc., from your bike, you take the chain off. Even if you've got a stainless bike with all chemical resistant components, trying to degrease it on the bike means all the degreaser, along with any gunk that was suspended in the chain, is going through your RD and dripping on everything else.

Anything else is like trying to wash your underwear without even taking your pants off first.

Yeah, see, that's the thing. There is one school of thought that unless you are very thorough - like ultrasound and recirculating filtered solvent thorough - solvent merely moves a goodly portion of the dirt into the rollers, where it does far more damage than it did outside the rollers.

I know it's only a small data point, but I stopped deep solvent cleaning (except when changing out the drivetrain, where you want to keep the chain and cassette together) entirely, and my chains showed increased life. Over time I've learned to trust the engineers at Shimano, and I'll accept their recommendation since it seems to be supported by my (and others') experience.