Re-inserting chain pin tips/tricks?
 

Hi!

So i needed to take a link or two out of a chain.
Obviously you use the chain tool to push out the pin but NOT all the way out, just so its sticking out of the outer plate....

but lets say, theoretically, i was an idiot and pushed the pin all the way out lol

is there some magical trick to re-insert the pin back thru the link after its been popped all the way out?

yea use a master link. dont push it all the way out next time

yah i wasn't trying to push it out all the way. everyone makes mistakes....

so any tips, besides a master link (main reason LBS kind of far away)? im just curious if theres some ultra secret ninja method of getting it back in that im just not aware of. im thinking there isnt, but might as well ask?

No secret technique...it is just a real pain in the farse. The best method is to not reinsert it as you most likely will damage the chain link you are pressing it into.

The recommended methods are to either shorten the chain by 1 link (if your drivetrain can tolerate 1 less link), or buy a replacement pin like the ones from shimano. They have an extension on them that gets everything lined up and started and then once the pin is pressed into place you snap the extension off the end of the pin.

But the recommendation of purchasing a reusable master link is actually a very good option because you will not have to press out a pin in the future to remove the chain.

-j

And what kind of chain are you doing this too?

oh it was a shimano 9 speed chain. actually i think i have that replacement pin that snaps off, but was just curious if there was some special way of reinserting the average joe pin back in.
and i should probably pick up a few master links next time im by the LBS

Shimano pins are not meant to be pushed halfway out and reused, they should be replaced with a repalcement pin. (I'm not sure if there is any technical reason or if this is just to sell more pins.)

learn to feel when the pin hits the last plate. you can do it blind if you are good enough. practice on some old chain.

i had a similar problem with a SRAM chain too, but had 1 masterlink to use.

If you insist on pushing the pin back in, start it from the other side of the chain than the one it came out of. The side that should have stayed in will have a raised ridge around the hole, making it even harder. Really best just to use a master link.

back in the day you could push a pin back in, it was hard but could be done, line up the pin in the hole with needle piers and hit with a rock or a hammer to get it started. after you get it started then you can use your chain tool to finish the job. yes i have done it.

There's no way to put the pin back in cleanly, the OD at the end of the pin is larger than the ID of the hole in the side-plate. The pins have an expanded end that causes a very tight interference fit. Even IF you didn't push the pin out all the way, when you pushed it back through, it would've cut out a small sliver of metal from the hole in the plate. This causes a loose fit and the chain will break at that point in the future. The only way to get the pin into the hole is to have an expanding guide that expands the hole:

http://bicyclehero.com/img/description/shcp9.jpg
http://bicyclehero.com/img/description/shcp9.jpg

On older 3/32" 8-spd & earlier chains, the way I've always gauged how far to push the pin is to count 9 half-turns of the chain-tool. That pushes the pin out most of the way, leaving about 0.1mm protruding into the inner-surface of the plate. This helps hold the chain together when re-assembled and lets me get the tool on the other side to push back the pin.

SRAM Powerlink. Do it. They're great.

Shimano chains especially are meant to never reuse pins, even if you hadn't pushed it all the way through... Actually, with a shimano chain, you ARE supposed to push it all the way out and then use the rejoining pin (pictured above) to re-link it. The reason for this is that the outer link plates won't grip the old pin as tightly and result in a weak chain whereas the rejoining pin has those raised lips to hold the plates in place (and includes the breakaway guide dowel to get it in clean/straight). They typically cost a dollar or two at a bike shop. Make sure you get the right pin for your chain (you said 9spd right?).

You could also freely use a powerlink or similar product.

I recommend a SRAM master link, but they're not entirely without hassle... they can be a pain to remove sometimes.

And despite that, this happened a couple of months ago: I was riding to work when I had a prang... when I went to get back on my bike I saw my chain had come apart.

Spent like ten minutes looking for both halves of that damn link...

But I gather that was something of a freak occurrence.

I did it! Hammer time!

The Park MLP 1.2 Master Link Pliers were created to make that task a lot easier...........

AGAIN - not a good idea on a modern chain - false economy, as you're saving a couple bucks at the cost of a possible failure out on the road, most likely at a time the chain is under high stress - hill or hard acceleration. If you're doing on your older bikes with older chains then it's less than ideal but not as unsafe.

Just out of curiosity - why the special tool? Seems to me the purpose of a master link is to avoid needing a special tool. If I've got to get "master-link pliers" to go with my new chain, I'd rather use a regular chain and the chain tool I've already got!

Just a thought...

When "quick links" made their first appearances on the scene, chains were wider. 5 speed or 6 speed, I'm not certain.
However, as chains became narrower, the tolerances tightened up, and quick links became much more sensitive to dirt
getting into tight places and inhibiting the disassembly process.
I believe that the side plates have to be able to move slightly inward to properly align with the the grooves in the pins allowing for the collapse of the link. I can remember having to flush the link with solvent and compressed air in order clean things out so I could disassemble the link. Dirt was always the culprit.
The master link pliers enable you to apply much more pressure to move the pins toward each other and achieve the desired result.
Use them or suffer as the previous poster indicated. Or, use a chainbreak and replace pins whenever you break a chain.

Your choice.........

I got away with pressing the pin back in with Sedis sports, the early bushing-less chains .

probably because my little hands on the friction shifters didn't force shifts, too hard.

get a small nut to set the link on with the pin hole in the link
over the hole on the nut
and needle nose to hold the pin
then a square hit with a small ball peen or such
just a little pop

No, it worked because the side plates were much thicker and the pins longer. Neither is true with 7/8-speed or narrower chains. Back in the day of 5/6-speed Sedis and other chains, we all reused the OEM pins. You don't do that any more.

.. and 7 speed..
seems the pins were near flush , double strike rivet marks by the chain making machine, in them.

I have no qualms about the full bushing 3/32 chains on my IGH bikes.
because .. there is no side force and ..the pins are quite proud above the side plates.

Correct, when Sedisport first came out there were only one or two brands of quick-link, and they were a convenience, not a necessity. I never used one with a Sedisport, which was my favorite chain both for personal and shop use for a long time.