Sir_Name 

Sharp as always, @dddd.

Rocky Gravol

And you know,
Suntour open cage derailleurs,
make fixing the chain on the side
of the road easier.

Sir_Name 

Things can get ugly:

CliffordK

I don't have an ultrasonic cleaner. However, I'll probably replace a couple of chains this summer,, as soon as the weather dries up. I'm getting in a fair amount of wet weather riding, and perhaps should plan on a couple of chains a year between the bikes.

As mentioned, I've broken a few chains without a crash, but so far, they have all been 3/32 chains, never 9s (or thinner). I have also had my chain skip, and perhaps occasionally "skating", and managed to survive the ordeal.

For whatever reason, the HG73 9s chains I get are normally packaged with quick links, and not the replaceable pins, and I'd rather use pins than quick links.

RobbieTunes

You sure are polite.

RobbieTunes

More than 1 master link = replace.
Shimano 10-sp = replace pin with master link
If a chain ever breaks = replace.

Just my way.

jimmuller 

Assuming you aren't using a quick-link, when you break a chain the second time you have slightly less than 2% probability of randomly choosing the same link for the second break. Unless you are unlucky that first break will have no effect on the second.

wrk101

Why are you using an 8 speed chain on a six speed bike? You are using 6 speed chain technique on an 8 speed chain, which does not work. What chain tool do you have? That early picture of the pin pushed out shows a pretty mangled link.

KMC Z50 would work fine, cost half or less, and allow for pushing pins multiple times.

Rocky Gravol

That was just what the LBS sold me,
Who was I to argue?

I'm also finding out that vintage style thick chains are not that easy to find anymore.

Rocky Gravol

Last night while have a beer,
I told a cycling friend about my broken chain,
he asked me "That's an old bike, so are you using a 9 or a 10 speed cassette?"

I lied a little and told him it was a 5 speed freewheel,
because I do have another wheel with a 5 speed,
I want to be able to swap out some times.

His jaw just kind of droped.

dddd

Well, I think that is a good thing mostly, in that it keeps people from forever believing that a 6-speed Asian freewheel shifts best with such a chain. The old bushing chains are junk in my book, and often are the only component I insist on upgrading on the vintage bikes that I ride!

I much prefer 8 and even 9-speed chains for use on all Asian 5, 6, 7 or 8s freewheels or cassettes.

While the 9s chain won't play nice with quite all of the old bike's chainring spacings, the shifting in back is much easier to complete fast with narrower chain, since there is much less chance of unwanted contact with a next-larger cog than you are intending to shift to.
You could say that the shifting becomes much more forgiving of a quick slap at the shift lever, just what is needed when the rider needs to drop down to the saddle for an instant while executing a downshift to a larger cog, while trying to sustain speed on a difficult climb.

The narrower chains are also lighter, make less unwanted contact with the front derailer cage, and operate quietly and reliably at much greater cross-chaining angles (while needing far less lubrication). Such is progress!

For cases where a tendency to skate atop the small chainring results from using narrower chain, one can simply hold a long, coarse file against the small chainring's teeth, at a ~45-degree angle, while turning the cranks backward. This relocates the tips of the teeth toward the large ring, slightly, for a solid downshift.
For cases of the widest chainring spacing, such as on older Stronglight or SR Apex cranksets, the small chainring can be removed and the teeth bent slightly (as needed, using an adjustable wrench) toward the big ring.

The Z50 chain @ $9 (free ship) on Amazon does offer the convenience of re-installing pins, but for just $11 (shipped) the X-series chain offers race quality in terms of flared side plates, much stronger pin retention, measurably better link-to-link control of the critical pitch dimension, and comes with a removable/replaceable connecting link.
My experience tells me the X-series chain shifts smoother and lasts much longer, plus has a nicer plating on it.
Amazon.com : KMC X8.93 Chain 7.1mm 6-7-8 speed : Bike Chains : Sports & Outdoors

Before Shimano's Hyperglide chain became the enabler of Hyperglide-style sprockets, Shimano offered a "UG Narrow" bushingless chain for use with 6, 7 and 8s Uniglide sprockets. This was their last chain to not use any kind of special link or pin for attachment.
When the ramped (Hyperglide) sprockets were introduced, only the new HG chain with special pin was deemed strong enough, both for road an MTB use. The 1980's "UG Narrow" bushingless chain, by appearances, lives on as the HG 8s chain sold today, only with upgraded pin peening and the special pin requirement for attaching the two ends. This revolutionary chain marked the beginning of modern chain architecture, though did borrow on Sedis' critical bushingless design feature.

dddd

I noticed that a six-pack of the KMC 8s connecting links sells for $9 shipped on Amazon, but for the same nine bucks you could as easily replace that chain as you intended.
I do keep cards of those links handy though in every width offered. They offer links for just about every chain sold today.