Hey everyone,
I have a newly acquired 1987 Schwinn Voyageur in barely used condition. Since I want to put fresh grease in the headset and bb anyway, I figure I should completely strip it down to the frame so I can apply framesaver and wax. This bike will be a keeper. I am nervous about removing the chain. It is the original 6 speed hkk "z"link, and it is in fine condition, as is the freewheel, and I think I should keep it. There is no quick link, and I cant tell if the pins are hollow or just dimpled, and I dont know if the pins were meant to be reusable, so i am concerned that if I reconnect it with the chain tool I will compromise its strength or kink it badly. Should I not worry about it, or is there a quick link out there that is compatible? I have a brand new sram pc 850 in the tool box but I dont know how meshed the original chain and freewheel are and I would like to keep them since they are in great condition.
Thanks

I'm not familiar with your chain so I don't want to comment about taking it off , to do the work you list you don't need to remove it . I don't know if this would work either .https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Missing...xv_1Jp0NvlaiWg

Easy peasy, if you have a chain tool, and know how to use it. My 6 speed 84 Supersport had the same chain, and still does, removed the chain numerous times for cleaning by popping a link. The key is to not push the link all the way out. The pins are not hollow, I’m sure there is one somewhere, but I have never come across a 5/6 speed chain with hollow pins. Sounds like you want the keep the stock chain, from your bike description, no reason not to, but if you ever want to replace it, The KMC Z33 is about as close as you can get to the original.
Tim

I don't think there's any sort of "matchy-matchy" thing going on with the chain/rings/freewheel. IME- the SRAM 850 and 870 chains have worked great on 5 and 6 speed freewheels with triples.

If the chain is in really sweet shape and you want to keep using it - just wrap it in a rag or paper towel and tape it to the chain stay while you do your work.

I'm not familiar with that particular chain, but if it's of similar vintage as the bike - well, there were no quick links then. Only thing like quick links was the master link on BMX bikes and other one speeds that used an 1/8" chain. Chains were taken on and off all the time using the normal link. That was the only way to do it.

It will help if you can get someone to show you how to do it properly. It isn't rocket science, but no longer a common task, at least not the putting it back together part. As previously mentioned, don't push the pin all the way out when you take it off. Also, take care not to distort the outer plate when pushing it back. If you start to bend the plate when the pin is starting to engage, that link is ruined.

here's a basic tutorial: https://www.instructables.com/id/Usi...ke-Chain-Tool/

If you're more comfortable with a modern chain with a quicklink, use one. Chains are disposable/consumables anyway, and it's not a bad practice to replace regularly.

Thanks everyone! I guess I will dig in with the chain tool. My first thought was to wrap it up and lash it to the frame, but the frame saver directions say to move the frame around quite a bit to spread the product and the paint on this bike is really pristine and I don't want to chance it.

There are no "dumb questions", just dumb mistakes.

Quick Link is actually a Shimano trademark and they had a tool free master link for 3/32" derailleur chain in the very late 1970s called the Link Lock. It was very similar to KMC's Missing Link with the exception that it employed a single locking pin which was not captive. Tool free master links were rarely used in factory settings. So, while I would not expect to see one on a 1987 model with OEM chain, they were available.

That's interesting! I never saw a Shimano Link Lock, or never noticed it. Certainly it wasn't common. It does look quite a lot like the KMC Missing Link, though in my view a little less elegant because of that loose locking pin.

It might be pointed out to younger forum members, or those who weren't into bikes at the time, that master links were definitely associated with cheap bikes. They were seen in the same light as Ashtabula cranks - cheap. Everyone knew that quality bikes used self joining chains. Therefore it doesn't surprise me that this early and prescient Shimano product didn't catch on.

When did the first modern master links come out anyway? Was it with 8 speed or 9 speed drivetrains? I haven't worked in a bike shop since 1992 or so, and missed that chapter in bike history. Chains were all still self joining then, IIRC. Maybe there were some early special Shimano pins. I assume masterlinks made their way onto high quality road bikes when chains became so narrow that peened pins were required.

In my recollection, the defining moment in the popularity of the "modern" derailleur chain master links was Shimano's introduction of eight cogs and Hyperglide. The Hyperglide pins, per Shimano instructions, were not to be re-used and required special replacement pins each time the chain was broken. The pins had a protruding head that had to be snapped off after the pin was driven into place. Cyclists were infatuated with Hyperglide but didn't like the extra cost and inconvenience of the special pins. As Shimano flowed down eight speed and Hyperglide, discontent rose, creating a market interest in a master link. The first of the "modern" master links that I recall in the aftermath of Hyperglide and 8 speed was Ta Ya's Sigma Link, circa 1992.

While chains with traditional circlip master links were associated with inexpensive bicycles during the early 1970s boom in derailleur bicycles, this had more to do with drivetrain technology than chain quality. Circlip master links were impractical on derailleur equipped bicycles. The extra width of the circlip, required wider spacing between freewheel cogs and derailleur cage plates. The act of changing gears could cause a tooth to catch a circlip, causing it to disengage and the chain to break. The odds of finding the circlip, in other than a shop environment, was negligible. As a result, chains with circlip master links were restricted to bicycles with single cogs and therefore were found primarily on bicycles with coaster brakes and internally geared hubs, which were typically less expensive than derailleur equipped bicycles.

Besides Shimano's Link Lock there were other derailleur master links that preceded the Ta Ya Sigma Link. There was an American company (I forget the name), who had several versions of what they called a Super Link. I never saw the earliest version in person but the advertisements showed what appeared to be tiny machine screws that threaded into the pins, holding the outer plate in place. This didn't strike me as any more convenient than using a chain tool.

I have a chain tool and know how to use it that said I have grown to hate chains that use the old pin method, I have been using SRAM 8 speed chains with quick links for about a decade and haven't looked back. I believe Sheldon Brown may have said something about Chains and FWs should be replaced at the same time but I am not sure how hard and fast that rule is. I have used new chains on Vintage FWs without things imploding on me

Good luck OP and post pictures when you can