I might be a little rusty, but I have a 1974 Schwinn Suburban and I can't find any master link. How do you break the chain?

With a chain tool.

Ok. That's what I thought. I've broken, and shortened chains with my chain tool, but I've never put one back together with it. Always used a link. I should be able to figure it out. Let me know if there are any special tips or tricks. Thanks.

older chain's pins stuck out.. with 5 - 6 speeds that worked, stuffing in 7th the pins had to be flush

trick is dont push it out all the way , then there is a possibility to push it back in .. *

but with newer derailleur chains , forget it , use the link . it's shorten only .

* the video world online may have a how to loosen a tight link in an old style chain, with your chain tool, item

heres a starter How to Loosen a Stiff Chain Link - Bicycle Tutor Video

Dont push the pin you are going to use to reassemble the chain all the way out. Carefully push it out just far enough for the chain to break but it still remains in the plate. I might hop on Youtube and watch a video or two.

My reply was redundant to fietsbob's. His wasn't up yet when I started typing.

Once the chain is broken, you can add a master link. They're pretty inexpensive. I think I paid $1.99 for a pack of 4 (two 1/2x3/32 and two 1/2x1/8).

Might be a good idea to just get an eight speed chain, complete with master link, and be happy with how nice the new chain works. Just an opinion but I much prefer the eight speed these days, and use them on five and six cog freewheels with only positive results.

Not surprised you couldn't find the master link on a 74 Suburban. Original chain? See post above ^

The cassette doesn't look like what I'm used to either. How do I remove it? And, can it be replaced with an 8 speed or so? Assuming a new RD too. Or am I talking a new hub?

You don't have a cassette. you have a Free Wheel.
Freewheel or Cassette?

Yeah. Since posting that, I've been getting learned up on Sheldon's site.

To upgrade a Suburban to 8-speed, you'll need (at least) a rear hub and cassette. That's if you know how to build a wheel. I can't find any prebuilt wheels built on a cassette hub, so this may be a job for a good bike shop. Also, the rear triangle will need to be spread to fit the wider 8-speed wheel. That's definitely a job for a good bike shop. Whether the existing derailleur will throw the chain across all 8 cogs, well... I don't know. It might.

8 speed not practical without a lot of $$ and you will need to cold set it too.

Some old Schwinn freewheels took an odd tool, that the shops around here did not have. I ended up buying one, used it today in fact. It was kind of spendy for a freewheel tool.


Maillard Sachs Atom Normandy 24 Spline Freewheel Removal Tool RARE New | eBay

More precisely, master links were not found on derailleur chains until the increasing number of cogs on the rear cluster meant they needed to be so narrow that they were riveted, rather than pinned, together. To open a chain lacking a master link, you use a chain tool -- the same tool you use to shorten a modern riveted chain prior to installing it with a master link. But as fietsbob notes, you need to take care not to push the pin all the way out; just far enough so that a twist of the chain will allow it to separate.