Bought a new chain and after cleaning found that it's too long. So no problem, I took a proper tool to take a pin out… and realized that I can't do that for some reason. I'm trying to push hard (even though it should be working without pushing too hard), but it doesn't go. Here are a few photos. Am I using the wrong tool? Is there anything wrong with the chain? Am I dumb and doing anything completely wrong? Any advice?
by Arkafon_
22 Comments
Turn that lever harder
You gotta really crank on it.
Crank on that thing, harder than you think you need to.
Like everyone else said. Make sure the removal pin is centre on the chain pin and then force it out. Those home tools can be tough to use cause the handle isn’t very big and makes it tough to get leverage so it makes it seem harder than it should be.
Get a better tool.
Is that tool from Walmart? And have you used it on any other chains?
I have a chain tool from Walmart that looks like that, and it just doesn’t work; I can’t explain it but my other tool works how you’d expect, the Walmart tool looks like it’s set properly but just doesn’t budge…
Muscle up. You’re on the right track.
Is there something on the back side of the pin preventing it from getting pushed out? I’m not familiar with that model of chain tool, mine just has a hole on the far side, no knurled knob.
To push out a pin, put the chain in the first slot closest to the punch. To push in a pin, put the chain in the second slot further away from the punch (as shown in your picture).
I have a tool that looks like that, that one doesn’t work with 12 speed chains. Maybe that’s also the case with yours?
Is the nut (black knurled one) hollow? If not, you need to unscrew it first, otherwise the pin won’t have anywhere to go.
Make sure the black knob (back of the first pic) is screwed in so that it supports the chain from behind. Then just crank the lever really hard.
There are 2 positions to set the chain. You are on the back one. There is one in front of that. Put it on the one in front. I think the back one is actually used for peening, but I’m not sure.
I have that tool, it’s fucking garbage. But you gotta just push really hard to the point where you feel like you’re literally going break something.
Muscle up.
It helps if you put the chain further to the right of picture three than what you have shown in the first picture. Unscrew the device more so that the chain can sit in the position further right, then you will have more distance to start getting the pin in the chainlink out. Once it is started, you can then move the chain further over to the left on picture three and finish breaking the chain.
The tool could have a bigger lever
But instead they want you to have faith you lined it up right and put a lot of torque into a short handle
Small tools like that take a load of force to use. Try using gloves or a rag to protect your hand. if not you just need a tool with a longer lever and handle.
I tried the exact same tool and was really hard at first. Then I screwed it all the way out and put some grease and worked just fine after. It might not be the chain but the cheap screw that is just stuck .
Incorrect pin diameter?
This is crazy, I bought my first chain tool yesterday and it was this exact model, part of a bike tool kit from Walmart that came with a pedal wrench I needed too. I tried for 30 minutes to break the chain with no luck. I even used a couple closed end wrenches as cheater bars and only bent the shit out of the chain tool. I went back to Walmart and returned it for a different model with a large handle and it easily broke the chain in about 10 turns. I say toss that tool and find a better one.
I have that model. i couldn’t turn it myself so i used two metal pipes as cheater bars and turned it slowly. Just make sure the removal pin is on the chain pin.