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I've left my link pliers at work, and badly need to get bike sorted for an early start tomorrow - anyone got any tips on getting the damn things off? I've tried the gear cable trick, and it's refusing to budge, even with my wife squeezing the link with a set of thin pliers...
Normal pliers, isolate the link by 'bending the others down', then get one side of the pliers on one half of the link and the other on, well, the other, and squeeze. Swear. Repeat.
might be easier to pop a normal link and replace with a spare missing link?
Circlip pliers if they’ll fit, file a groove in their jaws to grip the rollers or bend a spare spoke round the link and squash with vice grips till it pops open, best done with a bit of help
I realise this doesn't answer your question, but is it really that important that you're able to remove the chain ?
Most magic links are not supposed to be removed and refitted. Unless you have a front derailleur, it's usually possible to clean the chain without removing it first.
Was triying to find a video of how I do it but couldn't however found a description to save me typing..
Get the chain onto the biggest cogs on both the front and rear mechs (to create tension). Turn the crank to get the QR link at the 3 o' clock position on the front cog; hold it there with finger pressure. From the bottom of the cog take up one link's worth of slack in the chain and advance it anti-clockwise, up and round, until it is adjacent to the QR link at the 3 o clock position. If you've done it correctly the QR link and the link next to it (below it) should be pointing outwards in a 'V' shape; hold them both in that position by applying finger pressure to the links on either side. Then simply strike the apex of the 'V' with a small hammer or similar (obviously don't be stupid about it) and the QR link will just come straight off.
yes, unfortunately - I'm trying to consolidate 2 bikes into 1 functional one for work tomorrow and need the new 11 speed drivetrain off the bike with the gubbed pivots.
bit of coathanger wire, bent over
Shoelace, threaded such that you can get compression on the relevant pins. Better than normal pliers because it doesn't slip off under pressure.
Thank you folks - the bent spoke and pliers did the trick. Rebuild underway!
The hammer idea sounds like bad advice......have you not got a vice, mole-grips etc.....
Do you have a chain tool and spare magic link ? Does the bike this chain is going onto need the same length of chain ? If it will be OK with a shorter chain, as already suggested, just split the chain with a chain tool and rejoin with either a new magic link, or using the chain tool to refit. Yes, you then end up with a 'weakest link' but don't forget that's what everyone had to do for decades before magic links came along.
Gear cable, but wear gardening gloves and pull sharply.