SRAM Powerlink - what's the trick?

[Mike K Smith]

Some months ago I bought a SRAM chain, and a Powerlink. On Saturday I
needed to remove the chain to do some maintenance. I pushed, pulled,
twisted and prodded the Powerlink for a good 20 minutes, I even tried
pliers.

Eventually with grimy hands, a foul temper, and much uncharitable language
I gave up and got out the trusty Park link extractor.

Is it me? Is there an easy trick to this, or is the Powerlink really the
Work of Stan?

Anyone got a step by step picture guide they can point me to to show to
really do this?

Thanks,

Mike

[Andy]

"Mike K Smith" > wrote in message
...
> Some months ago I bought a SRAM chain, and a Powerlink. On Saturday I
> needed to remove the chain to do some maintenance. I pushed, pulled,
> twisted and prodded the Powerlink for a good 20 minutes, I even tried
> pliers.
>
> Eventually with grimy hands, a foul temper, and much uncharitable language
> I gave up and got out the trusty Park link extractor.
>
> Is it me? Is there an easy trick to this, or is the Powerlink really the
> Work of Stan?
>
> Anyone got a step by step picture guide they can point me to to show to
> really do this?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Mike


Grip each end of the powerlink between the thumb and index finger of each
hand.
Squeeze thumb and index fingers together while at the same time pushing each
hand
toward the other. The link should just open up. If it's dirty then brush
the link with a
stiff brush.

Andy. (powerlink user for years)

[Richard Goodman]

"Andy" > wrote in message
news:2Vmzc.421$lC3.350@newsfe3-gui...
>
> Grip each end of the powerlink between the thumb and index finger of each
> hand.
> Squeeze thumb and index fingers together while at the same time pushing
each
> hand
> toward the other. The link should just open up. If it's dirty then brush
> the link with a
> stiff brush.
>

Yes, I've always found them quite easy to open up and much preferable to
hassling around with a chain link extractor pushing rivets out and in. All
it requires is pushing the two ends of the link towards each other so the
sides slide across, with enough force to get the pins to come out of the
part of the plate that locks them in.

For some reason the last instructions I looked at suggested 'bending' the
link but I could never get it to pop out trying that method. I found all
you have to do is basically the opposite of what you do when you join it in
the first place. It does definitely help if the link is clean though!

Rich

[Dave Kahn]

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 18:57:33 +0100, Mike K Smith
> wrote:

>Some months ago I bought a SRAM chain, and a Powerlink. On Saturday I
>needed to remove the chain to do some maintenance. I pushed, pulled,
>twisted and prodded the Powerlink for a good 20 minutes, I even tried
>pliers.
>
>Eventually with grimy hands, a foul temper, and much uncharitable language
>I gave up and got out the trusty Park link extractor.
>
>Is it me? Is there an easy trick to this, or is the Powerlink really the
>Work of Stan?

I know it doesn't help much to tell you this, but if it leaves you
prostrate with exhaustion and with crippled fingers you're doing it
wrong. When you get it right it's effortless.

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

[james]

Mike K Smith > wrote in message >...
> Anyone got a step by step picture guide they can point me to to show to
> really do this?

as it happens, yes.

http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg

Pinch the chain so the ends of the powerlink are exposed. Apply
gentle force to opposite corners of the link. Use pliers if hands
don't cut it

best wishes
james

[Mike K Smith]

Andy wrote:
>
> Grip each end of the powerlink between the thumb and index finger of each
> hand.
> Squeeze thumb and index fingers together while at the same time pushing each
> hand
> toward the other. The link should just open up. If it's dirty then brush
> the link with a
> stiff brush.
This is what I thought I was trying to do on Saturday. You pinch with the
thumb and finger directly across the pins, and push in parallel to the
plates, or across the corner?

Dave Kahn wrote:
>
> I know it doesn't help much to tell you this, but if it leaves you
> prostrate with exhaustion and with crippled fingers you're doing it
> wrong. When you get it right it's effortless.
So we can safely conclude I was doing the wrong thing on Saturday.

james wrote:
>
> Mike K Smith > wrote in message >...
> > Anyone got a step by step picture guide they can point me to to show to
> > really do this?
>
> as it happens, yes.
>
> http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg
>
> Pinch the chain so the ends of the powerlink are exposed. Apply
> gentle force to opposite corners of the link. Use pliers if hands
> don't cut it

So the force should be applied diagonally across the link rather than
parallel to the side plates?

Richard Goodman wrote:
>
> I found all
> you have to do is basically the opposite of what you do when you join it in
> the first place. It does definitely help if the link is clean though!
When I joined it in the first place I ended up using pliers and applying a
fair amount of force. The link was a bit dirty, but not choked with dirt
when I started. By the end most of the dirt was transferred to my hands.

There obviously appears to be a knack to this, no-one has mentioned that
any major force should be required either to close or open the link.

I'll have another go when I have some time on my hands. For now the bike is
working just fine, so I'm not going to tinker with anything. :)

[Pete Biggs]

Mike K Smith wrote:

>> Pinch the chain so the ends of the powerlink are exposed. Apply
>> gentle force to opposite corners of the link. Use pliers if hands
>> don't cut it
>
> So the force should be applied diagonally across the link rather than
> parallel to the side plates?

I've not tried the corners method. I find keeping it all inline and just
pushing links together while compressing at the same time works. Then
wiggle the links free after they've slid. Spraying first with WD40 might
help if it's really gunked up.

> There obviously appears to be a knack to this, no-one has mentioned
> that
> any major force should be required either to close or open the link.

There is a knack but still a fair bit of finger force is required to open.
I've never found the need for plyers, though. Closing should be a total
doddle: helps to have the chain slack, though (hook if off the
chainrings).

I like these links so much that I don't want to ever go back to using
chains without them. It's so easy to remove the chain just to clean it.
Something I would have never have bothered to do before.

~PB

[Dave Kahn]

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 14:23:36 +0100, "Pete Biggs"
> wrote:

>I like these links so much that I don't want to ever go back to using
>chains without them. It's so easy to remove the chain just to clean it.
>Something I would have never have bothered to do before.

Go on, rub it in. :-)

--
Dave...

Get a bicycle. You will not regret it. If you live. - Mark Twain

[Zog The Undeniable]

Mike K Smith wrote:

> Some months ago I bought a SRAM chain, and a Powerlink. On Saturday I
> needed to remove the chain to do some maintenance. I pushed, pulled,
> twisted and prodded the Powerlink for a good 20 minutes, I even tried
> pliers.
>
> Eventually with grimy hands, a foul temper, and much uncharitable language
> I gave up and got out the trusty Park link extractor.
>
> Is it me? Is there an easy trick to this, or is the Powerlink really the
> Work of Stan?
>
> Anyone got a step by step picture guide they can point me to to show to
> really do this?

The trick is to *squeeze the side plates of the link together* while
pushing from each side. Then it pops apart quite easily. If you don't
squeeze, nothing happens.

Instructions are on the SRAM website, anyway.

[Zog The Undeniable]

http://www.sram24.com/newtechdoc/english/consumers/mtb/pdf/chains/Chain_all_MTB_08_02.pdf

[james]

Mike K Smith > wrote in message >...

> james wrote:
> > http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg
> So the force should be applied diagonally across the link rather than
> parallel to the side plates?

it is exagerated in the pic. The point is that you need to push each
side plate in the opposite direction (as you know) and in order to do
this with pliers that is pretty much the way you need to do it. I
have never found the links as easy to open as other correspondents say
they have but then I was never aware of the requirement to push the
side plates together when sliding them so perhaps I have not been
doing it quite right either

best wishes
james

[Mike K Smith]

Zog The Undeniable wrote:

> The trick is to *squeeze the side plates of the link together* while
> pushing from each side. Then it pops apart quite easily. If you don't
> squeeze, nothing happens.
So squeeze the sideplates together (across the width of the chain) while
simultaneously pushing them together along the line of the chain.

That's different from what I was doing, sounds like the trick I was
missing.

> Instructions are on the SRAM website, anyway.
Excellent. I lost the piece of paper which came with the link.

Thanks!

Mike

[Tom Jackson]

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 11:22:46 +0100, Mike K Smith
>>So squeeze the sideplates together (across the width of the chain) while
>>simultaneously pushing them together along the line of the chain.
>
>That's different from what I was doing, sounds like the trick I was
>missing.

Mike,

I had the same frustration with a SRAM link as you last week and ended
up resorting to a chain tool as well, so thanks for starting the
thread; I was missing the info that you had to squeeze them as well.

cheers,
tom.

[Mike K Smith]

Tom Jackson wrote:

> I had the same frustration with a SRAM link as you last week and ended
> up resorting to a chain tool as well, so thanks for starting the
> thread; I was missing the info that you had to squeeze them as well.
So I wasn't the only one! Thanks Tom.

Mike