How to open a power link

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg should do it.

You must be careful. With repeated disconnects, you wear away the flange
that keeps it together. If you disconnect/reconnect it enough times, you
will eventually cause it to come off as you're riding over rough
terrain/small jumps. I lost my Powerlink 3 times on an urban ride... I
found it each time, once in a gravel parking lot, once in a pile of dry
leaves, and once on regular pavement. It was... fun... to say the least.

The chain becomes useless as an MTB chain and you'll be relegated to its use
on a fixie or a road bike.

The trick is to compress the Powerlink together (in the lateral direction
while on the bike) before applying longitudinal forces. Having the chain be
exceptionally clean at the interface helps significantly, because then dirt
and grit doesn't expand the width of the chain and it's easier to attach and
detach.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

"ZeeExSixAre" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg should do it.

You must be careful. With repeated disconnects, you wear away the flange
that keeps it together. If you disconnect/reconnect it enough times, you
will eventually cause it to come off as you're riding over rough
terrain/small jumps. I lost my Powerlink 3 times on an urban ride... I
found it each time, once in a gravel parking lot, once in a pile of dry
leaves, and once on regular pavement. It was... fun... to say the least.

The chain becomes useless as an MTB chain and you'll be relegated to its

use

Quoted message said:

on a fixie or a road bike.

The trick is to compress the Powerlink together (in the lateral direction
while on the bike) before applying longitudinal forces. Having the chain

be

Quoted message said:

exceptionally clean at the interface helps significantly, because then

dirt

Quoted message said:

and grit doesn't expand the width of the chain and it's easier to attach

and

Quoted message said:

detach.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I've taken mine off more times than I can remember. we're not talking
hundreds but I often take it off for a good soaking/cleansing. I've never
lost mine while actually riding. I carry a spare one in my pack just in
case I ever need it though.

Michael

"Michael Paul" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"ZeeExSixAre" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg should do it.

You must be careful. With repeated disconnects, you wear away the

flange

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that keeps it together. If you disconnect/reconnect it enough times,

you

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

will eventually cause it to come off as you're riding over rough
terrain/small jumps. I lost my Powerlink 3 times on an urban ride... I
found it each time, once in a gravel parking lot, once in a pile of dry
leaves, and once on regular pavement. It was... fun... to say the

least.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

The chain becomes useless as an MTB chain and you'll be relegated to its

use

Quoted message said:

on a fixie or a road bike.

The trick is to compress the Powerlink together (in the lateral

direction

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

while on the bike) before applying longitudinal forces. Having the

chain

Quoted message said:

be

Quoted message said:

exceptionally clean at the interface helps significantly, because then

dirt

Quoted message said:

and grit doesn't expand the width of the chain and it's easier to attach

and

Quoted message said:

detach.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

I've taken mine off more times than I can remember. we're not talking
hundreds but I often take it off for a good soaking/cleansing. I've never
lost mine while actually riding. I carry a spare one in my pack just in
case I ever need it though.

Going through terrain that causes the chain to go slack and bounce the hell
around seemed to be the prime conditions for my PL to hop off. Maybe mine
was a serious fluke.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

In news:[email hidden],
ZeeExSixAre <[email hidden]> typed:

Quoted message said:

Going through terrain that causes the chain to go slack and bounce
the hell around seemed to be the prime conditions for my PL to hop
off. Maybe mine was a serious fluke.

You may want to pick up a new PL Phil. I run them on my DH bikes with no
problems.

Mike

"taywood" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg should do it.

No tools are needed.

TJ
www.gvii.net/hundtoft

"ZeeExSixAre" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<SNIP>

Quoted message said:

Going through terrain that causes the chain to go slack and bounce the

hell

Quoted message said:

around seemed to be the prime conditions for my PL to hop off. Maybe mine
was a serious fluke.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

As Miles, Sorni, et. al. can attest, I don't think San Diego has ever been
accused of having extremely buff and smooth trails! sounds like maybe your
powerlink is worn or otherwise not holding as well as it should. Or, the
notch in the pins that actually accepts the plate and holds the whole thing
together may simply be full of [censored] preventing a solid junction.

I'm not discounting that repeated removal of the link can cause wear but as
often as I take mine off it seems to work just fine. then again, maybe mine
is the fluke and it worked out in my favor! ;-)

Michael

"Chris Phillipo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I think many people use the same powerlink even across several shimano
chains, so even with 4 times as many miles ont he link as the current
chain it's holding together they still seem to work fine.

That has not been my experience. I have had problems with gold
powerlinks lately, including brand new ones on new chains failing in about
10-15 rides. Previous to that, I had problems trying to extend the useful
life by using old ones on a new PC99 chain. They usually were fine for a
while but failed probably half way through the chain's life. Recent failures
have occurred when the end of one side of the link just snapped right off.
I'm only 155-160 pounds and probably not super-strong either, though I'm
above average for my weight, I guess. I'm not sure if SRAM had some bad
links or not, but my previous high opinion of them has been slightly tested
of late. I hope things smooth out from now on.
I now use the new link with a new chain, and keep the old ones (if still
intact) for spares just to get me out of the woods if needed. I also carry a
new powerlink at all times, mainly because I don't trust the old ones any
longer.

Quoted message said:

I have never seen the flange "wear out". If you don't close it properly

and you

Quoted message said:

stand on the pedals it will wreck the flange though.

I don't think this has been my problem, but I can't say with certainty.
Failure HAS been when standing on the pedals, though. OUCH. :-(
--
D N
I E T S
Off to R the M __, D H

Reply to group. (Detestible spammers!)

"D H" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"Chris Phillipo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I think many people use the same powerlink even across several shimano
chains, so even with 4 times as many miles ont he link as the current
chain it's holding together they still seem to work fine.

That has not been my experience. I have had problems with gold
powerlinks lately, including brand new ones on new chains failing in about
10-15 rides. Previous to that, I had problems trying to extend the useful
life by using old ones on a new PC99 chain. They usually were fine for a
while but failed probably half way through the chain's life. Recent

failures

Quoted message said:

have occurred when the end of one side of the link just snapped right off.
I'm only 155-160 pounds and probably not super-strong either, though I'm
above average for my weight, I guess. I'm not sure if SRAM had some bad
links or not, but my previous high opinion of them has been slightly

tested

Quoted message said:

of late. I hope things smooth out from now on.
I now use the new link with a new chain, and keep the old ones (if

still

Quoted message said:

intact) for spares just to get me out of the woods if needed. I also carry

a

Quoted message said:

new powerlink at all times, mainly because I don't trust the old ones any
longer.

See? I told you all so!

Maybe all you pansies need to exert some real force on your pedals 😉

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

Hey, thanks for that. I've always been able to get powelinks apart but
never easily. Last night I was turning the chameleon into a SS and the
image of that diagram popped in my head, worked like a charm.

taywood said:

http://pog.org.uk/chain.jpg should do it.

Doug Taylor said:

kantspel said:

Hey, thanks for that. I've always been able to get powelinks apart but
never easily. Last night I was turning the chameleon into a SS and the
image of that diagram popped in my head, worked like a charm.

The other trick is definitely make sure there is no grime, grit,
grease, whatever, inside the links. Anything that is sticky or
interferes with the two parts sliding easily will make it a big chore
to get the link apart. I spray liberally with WD-40 and wipe away any
[censored].

Last night I was installing a brand new chain on my SS. I was trying
2 links shorter than the old chain, and found that too short. So I
had remove the chain in order to lengthen it, and wouldn't you know I
couldn't get the link apart. A brand new chain and link? They coat
the link with the same stuff they coat the new chain - whatever that
is - and it is not slippery. It took a bunch of WD-40 before I could
get the link parts to slide.
--dt

I must've been lucky, this chain was rather dirty, I never wash my chain
(or bike for that matter, about a half pound of dirt fell off during the
conversion process), but came apart without a hitch. I did press the
links together a bit before hitting the corners.

kantspel said:

Hey, thanks for that. I've always been able to get powelinks apart but
never easily. Last night I was turning the chameleon into a SS and the
image of that diagram popped in my head, worked like a charm.

The other trick is definitely make sure there is no grime, grit,
grease, whatever, inside the links. Anything that is sticky or
interferes with the two parts sliding easily will make it a big chore
to get the link apart. I spray liberally with WD-40 and wipe away any
[censored].

Last night I was installing a brand new chain on my SS. I was trying
2 links shorter than the old chain, and found that too short. So I
had remove the chain in order to lengthen it, and wouldn't you know I
couldn't get the link apart. A brand new chain and link? They coat
the link with the same stuff they coat the new chain - whatever that
is - and it is not slippery. It took a bunch of WD-40 before I could
get the link parts to slide.
--dt