KMC Missing Link - cant get it to close

dabber

I ordered a KMC Missing Link after reading comments here. It's specified as 10 Speed Campag (79607)and I'm trying to fit it on a Veloce setup. So, I took a link out and tried to fit it. Can I pull the Missing Link apart to lock it... can I heck. No matter how many times I've tried it just won't budge.

Any ideas. I thought these were supposed to be dead easy to fit.

markos1963

I just stand on the pedals and mine locks

dabber

markos1963 wrote:

I just stand on the pedals and mine locks

I've had to try and hold the two halves of the link pushed together at the same time as trying to pull the chain apart. I tried pushing the pedals with one hand at the same time as using the other hand to keep the two halves together but that never worked.

rothers_bikeo

Odd, I use them on Ultegra & KMC 10 speed chains and they go on and come off with ease.

Berk Bonebonce

The missing link is too narrow for the chain. KMC did two Campag 10 speed Missing Links becaue Campag 10 speed chains have been of two different widths - 6.2mm (I think) and the Ulra-Narrow 5.9mm. You are using a 5.9 Missing Link with one of the wider 6.2mm 10 speed Campag chains - they will not fit.

Difficult to get some of the old style 6.2 Camapg 10 speed Missing Links. Buy a new Campag 10 speed chain and it will work with your 5.9 Missing Link.

giant_man

Here try this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lkqsv056mGk

dabber

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

The missing link is too narrow for the chain. KMC did two Campag 10 speed Missing Links becaue Campag 10 speed chains have been of two different widths - 6.2mm (I think) and the Ulra-Narrow 5.9mm. You are using a 5.9 Missing Link with one of the wider 6.2mm 10 speed Campag chains - they will not fit.

Difficult to get some of the old style 6.2 Camapg 10 speed Missing Links. Buy a new Campag 10 speed chain and it will work with your 5.9 Missing Link.

I'm pretty sure that's the answer. I'll get a new 5.9mm chain ordered.

I had ordered a missing link for my other bike... with Shimano 9 speed and popped that one on the Veloce setup as an experiment and it went on easily. Of course, it's the wrong size to actually run. I understand the principal of how they work.

Velonutter

I did have the same problem as the OP when I was fitting a KMC 11 Speed Link to my 11speed record Chain, been using KMC links for ages, but this baffled me as well.

I finally got them linked, but it was stiff, I wormed a small screw driver in between and it finally clicked into place perfectly, No problem since.

dabber

A bit of an update on this,,,,,

After a bit of investigation I realised that the chain isn't a Campag chain. There was a circular like logo on the links which I didn't recognise (I'd previously presumed that with a Veloce setup the chain would be Campag as well... wrong!). After some googling I found the logo and that the chain is in fact a Yaban (YBN).
I've tried to measure the pin size of this YBN and as far as I can see it is 5.9.

At the moment I'm waiting delivery of a Veloce chain and I'll see if that works.

I feel a bit aggrieved about the chain issue but I guess all was working well until I decided to play around with it.

I don't want to have to carry out major "forcing of this link to close it as the intent was to be able to take the chain off regularly to give it a good clean. I don't want to go through a major effort every time.
In addition, I wanted to carry a spare link with me in case of breakages but if it's that hard to fit I certainly wouldn't want to go through a fight with it.
Still, I'll see what happens with the Veloce chain.

Berk Bonebonce

A KMC Missing Link should close easily with your fingers, and then a bit of a tug.

Well, there's danger in buying a new chain because they often mean that you need a new set of sprockets.

dabber

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

A KMC Missing Link should close easily with your fingers, and then a bit of a tug

.
That's what I thought... and tried to do. No amount of tugging from me (or the lbs) would close it.

Berk Bonebonce wrote:

Well, there's danger in buying a new chain because they often mean that you need a new set of sprockets.

Hopefully not a problem. The chainrings have got about 700 miles on them and the cassette only about 100 miles.

dabber

Just to complete the story....

New Veloce chain ordered. Now arrived. Fitted easily, no problems. Just how I'd originally envisaged it would go. Have since been for a ride with no problems.

In the meantime I'd decided to call ATB Sales (UK Wilier Distributor) to get their take on the fact that a YABAN chain had been fitted. I never complained and I never moaned... just had a very amicable chat with them... the bottom line is that they said they would put a new Campag Veloce chain in the post to me. This arrived this morning so I now have a spare.

A very big thank you to ATB Sales. I think that's great service

brucey72

When I had the problem with my Wilier and the paint turning yellow ATB were excellent. They arranged for a courier to collect my frame and forks on the Monday and I had a replacement delivered by the Friday.