KMC X9 93 chain can't get missing link to join

danielsbrewer

Hello,

First chain replacement on a new bike and unlike my old bike from the "blue book" it appeared that I needed to shorten the chain (never needed to do this on my old bike so it was a new experience). So I did that using a chain breaking tool. Then when I went to join the chain using the missing link it just wouldn't join. I tried the missing links by themselves and that seemed ok, but it just got stuck when I tried it on the chain. It got a little bit into the join and then would go no further.

I then tried it on the bit of chain that I just chopped off and I finally managed to get the missing link to work but only after much wiggling and now I can't unlock the missing link!

Any ideas what I have done wrong? Was it the shortening of the chain and if so is this really necessary?

Any ideas how I can get the missing link to lock or unlock? Have a wrecked the whole chain?

Really frustrated with this as I have never had problems with KMC chains before, but as I said before its the first time on this bike (a 9-speed rather than an 8-speed).

Any help would be brilliant. I have a second spare chain, but am loathe to do anything until I have got more information.

Thanks

Craggers

If it fits on the spare bit of chain then it should be the right (9sp) link, did the link come with the chain? I can't think of anything you might have done whilst splitting the chain to stop the link from fitting, other than using a breaker with a too large pin which could distort holes in the links, but that's unlikely.

Missing links can be notoriously difficult to operate for the first few times until they loosen up a bit, maybe try opening and closing it a few more times on the spare bit of chain? There's definitely a knack to getting them on and off... maybe try some needle nose pliers to help get them to connect?

Blue Meanie

The chain on the bike: Both ends are the same? i.e. both are the slimmer links? By the way you say it fits on the spare links implies you've removed one (half) link to much/little.

To unlock the link, use pliers diagonally. Really easy when you know how.

danielsbrewer

Thanks for the ideas. Pliers did the trick, both to get it off and to get it on. To get it on I squeezed it on the middle and pulled.

To answer the questions. Yes both ends were the same. The link came with the chain.