Chain Breaking #35 Chain

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thingswithwelding

New Member
Mar 22, 2016
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Long Beach CA
Is there anything special about breaking #35 Chain?
I have a Harbor freight Chain breaker that I use for my #215. Will it work?
Do I need a different chain breaker?
Do they sell master links for #35 Chain?
Any tips? Do's and dont's?

Im preparing for a "short chain" .trkclutch to jackshaft job and need some input from all you #35 riders. Let me know please. Thanks Reno
 

MEASURE TWICE

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Jul 13, 2010
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I've had the one from HF and another I got at a motorcycle store. I broke off the pin end of one of the tools even though they said it worked on all. I did have the pin at the end of the threaded thing you turn get stuck as it was too wide a diameter for my #35 chain. Then for future removal of links I used the remaining good tool only to push part way through. When it was pushed in enough, the center punch I use manually stays centered. Then took it over to my vice and move the jaws the right distance to set the link down on to finish it. Finished by removing pin with center punch and hammer goes easy. Some times that last bit to remove with a pliers or the jaws of the vice worked good. Tough ones I also would just grind last bit of the pin not easily otherwise coming off one side of a link with my Dremel tool. Mostly as you know I just want to be sure to leave the part of the links left that move easily without resistance. If they get bent just a little I would just start over. I make up the difference for length using master link to piece in extra if needed sometime. From Amazon I bought 15 feet of #35 chain so cheap that I can afford to keep a messed up piece of chain for smaller lengths for the future. Then I start out again with a new section of chain.
 
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thingswithwelding

New Member
Mar 22, 2016
120
4
0
Long Beach CA
I've had the one from HF and another I got at a motorcycle store. I broke off the pin end of one of the tools even though they said it worked on all. I did have the pin at the end of the threaded thing you turn get stuck as it was too wide a diameter for my #35 chain. Then for future removal of links I used the remaining good tool only to push part way through. When it was pushed in enough, the center punch I use manually stays centered. Then took it over to my vice and move the jaws the right distance to set the link down on to finish it. Finished by removing pin with center punch and hammer goes easy. Some times that last bit to remove with a pliers or the jaws of the vice worked good. Tough ones I also would just grind last bit of the pin not easily otherwise coming off one side of a link with my Dremel tool. Mostly as you know I just want to be sure to leave the part of the links left that move easily without resistance. If they get bent just a little I would just start over. I make up the difference for length using master link to piece in extra if needed sometime. From Amazon I bought 15 feet of #35 chain so cheap that I can afford to keep a messed up piece of chain for smaller lengths for the future. Then I start out again with a new section of chain.
Thanks for the reply. After looking twice I didnt realize the pins on the 35 are not so small after all. My HF breaker came with an extra pin. I think its smaller. I think it should work. I dont want that pin getting stuck either.I do that too. I dont press until it bends the pin, I just keep recentering it with a new start until the pin goes into the link. Then recenter and let the link act as a pilot. Its been working pretty well without bending the breaker pin. I alsp put the body of the breaker in the bench vise, hold the chain in place, and wrench in other hand. Works out pretty good.
 
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Tony01

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Nov 28, 2012
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If that thing ever breaks you can just use a vise, a punch, and a hammer. Open the vise to slightly bigger than the pins, lightly clamp the chain to the vise s few links away n use the hammer.
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
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If that thing ever breaks you can just use a vise, a punch, and a hammer. Open the vise to slightly bigger than the pins, lightly clamp the chain to the vise s few links away n use the hammer.
As Beginner said and if you plan, or can when using the vise jaws, clamp to area of chain that is being removed. This just in case it gets dented any with the clamping force. Then you'll still have the part your keeping without any distortion.
 

thingswithwelding

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Mar 22, 2016
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Long Beach CA
Thanks for all the replys. I received my 35 chain and used my Harbor freight chain breaker. My method worked out well. I clamped the body of the chainbreaker in my vise (its a larger one).

Then I used the chain breaker normally, while holding the chain straight in its seating place with my left hand, I pushed the pin until it moved below the surface of the chain link with the chain breaker drive bolt. I understand the pin on the HF breaker is too big for the chain link hole-which it is. I advanced the pin as far as it would go without jambing it stuck.

Then, with a regular old Craftsman countersinking nail punch (a just small enough one), I punched the pin the rest of the way, without pushing it all the way out. I used the HF chain breakers link seating area as well while doing this so I get a "just as designed" result. Note: I tapped it a few times and checked it a few times until the pin moved just enough to not fall out the other side of the chain.

It worked out really nice. Thats how I will be doing it. I didnt have to beat on the thing either. The pin mobed nicely. Then reconnecting the chain, i applied the original designs method and worked like it should. Cheers
 
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thingswithwelding

New Member
Mar 22, 2016
120
4
0
Long Beach CA
Thanks for all the replys. I received my 35 chain and used my Harbor freight chainbreaker. My method worked out well. I clamped the body of the chainbreaker in my vise (its a larger one).

Then used the chainbreaker normally, while holding the chain straight in its seating place with my hands, pushed the pin until it moved below the surface of the chain link with the chain breaker drive bolt. I understand the pin on the HF breaker is too big for the chain link hole. I pushed the pin as far as it would go without jambing it.

Then with a regular old Craftsman countersinking nail punch (a small enough one), I punched the pin the rest of the way out without pusging it all the way out. I used the HF chainbreakers seating area as well while doing this so I get a "just as designed" result. Note: I tapped it a few times and checked it a few times untill the pin moved enough to not fall out the other side of the chain.

It worked out really nice. Thats how I will be doing it. I didnt have to beat on the thing either. Then reconnecting the chain, The original designs method works like it should. One more thing. I said in an earlier post that my HF chainbreaker came with two pins. It does but they are both the same size and too big for the 35 chain. Cheers
 

MEASURE TWICE

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2010
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http://www.ebay.com/itm/391332018388?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2648&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

I picked this Chain Breaker up on Ebay and it works very well and is not flimsy at all. I don't mind that it really is only for breaking chain as I would install a master link. Adjusting size of a chain link by link is as easy as room temperature cutting butter with this tool.

I saw other tools that had both break and reassembly of chain. I don't know how well the reassembly works on those. A few good videos on Youtube show how with a slight tapping of a hammer and some parts you have around like a magnetic surface and some sockets that hold the links while you work on them.

Maybe the 40 dollars for the kind that do both break and reassembly could be useful, but I never had a problem with using a master link.

I did note recently seeing that the clip of the master link should be installed with the closed end in the direction of travel. I think that is sort of analogous slightly with using bolts with one or the other, left or right hand threads in matching situations where self tightening occurs due to shaft rotation.