Emergency Repair Spare Chain Link - Best Tool for Fitting?

[Eugbug]

The chain on my mountain bike hasn't snapped yet (touch wood!). It has accumulated about 5000 miles of wear so I don't know whether or not this is good going.
What's the best tool to carry in a kit for squeezing one of these emergency chain links into place on a chain? I've practised doing it with a flat and snipe nosed pliers in the comfort of a workshop (just the two parts of the link without a broken chain) but working with a greasy chain under bad lighting conditions would undoubtedly be more difficult. Would a crimping/ferrule pliers be a better tool if it could fit between the rollers?

[1FJEF]

1) At 5000 miles you should check the chain for stretch.
2) If the chain breaks you will need a chain tool to push one more pin out, so that you can install the new master link (or emergency link).
3) It sucks to fix an emergency chain break without rubber or latex gloves.
4) I purchased a Park Tool that is small & cheap to install the link..

[Eugbug]

At what point do chains generally break? Do the links break or does the head of a pin wear to the extent that the links come apart?
When using a quick link, it needs to be attached to two inner links. If an outer link breaks, two pins can be removed, the broken sections removed, and the quick link is attached. If the inner link breaks, Does this mean that two outer links have to be stripped off at each end of the chain?

[1FJEF]

The end result is the side plates come off the pin. You'll have to remove the two offending side plates & replace with your emergency master link.

[Joe_W]

(10-09-2013, 03:52 PM)1FJEF Wrote:  3) It sucks to fix an emergency chain break without rubber or latex gloves.

Also simply changing a flat inner tube can be messy with all of the grime on the rims. A pair of latex gloves weights neigh to nothing, they belong in every repair kit.
I also carry a spare tube, tyre levers, a quick link, a bike multitool and (often) also pliers, a tyre patch and a (lustre) screw terminal (I was told you can use them to fix a broken shift cable on the road, have not tried though, I'd probably ride single speed to the next train station).

[Eugbug]

(11-08-2013, 04:53 AM)Joe_W Wrote:  

(10-09-2013, 03:52 PM)1FJEF Wrote:  3) It sucks to fix an emergency chain break without rubber or latex gloves.

Also simply changing a flat inner tube can be messy with all of the grime on the rims. A pair of latex gloves weights neigh to nothing, they belong in every repair kit.
I also carry a spare tube, tyre levers, a quick link, a bike multitool and (often) also pliers, a tyre patch and a (lustre) screw terminal (I was told you can use them to fix a broken shift cable on the road, have not tried though, I'd probably ride single speed to the next train station).

........not to mention cable ties which I have had to use when the buckle on a bag broke. I also carry a few hex socket head machine screws.
As regards the terminal blocks/connectors, I have regularly used these to join transmission cables on lawnmowers and they work a treat. You just need to pick a suitably small size so that the cables feed through and overlap, but not so big that the screws miss the cable when tightened.

[Joe_W]

(11-08-2013, 05:03 AM)Eugbug Wrote:  ........not to mention cable ties which I have had to use when the buckle on a bag broke. I also carry a few hex socket head machine screws.

True. Fixed a saddle with zip ties, lucky I had my trusty Swiss Army Knive to poke holes in the plastic so that I could tie it to the rails...