Removing a rivet link

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Le_Fromage_Grande
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Removing a rivet link

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I'm going to put a new chain on my CB1000R as the chain on it has some tight spots, I'm thinking of using a drill to remove the heads of the rivets, is this a sensible idea?
I have got an angle grinder, but it's a bit of an animal to control and I don't want it anywhere near my CB, I've got a Dremel type tool somewhere as well, or I could file the heads off, which will take a while but is safer than Arnie the Angle Grinder.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by KungFooBob »

Angle grinder, man up princes.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:14 pm Angle grinder, man up princes.
Is that why Andrew is no longer a prince?
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by KungFooBob »

I just can't speel real gud.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by MyLittleStudPony »

I used to use a chain tool which pushed the pins out.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Rockburner »

You could always just use a file
non quod, sed quomodo
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by KungFooBob »

Rockburner wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:51 pm You could always just use a file
A4 or Foolscap?
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Rockburner »

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:53 pm
Rockburner wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 8:51 pm You could always just use a file
A4 or Foolscap?
Fool's Cap is about right.
non quod, sed quomodo
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Felix
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Felix »

If you dont want to use a cutting disk use a grinding one on the rivet heads
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by KungFooBob »

Since I was in my early teens my old man told me he'd leave me his chain breaking tool, 30 odd years later they read his will and he'd left everything to my mum... except for this.
PXL_20260421_200628089.jpg
PXL_20260421_200628089.jpg (1.1 MiB) Viewed 1786 times
I'd still use the angle grinder tho'
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by A_morti »

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 9:11 pm Since I was in my early teens my old man told me he'd leave me his chain breaking tool, 30 odd years later they read his will and he'd left everything to my mum... except for this.

PXL_20260421_200628089.jpg

I'd still use the angle grinder tho'
My dad's still going, but I borrowed his one of those and then emigrated with it so it's mine now :banana-dance:

You're supposed to grind the rivets flat before pressing the link off or you can break the pin.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Apr 21, 2026 9:11 pm Since I was in my early teens my old man told me he'd leave me his chain breaking tool, 30 odd years later they read his will and he'd left everything to my mum... except for this.

PXL_20260421_200628089.jpg

I'd still use the angle grinder tho'
I've got one of those, it might push the pins out of a bicycle chain, it wouldn't do anything to a 525 chain, I tried a heavy duty chain splitting tool in the past, I just bent the tool, you definitely have to remove the heads before trying to push the pins out.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

Used a file to remove the rivet heads, took about 5 minutes, they're not very hard steel.
New chain on and rivet link rivetted, the pins on my new DID chain are a little thicker than the ones on my old RK chain, found this out when I tried to use the DID rivet link in the old chain to pull the new chain round the sprockets, so I used the old RK link instead.

So now I have a lovely new goldy looking chain on my bike
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by MyLittleStudPony »

I hope you put the new link on with two hammers.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Skub »

Whale tools FTW.
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Re: Removing a rivet link

Post by Le_Fromage_Grande »

I used the chain rivetting kit I bought off Amazon, looks okay to me, but I'll get one of the mechanics at the motorcycle shop literally round the corner from me to check it.
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