Can a 530 chain be riveted without buying the 130 dollar tool?

Question

Has anybody been able to rivet a chain maybe in a vise?

Has anybody tried it and the result being pain and carnage after the chain fell off?

Am I being a crazy fool for trying?

Yes, I know I can bring it to the shop but I rather not.

If you can answer this question without insulting me I would appreciate it.

Thank you!!

The bike is an Hurricane 600, not exactly a power house, if it matters at all.

I do have a shiny new jack and the swingarm bearings have never been lubed so I was planning to take it off anyway.

Answer 1

Hey Bob,,
Opportunism runs rampant in "motorcycle specialty tools" as bad as any other niche I know of,, short of aircraft tools.

We've been hand riveting chains since early 60's by whatever make-do method was practical or available.

$100 ++ tools for that job are Nice.
If you had to do 20~30 chain rivet jobs each week,, year in,year out,,,
and your Income from doing such jobs was straight Commission-Based,,,You'd NEED nothing less.

But for an occasional chain connection,,even something simple as a pair of hammers does a fine job

---a 4lb machinist hammer held as a back-up anvil,,,then a good whack with a 2lb ball peen upsets the rivet head More than sufficiently
* Problem is Many Folks cannot swing a hammer that hard and Accurately
"Next Level" of that is have a helper hold things,,,and use a Punch

--My personal Favourite is an Air Chisel.
A pointed chisel for drilled/"dimpled" connector links
A homemade Cup point for Straight connector links
A homemade V-channel point to Re-set plain links
(Both of which are Very Easily made from FlatNose rams,,,grind a V with a cutting disc,,,grind a Cup with a ball abrasive burr)
Use a hammer for back-up,,an Blip the trigger on the Air Hammer--Done Deal.
Quicker Done than said.

If you want to do it OFF the bike,,,simply laying the chain over a vise's anvil and smacking it with a hammer works fine.

The Thing with "Shade Tree Methods" is that the effectiveness of the Results all depends upon the operator.

What may be Practical,Easy,and Perfectively Effective for YOU ,Me,or a 100 Others to Do,,,may be either impossible,or a Disaster for the next 100 people who try it.

So capability to accomplish an effective result comes down to a personal judgement.

..................................................
Really,,,,Best Best for most individuals is to get a Cheapie Tool.
They'll last an Individual doing his own occasional chain work,,,perhaps even a "lifetime".
Grease all the threads,etc well w/ heavy duty grease helps them work better & last longer.

Look on Ebay
(I get sick of saying that,,I Hate Ebay,,LOL--Ebay is to the 21st Century what "Sears Catalogue" was to early 20th Century.
'Cept,,I'll be damned before sitting in the bathroom with my Laptop surfing Ebay for an Hour---regardless of how many times I've considered wiping my behind with that #@!%$^& Laptop)

For Example:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Motorcycle-Drive-Chain-Riveter-Cutter-Riveting-tool_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118QQcategoryZ43996QQihZ014QQitemZ330186749752QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

.................
Something like that will do the job for You plenty easy and cheap .
You can join the chain On the bike---a Big Help during Routine Replacement.
And it will last thru several uses.


Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season

Answer 2

Chain Rivet Tool

Answer 3

The pins are very hard but I guess you could mushroom the tops over. However, then you have the problem of putting it on, some bikes require the removal of the swing arm. You can always use a master link, there's three different styles. One not used much any more had a hole in the end of each pin for a cotter key. The other two have a thin, spring steel piece that slips over grooves cut in the ends of the pins. One is shaped something like the side plate with a slit on one end and the other is shaped sort or like a tuning fork. I have lots of machinery that uses chains and I like the latter version best.

I know they say to not use mater links on bikes, but I used to run them on my old 750 Honda for years and never one had one come off. I think that was liability driven more than anything. The secret is to not twist or distort the spring steel clip (although you do have to twist it a bit to get it on) and to locate it so that the solid end of the clip is on the forward traveling side and the split end is on the trailing end.

Answer 4

Any time you have a problem with a master link..yes fix it right away so you don't get hurt riding your bike if the chain does come apart..its better to just fix it the right way than to just leave it the wrong way and missing parts out of it is not the way to ride..Be smart!! And if its done right..the rivet master link is the best way to go..that's all i use on my bikes. But the Clip might be a little easier to chang out..That's it.

Answer 5

yes you can with a metal punch, make sure you splay the rivet over the side plate, or just go out & buy a normal split link & fit that thats what i do on my 600 & have done for years just make sure you get every thing cliped in properly oh & if you use a split link remember the fish swims with the flow ( the closed end of clip going in direction chain is driven, (===

Answer 6

I would recommend just taking it to a shop & have them do it for a couple of bucks. The chain is hardened steel & tough to peen while on the bike. I threw a chain once & chucked it 100 ft behind me, but I've heard stories of it slapping the crankcase & cracking it, kissing your bike goodbye. Sorry to say, it needs to be a reliable job

Answer 7

There are much less expensive chain tools. I got mine at Harbor Freight for $30.00 and have been using it for years.

When I was a boy and unwilling to recognize the importance of using the correct tools for a specific job ,I would use a center punch over a nut to remove the pins and to re-assemble the chain. Marginal results,but it got me by until I got the right tools.

Answer 8

I used a Nice pair of vice grips before i could afford the tool.

Answer 9

It's really bad

Answer 10

Interesting, I was wondering the same thing myself