Shimagnolo

Just get the Park MLP-1 and it will come off easily.

mechBgon

I'm attaching a photo of a SRAM PC-1090R chain with the SRAM PowerLock (left) and the KMC Missing Link-10 (right). I think the SRAM is the right choice for these chains... as you can see, the KMC link doesn't match the width of the chain well.

ggatsby

on the other side of things...
can i use a SRAM link on a KMC chain?

DaveSSS 

See post #14 for the proper match of link and chain. It's all about the width across the inner plates. Shimano, KMC and Wipperman are a little wider than SRAM or Campy.

Psimet2001 

The gold missing link is a 9spd link. Not a 10 spd one - thus accounting for the difference in width.

Daytrip

I have a Wipperman on my 105 chain and noticed that if you don't install it in the right direction (as shown in the directions, of course) my chain skips in the highest gear. Took me awhile to figure that one out, as the link will install either way and works OK in all but the highest gear.

DaveSSS 

Yes, that's a completely wrong link for the chain. Note the huge side clearance.

10 speed chains all about the same outside width, but two different widths across the inner plates. Campy and SRAM are the only narrow models that I can think of. All the rest are wider.

mechBgon

Negative. That is a 10-speed KMC link, right out of the blister pack. It also happens to be precisely the same width as the one that came with my KMC X10-series chain. I have 9-speed KMC master links as well, considerably wider. I also have a Dura-Ace 7900 master link here, and it's closer to the width of the KMC than to the SRAM.

The huge side clearance is precisely the point of the photo. We all agree: (1) got to be careful to use an appropriate master link, and (2) that one's definitely not For me, I'll stick with the PowerLock on the SRAM 10xx chains.

Hot Potato

My LBS said that shimano frowns on them due to failure of the quicklink. With my meager power output, I can only hope my quicklinks fail so I can brag about breaking them. One thing I do know, its too damn cold out to do drive train maintenance in the late fall and winter in the garage, so a quicklink to bring the chain inside is the only way it gets done. I decided to take the chance with quicklinks.

CyciumX

Ive been using a KMC chain for awhile now and the missing link has been plied off and on a dozen times... holds strong! The instructions say its not re-usable, but the hell it is!

DaveSSS 

I missed that the KMC link shown was on a SRAM chain. That's why the side clearance is too large. KMC does make a link just for Campy UN chain that will fit the SRAM chain, too. I even use it with an 11 speed chain.

mechBgon

Cool, that's useful to know. I'm going to suggest that our ordering guy get some in, sounds like a good item to sell to the 11s owner who wants a quickie chain-repair option on the road.

SourDieseL

So grabbing a KMC x10sl and taking the missing link off it, break the sram 10spd chain powerlink and adding on the missing link should work with my sram chain? then keep the KMC as a back up for when the sram chain needs to be swapped out.

I would only have to break the sram powerlink with a chaintool and then pop in the missing link and it should snap back together no problems

sstorkel

The only chain I've ever broken was a KMC DX-10SC. On the first day of a 500-mile bicycle tour, the chain separated at the aptly named Missing Link. It only had about 700 training miles on it. Repaired it with a spare Missing Link, but it was stretched to the point of being useless after another 100-200 miles. I've since gone back to using SRAM chains; they last longer and don't fall apart.

Psimet2001 

Hmmm...something tells me you're doing it wrong.

I've been using and selling KMC DX10 chains for a few years and have never had a missing link failure nor had any customer with a missing link failure. I have literally sold and used about 200+ of them. I currently have something like 50 of them on hand now.

It is a great chain and works better with SRAM drivetrains than SRAM chains do.

Shimagnolo

The SRAM 10s link is the PowerLOCK, not PowerLINK.
You don't need to break anything.
Just remove it with the Park MPL-1, and it can be reused, regardless of what SRAM says.
I've been doing this for a year and a half.
SRAM is just making an end-run around the Superlink patent on a *reusable* link, (and selling more PowerLocks).

change

Jenson sells the KMC missing link in a 6-pack for $12 here:

https://www.jensonusa.com/store/produ...+10+Speed.aspx

I've been using the missing link for the past couple of years on KMC chains, Ultegra 6600 chains, and now on Ultegra 6700 chains. No problems whatsoever.

SourDieseL

alright so going with the MPL-1 tool, just squeeze together the powerlock so that both pins slide in and I can remove the plates on both sides to d/c the chain?

Patriot

Wippermann Connex are without a doubt the best quick links one can buy. I have never had one fail, and I use them on almost all of my bikes.

Sawtooth

I struggled with this exact problem last week and finally took it into the shop. They had it off in 2 seconds!

1) They used a curved wire (you could make one from a coat hanger or they are often included in some multi tools) to get about 4 inches of slack in the chain that included the powerlink.

2) Then they used a pair of channel locks (water pliers) to grab the powerlink from end to end at a oblique angle such that squeezing the plier moved the pins of the link toward each other but only with force on each single side of the link (in other words, the jaws of the pliers only moved each side of the link and were not in the way of the side coming the other way)....

3) SNAP!!!!! easy peasy. I reused it without hesitation on the same chain after changing cranksets.

DaveSSS 

The Wipperman connex is a fine prodcut, but it only fits Shimano, KMC or Wipperman chains. The old 10S1 link would fit Campy or SRAM 10, but it's no longer made.

Shimagnolo

Exactly.
No damage to the Powerlock whatsoever.
It is also makes removing the 8s or 9s PowerLink much easier.

mechBgon

You're doing better than I am. Broke* two of those so far.


*or had a random self-disconnect, with the same effective result


Since the KMC X10SL and the SRAM 10-speed chains seem to be significantly different in width, check to be sure you don't have excessive side clearance like in that photo I showed earlier. You don't want big gaps that chainring or cassette teeth can wedge into.

sstorkel

Doubt it. There's not much you can screw up with a press-fit master link. I've been using them for quite a while and never had a problem... until the KMC DX-10SC.

I've heard you say this on several occasions, which is why I gave them a try. Honestly, I couldn't tell any difference between the KMC chain and the SRAM chain. Other than the fact that the KMC stretched to the point of uselessness 2-3X faster than any other chain I've ever used... and fell apart on the first day of my 500-mile tour.

KMC may make good chains, but the DX-10SC is not one of them, in my opinion!

Psimet2001 

Again....1 data point does not make a trend, and especially when I have a TON of data points that say the exact opposite. It implies special cause variance - user.

With that in mind I have 2 SRAM chains I'd easily sell you in a heartbeat. They are of no use to me and were only bought as a temporary measure as all of my suppliers kept running out of the KMC DX10 chains.