D.I.D. 520VM X-ring Master Link Removal Help...

Feanor

Member
Aug 10, 2004
144
0
Hi All!

Just to give my KDX-220 a bit more flair and mechanical soundness, I tried the other night to install a D.I.D. 520 VM x-ring chain and Renthal front and rear sprockets. Both sprockets were a snap to install and went in with no troubles at all, but the chain is another thing entirely!

Knowing nothing at the time of ordering about riveted master links vs. clips etc etc (and still knowing next to nothing about it) I went about taking off my old o-ring chain (which I have on the wall now as a spare and trying to put the DID on... I bought the motion pro chain breaker tool, which made taking the old chain off a breeze, but when I installed the new chain I pressed one side of the side plate on the master link on a little too far... and I have no idea how to "back it out" a smidge without destroying the masterlink.

Another thing that confuses me is that the master link came in a little plastic bag with the chain and included one sideplate with the pins already riveted in, 4 x-ring seals, the other press on side plate and a packet of seal grease... No rivets, no "clips" etc...

Am I missing pieces here? or is the masterlink I got a "rivet" type that has to have the ends of the axles squashed like I see on the other links? The pins that come thru the side plate have holes in the middle. Does a rivet go in there? If its a clip type that simply missing the clip then I am at a loss because there is no groove in the sides of the pins where the clip would slide in....

Kind of frustrating, though it is still a learning experience I can share with others, and though the chain was not cheap, I know at the most I am out the cost of a new master link should I need to destroy it to take it off...

Just desperate to find out if there is a way to back the sideplate off the pins somehow without wrecking the link... and what the heck kind of masterlink I actually have :) One missing a clip? or one where i need a special tool to rivet it...

You'd think that the item description would say something like "with riveted master link" or "with clip-type master link"

Ah well... Learn something new everyday :)

Thanks in advance for any help!

Feanor
 

Jaybird

Apprentice Goon
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 16, 2001
6,452
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Charlestown, IN
The VM series chain comes in either rivet or clip type masters.(ZVM is rivet only) What you have is the rivet type.
Yes, you will have to have the pins "staked" as the other pins of the chain are. This normally requires the use of a staking tool. (not cheap)
Find a buddy who has one....or you can actually use a ball peen hammer to stake the pins. This is a tedious operation when the chain is mounted. If you have a sledge hammer, you can use it to place behind the fixed plate on the side of the chain, then use a ball peen to bugger the ends of the pins on the other side.

I never suggest anyone with a dirt bike use a riveted type chain. Not only do you run into the problems you have encountered, it also makes general maintenance tough since you will not be able to remove the chain without trashing the master.
Big cc bike owners will tell you that their manual says to stick with the riveted master, and I hate to go against what an OEM states....but that is a load of crap and should be ignored. They are assuming you aren't bright enough to properly mount and service a clip type master.

You are probably better off with a conventional chain breaking tool, as opposed to the type Motion Pro sells. It is fine for breaking chains, but when you get a plate cocked (like you have) the MP tool is useless in getting it back off without problems. A conventional type breaker would get you out of that mess fast.
Try placing the chain on a bench or a vise and lightly hit the plate with a hammer and screwdriver so the plate will come back off. Be carefull not to be too rough.
 

Feanor

Member
Aug 10, 2004
144
0
Jaybird,

Thank you much! That was exactly the information I needed to know! I had an inkling of everything you said, but with just enough confusion and inexperience to make me hesitate :)

The motion pro tool I got was something like 25 dollars or so, and it folds up to a reasonable size to make it a nice addition for something like a tool fanny pack for longer rides when I try those eventually... So I don;t have any problems getting a "less portable" conventional chain breaking tool that will help me back the plate off and end up with two chain tools total...

I just ordered a clip type master link for the VM chain and will do the RTV adhesive trick over it to help retain the clip. Maybe someday I will splurge for the staking tool, but for now I think the clip type is the best bet for convenience and ease...

Thanks much for your help!

Feanor
 
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