Cam chain replacement without breaking engine

Kawboy, sorry to reply to this old thread but can't seem to work out how to use PM to contact you directly. I am replacing my cam chain and using the same breaker/rivet tool you used. Yes it is not ideal for small chains and already buggered my first joining link by pressing the side link on too far and binding the link. Will try with the secong link and be more careful. A question I did have is that the joining links I got with the new cam chain from MCG don't appear to have the pins riveted to the side link they come installed in?? Do I need to rivet both ends of the pins in the joining link?

Hi RBY, yes, the PM section is broken. I hope KB replies soon as he's the true guru.

Regarding your question, I would say no. Based on other chains I've worked on, the pins visible in your picture have been pressed in, and the pin 'shoulder' flush mounts to the link carrier. 

My bet is the other end, without the side plate, has an indention on the centerline that will allow, enable, a flare to 'rivet' the side link.

Once again, I ain't no KB, but every other 'master link' I've seen behaves this way.

d

Ok, have removed the squished joining link and installed the second one, more carefully and after modifying parts of the breaker/rivet tool. Everything is moving freely and looking good but have not yet tried flaring over ends of the joining link pins. Photos from both sides of the installed joining link. No indentations in the pins on the side to be flared. Third photo is mods I did to the tool bits so it was easier to press on the side plate - reduced the outer diameter of the small anvil land so it wouldn't catch on the adjoining link, enlarged the hole (to 3mm) in the breaker guide only for about1.5mm so that the pin could more easily come through as the plate pressed home. When I pressed out the first joining link, the pins don't appear to have any 'shoulder' and certainly no 'indents' as on the other pins in the new chain. Now seating over flaring the joiner pins!

Hi RBY,
Yes, it's a pain not having the PM message system and having to muddle up a topic to ask a specific question but that's OK.

To answer your question- All the master links I've dealt with in the past came with the 2 pins swaged into the one side link. When I got the master link installed and ready to rivet, I used the tool and only displaced the rivet pin on the side that was open. I understand your concern when looking at the master link and you bring up a valid point. There would be nothing wrong with flipping the tool around and making an impression on the back side of the master but be careful not to over peen the rivet and bind the link.
As I noted in   post # 8794 of "Kawboy's Restoration"   The bores in the master link side plate was .004" smaller than the master link pins and I had to walk the side plate on. The riveting tool didn't give any yielding feel to the pins as the rivet was being displaced, so I was careful and basically "clocked" the handle of the tool , and kept checking the link for free movement. It took 7 or 8 attempts to achieve an impression in the end of each pin and still have a free link.
The riveting tool  should only be forcing on the end of the pin and no force on either side plate when swaging, so have an eye when setting up the tool to do the swage. You're only trying to displace the metal of the pin enough so that the side plate can't walk off the pin. It's basic riveting only in this case, the rivet is not clamping the items together .

Bare in mind that the riveting tool is a generic tool for doing all kinds of chains. The Anvil and the Buck of the tool may not fit properly and need some massaging as you have noted in your post, but if you follow the basic riveting principal where the Anvil and the Buck are only working on the ends of the rivet and not working on the side plates, you'll be fine.
Hope this helps,
KB

Many thanks KB. I did send a query off to MCG who supplied the cam chain and links. They indicated that only the pins on the side the plate was pressed over needed to be riveted, the pin ends on the other side will be "automatically compressed". Well I did this slowly, in multiple steps on each pin, checking joint movement and link width each time. Then I couldn't save myself from giving the pins on the other side a couple of tweaks as well. The joining link is a few thou narrower than other links (which seem to vary a bit anyway) but moves freely so hopefully all good. Did need to reduce diameter of the Buck nose so it fitted between adjoining pins, and centered the rivet tool, but never tightened it against the plates. Way too stressful so spent the next day removing gaskets - tedious but much more straight forward.

Interesting. Didn't realize this could be done. 

Can you post some pics of the final product, both sides? Curious to see what the peened pin looks like. 

d