I can’t find anything on this so I’m thinking it is a bad idea, but has anyone ever tried replacing the pin on a #25 chain with a tiny bolt and nut to connect to a chain tensioner?
Please use a Master link.
There was a team that used bolts (yes plural) to connect several pieces of chain together such that it looked like roller chai, but was substantially weaker. It came off a time or two. I may have a picture.
A master link isn’t going to work for what they are trying to do. They are trying to attach it to a chain tensioner, presumably a chain turnbuckle.
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work, obviously, the chain won’t be as strong, and without knowing what the chain is being used for I don’t know if it will be strong enough. But if it’s just going on a chain turnbuckle, and the chain isn’t under a lot of load, I would say try it. Just stay out of the line of the chain in case it does break.
I am not positive, but I do believe these use the roller chain pins/master links.
Master links work well for turnbuckle tensioners.
They do, they work quite slick too. They can be kind of a pain to get the pin out though. The REV #25 chain breaker doesn’t let you get the turnbuckle all the way in there, so you have to do some funny stuff.
Yes, the tiny bolts sheared under moderate load.
About 4-5 double supported (i.e., two shear points per bolt) 4-40s through #25 chain gives a sweet spot of the bolts shearing right before the chain fails due to shock loading/overloading. Useful for cascade elevators.
The OP is asking about inline or WCP spartan tensioners, which would only allow one bolt.
+1 to maserlinks for these, Rev and Dark Soul chain tools never quite get the pin back through.
Yeah, I don’t suppose there’s a way to make that work with any standard fasteners, if that were desired for some reason. Maybe threading the ends of a dowel pin lol