Repairing a broken bicycle chain is easy, especially if you have the right tools.

Whether it is a bike chain or a drive chain on a piece of equipment, roller chains sometimes break. Repairing a broken chain is easy, especially if you have a chain repair tool.

Step 1: Locate the bad link. If the link is broken, it should be easy to find. If the link is not broken, watch as the chain rolls over the sprocket. The bad link should be easy to identify as it skips over the teeth of the sprocket.

Step 2: Determine the size of the chain link. The most common roller chain links adhere to ANSI standards and are sized in eighth-inch increments. The distance between the centers of the two pins on a link is referred to as its pitch. The distance between the two inner plates on a link is its width. A chain with an eighth-inch pitch would need a No. 25 link, a chain with a quarter-inch pitch would need a No. 30 link, and so on. Measure the pitch and refer to a roller link chart to identify the correct size.

Step 3: Use a chain tool to remove the pins from the bad link. Slip the link into the grooves of the tool. Center one pin in the opening. Turn the handle of the tool until the pin is pushed far enough out of the link to allow it to pull away from the adjoining link.

Step 4: If a chain tool is not available, use a nut, a hammer and a punch to remove the pins from the bad link. Place the bad link on top of the nut with the pin centered above the opening in the nut. Place the punch on the top of the pin and use the hammer to tap the pin down until the bad link can pull away from the adjoining link.

Step 5: Replace the broken link with a matching link by reassembling the chain and using the chain tool or the hammer and punch to reinsert new pins into the link.

Step 6: The chain can also be repaired using a master link. Master links have non-removable pins. Some master links are joined together by notched outer plates that lock in place when the chain is pulled tight. Others are held together by clips or cotter pins. Install the master link in place of the bad link for a quick and easy fix.

— Have a home improvement question for Fix-It Chick? Email it to Linda Cottin at hardware@sunflower.com.