Kmc chain replacement DYI

I was at the bike store and needed to meet my $75 min to take advantage of a $20 coupon.  I was there to pick up mtb shoes which ended up being only $50.  What to buy?  Well I've always wanted a chain stretch measuring tool.  Yes it is a waste of money because you can just measure the stretch, but I thought maybe it is more accurate or easier.  Not really the case, but it got me to measure my chains and as it turns out, only my primary race bike was ready for a new chain.  It had a KMC chain already, so I decided to go with the same brand after a little web research.  

So I get the new chain and when I thought it would be a piece of cake to remove the old one with the quick release link.  I didn't buy the tool because I knew I could figure it out...

After an hour of screwing around with it, I found a nice YouTube video on the matter and viola, a pair of pliers used at the right angle helped me remove the old chain..

Now I had to shorten the new chain to the right size.  My method is to hang the old chain next to the new chain and shorten the new one to the same number of links.  Now you do need a chain removal tool for this operation.

Putting the chain on was another challenge.  The YouTube video didn't help, so I resorted to reading the instructions where they recommended to use pedal pressure to lock the new one in place.  Well, tis is the right answer, but there is a trick. You need to ensure the new connecting link is at the top, not bottom of the rotation - this is where you get the pressure to lock things in place.  

Live and learn.