Thanks to the help of those here, I have reached the point where the master-link should be ready to come apart. I've soaked it with PB Blaster, and I assume they slide apart vertically, but so far I have not been able to part them. I hate to be so obtuse, but is there a handy way of doing this?
Case has a tool that bolts in to two holes with a plate and two jack screws to hole the one side and jack the other side down to start them moving. We would rap the links side to side with a sledge, run it on the top of the idler with a bar under the half link and knock it down from the other. The gator links the same way and they would come apart also. On a note on the ones that side together can be a pain to start them moving and with out the tool you had to hit the inner/then the outer/inner/outer to work them apart. Going back take two lineup bars in the same half link and catch the groves of the other half them tap them down together.
Depends on the style, Case used a couple, aftermarket is different and brand dependent. Here's a couple options: http://partstore.casece.com/us/ASCOEQ-Branch15/parts-search.html#epc::mr67109ar996355 http://partstore.casece.com/us/ASCOEQ-Branch15/parts-search.html#epc::mr67109ar996461 The second one is what I am used to seeing, if yours is the first type, the two ends unlink by sliding? May require some judicious use of the BFH..... Sheepfoot beat me to it, lol... yeah, what he said
I've got the 996355 type with vertical interlocking grooves. I think I'll get out the drills and taps and see if a tool can be made out of some 5/8" plate that I have. Hammering is deforming the edges a little. Parts seem pretty ductile. The stubs of the bolts turned out fairly easily. This project is moving into the mission creep category. Thanks so very much for sharing your knowledge, without which I'd have a just a big, heavy, yellow paperweight.