TBs 
reader Cagri (legoadam) from Turkey, has got a few TECHNIC links whose origin is not traceable anymore, but which are a bit different from the usual ones.
As you can see from the pictures below, these (on the left) do not have the barriers present in the regular 'TECHNIC, link 1x6' (on the right).
Their origin or the sets where they were included, etc... are uncertain.
The exemplars Cagri got are black which may restrict the possibilities to trace the original set(s).
They could be either an older part with an initial design which were modified after short time and make this part uncommon, or a new one.
Instead of barriers at one side and small protuberances on the other, these parts have little protuberances near top and bottom edges of the rings on both link ends. So you can't force a towball to pass through the holes.
The towball fits into the link just like the link with barriers. There is no difference except that you can make it fit on both sides unlike the link with barriers, as illustrated on the image below.
- Have you ever seen this part, or can you help to locate it?
- In which set(s) were they used?
It is not inventoried at BrickLink neither Peeron and unless we make further findings, it will be quite difficult to get this part added into parts database of the above mentioned tools.
Edit:
According to the testimonials from several of us, it was found that the older sets used inf fact the link version without barriers in black color, since 1988.
As examples we have the sets: 8855 (Prop Plane) and 8865 (Test Car).
It looks also that first exemplars of 8880 (Super Car) also used this version, which would extend the life span of this part former version till 1994, at least.
With these findings Cagri shouldn't have problems anymore, to get approval from BrickLink admins to get this part added into the database and hopefully the inventories from the affected sets will get corrected too.
Find all the gathered details, through the comments added to this post.
Last Update: 2008.Aug.23 00:29 GMT
Posts
17 comments:
with a little force you can force a towball past the barriers
Haven't all the older sets had these?
8855 for example?
I need to have a closer look tomorrow..
Daniel from Germany
Probably they were.
Myself have idea to have seen them before, but might have been suggestioned by the question.
Yesterday I've just checked my in-house spares stock and not some old sets which I keep built in the garage.
Will check later today back at home the sets: 8865, 8880 and 8448 which are older and have this part (one or another) in the inventory.
Unfortunately, don't have 8855 and 8158 to check.
I have two 8448's (both disassembled and mixed with the rest of my pieces), and I'm 99% sure all of my links have the barriers.
My links from 8865 are black and do not have barriers. So that is at least one place where you can find these.
See here:
Technicopedia Photo
The 8855 Prop Plane also uses them as part of the aileron linkage:
Technicopedia Photo
Yahh!...
I also went to your Technicopedia site looking for the description of new parts in 1988, trying to see if talks about that small variation in these parts.
At the time didn't tried the high resolution photos, and found the small on the models page not conclusive.
But you are right.
Will also check on my sets once back at home.
Just to underline the things already said: The 8865 definitely had this part without the barrier in black.
Hope this helps
Confirmed! I also find them in black at my 8865 (Test Car).
So in fact I had seen these parts before, as it came to my mind...
I had them in my hands long time ago when built my 8865... ;)
So it seems this variant as used at least in 1988 when the part was introduced and 1989 (sets 8855, 8865, 5256).
It should have been replaced later by the version with barriers.
My next model with "this" part is the 8880 Supercar, which already have the version with barriers.
It rests to know which version was used at the only set using these parts in between (6983 from 1993).
The models from 1994 using them, got a black version (8858) and Dark Gray (8880).
Enigma solved!
Will edit the main post.
My 8880 had the older black ones without barriers (and the 16t syncro gears were also black in mine) but my friend had the 8880 some years after me and it had the newer dk gray ones with barriers (and dk gray 16t syncro gears).
In fact set 8880 got variations from several parts across time.
As it seems, appart from the Links 1x6 and Synchro Gears, it used also different versions of the steering arm:
>> White Technic, Steering Arm Large with Hub - Pin Connection
>> Light Gray Technic, Steering Arm Large with Hub - Pin Connection
>> Light Gray Technic, Steering Arm Large with Hub - Axle Connection
So regarding the steering arm, there were variations in color and form.
Each variant used the correspondent towball that fit the steering arms included. The towball with pin, or the towball with axle.
I have different copies of this set, with some of the mentioned variations, between them.
Wow ! Thank you very much folks, I never checked my older sets. When the new bluish grays came all my gray sets retired. But I never thought I'd seen them before :) I'll send an email to the catalog admin now. Thank you!
BTW I tracked the seller who sold me this link and he said he bought them at a PAB in Legoland Windsor.
In 6983 the part has no barriers.
Well, I almost grew up with them...
8865 and 8855 were (almost) my only fun in my early teens ;-)
Off Topic:
im built in 1976 - how old are you?
Daniel from Germany
I was released in September of 1968.
The month of the great TECHNIC sets, despite they were not released at that time. :D
Today I got the definite and material evidence of a 'Dark Gray' non barrier version from this part.
It should have came from one of those initial exemplars of the 8880 Supercar, as discussed above.
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