Restoration / Re-purposing - call it what you will :)

[John the Canuck]

build a 'Blu Tac' dam/wall around the top and fill with penetrating oil
proper thin stuff
wait......................wait.........................wait........................wait

 

[Spokesmann]

All looks delicious....

 

[KneesUp]

Well. I started to take the bike apart tonight, and have found an annoying number of stuck items:-

both pedals are stuck to their crank arms (steel pedal spindles, aluminium cranks)
the left crank arm is stuck to the bottom bracket axle (steel axle, aluminium crank)
one cantilever was stuck to its boss, so the (brass?) inner bit is still on the boss as it came apart when I pulled it
the studs holding the middle ring on the crank spin in their holes and you need a huge screwdriver (or a special tool, no doubt) to hold them still
and - most annoyingly, the stem is still stuck in the forks (although I think both parts are steel)

I've also found quite a lot of wear:-
the middle chain ring has some very short teeth and some very worn gaps between teeth
the cassette is evenly (and quite badly) worn
the drive side spokes are bent and chewed

And some bits that aren't so bad:-
the bottom bracket feels ok, although I can't get it apart until I get the crank off
the wheel hubs feel ok (Exage, not LX)
the frame seems basically sound
both derailleurs now work

Anyway - some pictures (excuse the mess; dissasembly took place in the kitchen)

Frame

Mangled drive-side spokes

Shark's teeth

Worn middle ring

Shiny, repaired (Altus, I think?) derailleurs

The forks have me stumped to be honest. The plug has moved - in fact it's no longer quite straight, which is worrying in itself. I assume though that the steel forks are rusted to the steel stem. The problem is getting penetrating oil in there. I can't remove the lock nut because the stem is in the way, and it has a rubber seal around it so I can't get oil in there. Looking from the bottom all I can see is fork and plug. I've loosened the headset a the small amount I can, and the whole thing moves, but as one. I've also tried boiling water to the head tube in an atttempt to expand it, to no avail.

I don't want to take it to the bike shop, but in lieu of owning a bench or vice I can't think of much else - I would be loath to replace the forks for reasons of budget and hassle. Any ideas much appreciated.

 

[biggs682]

oh the joys of playing with bikes that are not new have fun

 

[John the Canuck]

''obstacles are only problems to be overcome''

right - whoever said that never fixed an old bike..........good luck.

 

[KneesUp]

My wife's very helpful comment on all this was "It's almost as though there was a reason someone abandoned it"

I will make a nice commuter out of this frame. It might take some time though!

 

[KneesUp]

Today:
Broken bit of cantilever removed.
Left hand crank removed.
Crank/pedal interface soaking in penetrating oil
Bike upside down and headset full of vinegar

 

[young Ed]

when you say 'cantilever' are you on about brakes or what?

big ring looks slightly worn as well i would treat it to all new rings a new chain

as for stem if you don't mind replacing stem i would consider trying to turn bike up side down securely but so that stem is hanging in mid air and then stick a peice of bar or pipe up from the bottom of hollow steerer and then some good whacking with a mallet
Cheers Ed

 

[KneesUp]

The front cantivlevers were seized, so I took them off. Unfortunately one of them was so seized that it pulled apart, and the brass(?) inner sleeve stayed on the fork boss. but I doused it in penetrating oil last night and was able to get it off today with pliers. It's totally destroyed, but at least it's off!

The big ring is worn, but the middle one is worse. I'm not sure if other rings will fit the biopace crankset though - is it the same bolt pattern? I have a Suntour chainring with their version of biopace on in (power ring? can 't remember) so I might use those.

I still haven't got the wedge out of the stem yet so I can't go whacking up the bottom of the stem as it will just make it worse! I presume it should drop out of the bottom?

 

[young Ed]

The front cantivlevers were seized, so I took them off. Unfortunately one of them was so seized that it pulled apart, and the brass(?) inner sleeve stayed on the fork boss. but I doused it in penetrating oil last night and was able to get it off today with pliers. It's totally destroyed, but at least it's off!

The big ring is worn, but the middle one is worse. I'm not sure if other rings will fit the biopace crankset though - is it the same bolt pattern? I have a Suntour chainring with their version of biopace on in (power ring? can 't remember) so I might use those.

I still haven't got the wedge out of the stem yet so I can't go whacking up the bottom of the stem as it will just make it worse! I presume it should drop out of the bottom?

i meant to whack the the whole lot stem bolt and expander bit thingy up from the bottom out the top
Cheers Ed

 

[KneesUp]

I've been away for a few days and left the bike soaking in penetrating oil, and the stem still won't budge. So it's out with the hacksaw.

I can confirm that a stem that has been full of vinegar and penetrating oil gives off a bit of a whiff when it gets warm.

 

[young Ed]

any chance of a pic of the whole bike yet?
Cheers Ed

 

[KneesUp]

Bit of an update:

Forks still have some stem stuck in them. I'm going to do one of a few things:

1) see if I can borrow a slide hammer off someone
2) pay someone else (who has means of heating it up properly) to do it

I may make a start on getting the paint of the frame this week if it's light enough to do it in the garden. The OH is being remarkably tolerant of me filling the kitchen with oily bits bit I think paint dust everywhere would be too much

The frame, incidentally, is not nearly as light as I thought - I can't remember the weight now but I popped it on the kitchen scales - I think it was 3.5kg or thereabouts, unless it was 2.5? I'll check! It still has the BB in at the moment though. The forks are over 1kg but that includes a big bit of stuck stem. All in all I'm not that bothered though - it's sturdy, and that's what I want, and extra weight means more exercise, so if I do ever feel the need to get a light bike it will be like flying!

I've also bought a set of used drop bars with cross-tops from a popular auction site for £12 or so delivered. So all I need now in terms of bits is, er:

bar end shifters
couple of chain rings (these seem really expensive - might just get a cheap crankset from Decathlon for now tbh. It has biopace at the moment, which I'd like to keep)
chain
cassette
handfull of spokes (a couple of the back wheel are a bit chewed)
bar tape

My eBay MTB has an 'ahead converter' stem which I will use on this frame as I have the proper, original stem to go back on the MTB.

 

[KneesUp]

any chance of a pic of the whole bike yet?
Cheers Ed

It's a bit of an odd picture because it's actually a few joined together (couldn't get far enough away to get it all in and couldn't be bothered changng the lens on the camera) and evidently I missed a bit. And I don't know why I took it from this side either! Any road up, it is stripped now so there won't be another picture like this

I think the geomotry looks ok for a drop bar conversion, especially once I've managed to change the stem. It's got rack bosses on the monostay at the back which will make it a much better commuter than the MTB I'm using now, plus, heavy as it is, it's lighter than the MTB. It's not bad for nothing, anyway.

 

[Goldie]

The worn middle ring made me smile - that's exactly the same criminal way that I use the triple on my off road bike!