Advice sought on:Progress stripping down the Marin Muirwood

[markwoollard]

Progress update: the 94 Marin Muirwood is starting to get stripped down.

Huge challenge upcoming to unstick the seatpost from the mainframe: looking a using caustic soda unless anyone else has any better ideas?

In terms of replacing parts: Can anyone help me understand what bottom bracket and headset components I will be able to source to replace the rather rusty originals?

I think I will be fine to keep the original group set, but would anyone suggest any more newer versions that might be worth considering?

 

[ishaw]

Re:

Before you hit the frame with caustic soda, try other methods first unless you plan to repaint it.

Ive never had to deal with a stuck seat post but have read lots of threads and I'd try to block the open end of the stuck post, turn it upside down and drop some release agent in there and let it soak for a good while. I'd then drill a hole through the seat post (as close to the frame as you can), pop a bar through it and see if you can twist is free. If not, use the bar as a slide hammer and lift/drop the frame with the bar fixed to try and use the force to free it slowly. You could also hammer the bar away from the frane but I'd do that last. If that fails, a hacksaw blade inside the remains of the post and try to split it so you can get it out. Caustic as last resort.

Headset will need to be a 1 1/8 threaded if you plan to reuse the forks.

Bb will depend on the cranks and bb shell width (68 or 73mm).

The cranks in the pic are pretty low end, I'd look for something better with rings you can replace. Period correct or not is up to you. If the rest of the groupset is of the sane level, I'd also be tempted to get something better, but it depends on what you want to achieve with the build. Period lx or stx is good value, even more modern deore is good kit for the £. If your wheels are 7 speed specific, upgrading is an expense but opens up your options a bit, but good 7 speed stuff is out there for not much £ due to progress.

Good luck getting the post out.

 

[markwoollard]

Re: Re:

Before you hit the frame with caustic soda, try other methods first unless you plan to repaint it.

Ive never had to deal with a stuck seat post but have read lots of threads and I'd try to block the open end of the stuck post, turn it upside down and drop some release agent in there and let it soak for a good while. I'd then drill a hole through the seat post (as close to the frame as you can), pop a bar through it and see if you can twist is free. If not, use the bar as a slide hammer and lift/drop the frame with the bar fixed to try and use the force to free it slowly. You could also hammer the bar away from the frane but I'd do that last. If that fails, a hacksaw blade inside the remains of the post and try to split it so you can get it out. Caustic as last resort.

Good luck getting the post out.

Definitely will be repainting. I'm lucky to have a frame builder & a spray shop about 200m from my house in SE London

I already tried to free the seat post by drilling a hole through the seatpost: used a 2ft long set of pipe clamps on it after that with a bolt through the frame to create a solid anchor: the post snapped through rather than freeing up inside the frame (the picture above shows the end result of this).

I've already tried to cut down inside the seatpost using a thin hacksaw blade, but really getting nowhere fast like that :-(

Thanks for the BB & component advice. Appreciated.

 

[Corblimeyguv]

Re:

Bung up the open end of the seatpost as tightly as you can.
Then, turn the frame upside down and squirt WD40 into the seat tube via the bottle cage mount holes, let is soak in until it starts seeping out between the seatpost and the seat tube.
Then, only then, clamp the remains of the seatpost in a vice, clamp it up as tight as you can, then use the frame as a lever and try rotating the frame on it's axis with the tube. Gentle first, then increasing the effort gradually.

Be patient, if it wont shift, repeat the process of squirting WD40 in and letting it do it's thing. Then try again.

 

[Corblimeyguv]

Re:

As for BB, if you want to use STX, Alivio or LX chainset you need a 68/113.

 

[Corblimeyguv]

Re:

Something akin to this.

Looking at yours the paint looks ok. Just re-decal it like I did via sales(at)retrodecals(dot)co(dot)uk.

Much cheaper than a repaint.

Yours is a 93 by the way

 

[fearfactoryüberalles]

Whilst I admire the dedication which had been put towards this issue in the thread, I can't help thinking my method (copied from this site, of course) is far less easier/cheaper :twisted: .

Chemical corrosion is a nasty tight bond, won't give in easily anyway, I wouldn't use any method until I've tried the following:

I clamp the seatpost in the vice, put some sponge material around the seattube to cover it properly (zip tie is the best to make it stay). Then I start to go mad with the freezing spray, giving it to around the seatpost area and from the BB shell (using some long straw-like plastic tube extension on the nozzle), wetting the sponge as much as possible and spraying the inside of the stuck seatpost ( as well as through the bottom bracket shell). Then comes the brute force part: breaking the bond by twisting the frame sideways. Worked for me every time so far, though it can be a great workout in more stubborn cases :facepalm: .

 

[Scvintage]

Re:

There was a cool thread where someone made a slide hammer contraption for doing this nightmare job. It was sort of recent, maybe last month or so

 

[Scvintage]

Re:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=329177&hilit=Slide+hammer

I guess it was mentioned a few times above (facepalm)

 

[markwoollard]

Re: Re:

Something akin to this.

Looking at yours the paint looks ok. Just re-decal it like I did via sales(at)retrodecals(dot)co(dot)uk.

Much cheaper than a repaint.

Yours is a 93 by the way

Thanks for pointing out mine is a '93. I bought it (at least i think i did) in 94 but it was indeed a '93 as the decal sample I already got from Retrodecals wasn't the right ones. Just got sent the '93 sample & that is the correct set (with the parallel silver bands either end of the MARIN name on the downtube & also on the front forks).

There is a LOT of scratching & general ageing on the frame. I'm down the rabbit hole here enough already so might as well do the respray & make the finished bike a thing of beauty (to the best of my limited ability!)