Chater Lea Clip headset modernisation 50s bike

[Lambylambs]

I have my Dad's old bike from the 50's. A Dave Twiddle Lancaster special from Liverpool.

The frame is in good condition but the forks have a rattle when turned upside down. I suspect corrosion int he forks and don't think it's safe to use them.
The headset is a Chater Lea clip type with bearing cups that sit in the head tube. I want to replace the forks and use a modern headset.

Has anyone managed to do this ? the bearing cup outer surfaces are convex not chamfered and sit in a machined "ring" in the head tube

Thanks in advance

 

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

Some pictures would help. Why not just use like for like? The parts are available. It could be brazing flux rattling in the forks. I've had to jiggle it out of many a top tube.

 

[Jonny69]

You can’t really do it on a frame that has integrated cups in the headtube. The closest you can do in terms of ‘modernisation’ is to use a roadster headset. These had the same drop-in races and the same thread size as the clip headsets, but used a conventional threaded top race, tabbed washer and lock nut instead of a head clip with a pinch bolt. They were usually found on Raleigh and BSA group Sports and Roadster bikes in the 40s and 50s.

I would probably get the fork checked before you think about changing anything, because you’ll need an early fork with the finer pitch threading anyway.

This is the sort of bike those headsets belong on: https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/mid-40s-bsa-with-lauterwasser-bars-the-dreadnought.296201/

 

[Nabeaquam]

I had a frame maker replace the head tube so the cups were eliminated. I was then able to use a modern headset.