Fixing a Victorian

[Mickeyspinn]

Silly Putty Please please please please tell me this is a joke and didn't come anywhere near this bike!

Plumbers use silicone?

 

[Nabeaquam]

If the inner races are grumpy that won't help either...when you made the washer did you pop the race out and have a look-see? That filler stuff still stuck or has been swallowed by the nylon?
I thinks it keep fiddlin....and you'll get lucky....a little tight or a little loose whatever it needs to be...just not locking up

The filler is worn away a little, I‘m hoping it’s from it getting Uber tight. The nylon looks good. Who is more stubborn, myself or the pedal? Tie so far.

 

[keithglos]

The saddle looks about 2 inches too far forward. Also the chain may be a little tight, but you might have set it like that for a reason.
Amazing to see one of the beautiful US bikes from the fairly short time they were built.

Here in UK I would have tried PTFE tape (Teflon used here for plumbing brass screwed joints)) for the pedal bearings.

Keith

 

[Mickeyspinn]

The filler is worn away a little, I‘m hoping it’s from it getting Uber tight. The nylon looks good. Who is more stubborn, myself or the pedal? Tie so far.

Ahh I've just had a thought!
Did you use nylon from one of those cheapy pedal bodies?
They're most likely glass reinforced!
That'll wear that filler off in no time!

 

[Mickeyspinn]

The saddle looks about 2 inches too far forward. Also the chain may be a little tight, but you might have set it like that for a reason.
Amazing to see one of the beautiful US bikes from the fairly short time they were built.

Here in UK I would have tried PTFE tape (Teflon used here for plumbing brass screwed joints)) for the pedal bearings.

Keith

That would be quite free running but might have a tendency to disappear up inside the pedal and around the spindle! Kinda flows that stuff..
If only nabeaquam lived next door... Ive got a lovely slab of nylon here I'd have inner and outer bearings turned up and in before he's poured me another bourbon

 

[Woz]

Plumbers use silicone?

Don't go there.

First I'm not a plumber by trade, second there is a shortage of plumbers. Muggins here somehow got a reputation from doing his own house and so my mates and neighbours call me to have a look at "plumbing problems". I've been horrified. You'd think a plumber knows which way water runs - even a pissed French plumber by the simple fact of pouring wine into a glass.

What kind of a moron decides to cake up a sink siphon thread with silicon to absolutely not allow you to clean it out when it's blocked?

The world has gone mad. Mickey, I now have to back to the communal pub to calm down and I will ask Imlach to put a large one on your tab!

 

[Imlach]

Today I went for a ride to road end at Sand Point in the Pictured Rocks National Lake Shore. Hiking is the only way to go further along the shore. The pesky pedal locked up and came off again. I’m wondering if fixed gear back pressure is having the outboard end dig into the nylon. It was so tight I boogered up a thin wrench trying to get the race off. One more idea to keep that race from tightening up, Permatex High Strength locking compound. A torch will get it off after it dries in 24 hours, but I’m not interested in ever getting it off. So far the seat has stayed put. Yes, I used Silly Putty.View attachment 647231
Here is Sand Point today. Grand Island National Recreation Area is in the background.View attachment 647233

Wish I could join in on all the silly putty engineering talk and masterful bodges but I'm not that mechanically inclined

But man, what a beauty you've got there. It's oozing class, mate. Well done.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Don't go there.

First I'm not a plumber by trade, second there is a shortage of plumbers. Muggins here somehow got a reputation from doing his own house and so my mates and neighbours call me to have a look at "plumbing problems". I've been horrified. You'd think a plumber knows which way water runs - even a pissed French plumber by the simple fact of pouring wine into a glass.

What kind of a moron decides to cake up a sink siphon thread with silicon to absolutely not allow you to clean it out when it's blocked?

The world has gone mad. Mickey, I now have to back to the communal pub to calm down and I will ask Imlach to put a large one on your tab!

Don't worry about the size of my tab....it's a sign of manliness
Fill your boots chap...
I could tell you a little story about a 2k shower tray and a plumber....suffice to say it's why there's one less plumber in the world

 

[Nabeaquam]

The saddle looks about 2 inches too far forward. Also the chain may be a little tight, but you might have set it like that for a reason.
Amazing to see one of the beautiful US bikes from the fairly short time they were built.

Here in UK I would have tried PTFE tape (Teflon used here for plumbing brass screwed joints)) for the pedal bearings.

Keith

I‘ll move the saddle back. I haven’t got to ride it enough to fine tune it. I put the seat rail clamp screw in the existing dent on the gallows. The seat angle is adjusted by moving the seat back and forward because the rails are curved. I’ve changed the angle once. Then I’ll play with the seat position on the gallows. I straightened the bars but they are still bent. The right side is lower and the grip area on the right is different than the left. I did straighten them but was afraid to go farther. Bending them creates flat spots that I removed by squeezing out the flats in my bench vice between hardwood blocks. I got them better but not very good. I’m afraid if I straighten them more that the resulting flat spots won’t come out as easily as the ones I already removed. I don’t want to push my luck. This bike was heavily used an had been bad crashed. It’s pretty much antique junk. I’m trying to cobble it together enough to occasionally ride without a blizzard of parts flying off.

 

[Nabeaquam]

If the inner races are grumpy that won't help either...when you made the washer did you pop the race out and have a look-see? That filler stuff still stuck or has been swallowed by the nylon?
I thinks it keep fiddlin....and you'll get lucky....a little tight or a little loose whatever it needs to be...just not locking up

Inner race is worn as the balls were undersized. It now has new bearings, but it’s not as stable as it should be. That left pedal must have had some terrible smacks, it had a broken off dust cap that even broke off the screw on threads, broken outer race, worn races and bearings. It’s shorter than the right pedal. I’m not sure if that was intentional, for always going counterclockwise, or if it was a replacement. The right pedal is excellent.