Smokinapankake

Thanks for that info - I’ll have to pull it down off the garage ceiling and have a look.

Smokinapankake

So I pulled it off the ceiling but couldn’t really see any spiraling near the bottom bracket. The seat tube is ovalized at the BB, but there was enough surface rust that I couldn’t tell. I did notice a few concerning items though... what appears to be a crushed seat tube where the cable housing stop is attached (probably due to improper clamping in a Park repair stand):


and perhaps more concerning is what appears to be evidence of some kind of frame repair:



just below the grease blobs you can see a ridge that goes all the way around. The bike came with a seatpost shim that I believe is original to the bike but can’t say for sure. The seat tube measures 29.4mm ID; shimmed down to 27.2. The grease blobs denote the bottom of the seatpost shim, just above the “ridge”.
Here’s a pic of the inside where the cable housing stop is pushed into the seat tube:

Maybe the seatpost is shimmed to accommodate the crushed seat tube? Maybe the shim is original to the frame? It could be because the shim shows some black paint where the strain relief is located on the front of the seat tube. But there is no ruling out the possibility that the frame was damaged enough to require some kind of repair to the seat tube and a subsequent respray...

For what it’s worth the frame with headset and XTR v brakes weighs in at 4.81 pounds, so pretty light!

Thoughts?

Biketiger

Hey Smokin' - interesting thread and thanks for posting the additional photos. I am not a frame expert but based on the pictures, I don't see evidence of a repair. The top of the seat tube is connected to the top tube and the two seat stays so it's going to be heated up for each of these welds. I think the shim is designed to reinforce the metal in this area of the seat tube as well as bring the sizing down to accommodate a 27.2 seat post. The incised line you see on the outside of the seat tube is the outside impression of the base of the shim.
Others with more knowledge than I will weigh in but it looks alright to me.

CCMDoc

Any chance of getting input on those findings from your former coworker Dewitt?
It’s a bit discouraging but even if so, the resilience and repair-ability of steel is one of its greatest attributes.

Smokinapankake

And therein lies the rub - I've messaged DeWitt through Facebook but he's apparently not a very active poster. Still waiting on a reply from him. Or maybe he just doesn't want to talk about all this nonsense. But on the plus side I have a plan in action to re-press out the seat tube dimple. I put a thread up in the framebuilders section, to which Bulgie replied with affirmation on my line of thinking. Tooling will be made here at work by a sympathetic and very accommodating machinist (when he gets time to do it, that is...). So at least that's encouraging. The slow burn continues to smolder, as it were....

CCMDoc

I’ve run into that perspective as well.
Some folk remain enthusiastic (Frank Wadelton), some get enthusiastically reinvolved (John Grafton), some prefer to leave the past behind.
I hope you get a response from the original builder, I’m not much for social media so perhaps he is of the same ilk
Very glad you have a plan for the cable-stop dimple.
Looking forward to your build and ride impressions.

bOsscO

These are the best kind of people. Good luck and keep us informed.

Smokinapankake

Tooling to effect a repair/reshaping of the seat tube is underway as we speak. Hopefully I'll get it by end of day today as I go off shift tomorrow, but if not I should get it in hand next week. I'll post pics as developments "develop". Preliminary tool nomenclature is the "Re-bigulator"......

Smokinapankake

So here is the Re-bigulator!

The thinking is that the wedge will push out the dent in the tube. There’s a bearing at the top inside the welded on collar to make twisting and reshaping easier. The bullnose is intended to help the wedge slide down into the reduced diameter where the dent is, then by twisting the handle up top, the wedge forces the tube wall outward. Let’s hope I don’t hose it all up!

Smokinapankake

And because I couldn’t wait to get at I’ll let the pics speak for me:

Before:




And after:







I don’t think the dent is completely removed but I don’t want to push it further until I can get a feel for how a correctly sized seatpost (29.2) fits. I think it will be fine as the seat tube is internally butted at the top 3-1/2”. Which I think is kind of odd. Usually the seat tube is butted externally. At any rate, that butting will open up the ID, allowing a little clearance between post and seat tube ID. Off to the local co-op to see if I can find a seatpost!

CCMDoc

Looks excellent!
Another step closer to riding ...

notthe1freeman

Any grail bike as something to be praised. Mine pathetically is a 1993 GT Tequesta which I just got last week believe it or not for nothing it was given to me because I showed interest and this guy he was trying to sell it at a garage sale I can't say enough about it it's exactly what I wanted when I was a teen and it's still just as kickass today she's light she's strong maneuverable agile responsive yet subtle I love it sorry for the run-on sentence but this is talk-to-text keep pedaling

obligatory photo still urban smashing the hell outta CDA Idaho

Biketiger

Wow - I'm impressed! Did you use the tool who had purpose built for this?

Smokinapankake

Thank you - yes, used the re-bigulator tool my machinist accomplice made for me. Worked like a charm! Now to gather some parts! I can’t tell you how relieved I am to have that little mess sorted.

Smokinapankake

And this is after a 2nd round of tube reshaping:






I’m done. Not going to touch it anymore. The seat tube is internally butted so whatever reduction in diameter remains should not affect proper insertion of a correctly sized seatpost (29.2mm). If anyone else needs a tube re-bigulator for a 29.0 - 29.4 seat tube I have one available....

Smokinapankake

Nothing pathetic at all about that. A grail bike can be anything; doesn’t have to be some super rare or expensive thing, and that GT looks like a peach! Well done, I’m sure you’re enjoying the crap out of it!

notthe1freeman

Truthfully more than I should lol. It takes me back to my youth...and brings me safely home

Smokinapankake

That’s the best kind!

CCMDoc

The GT Tequesta is one of those bikes that is loved by anyone who has ridden one.
A good, reliable, rugged and relatively light steel mountain bike that makes you say “ahhhh” when you throw a leg over into and hit the trails.
Great deal on a nice bike. Enjoy the heck out of it.

CCMDoc

Fishlips Oscar.
Yellow Adventure Components hubs and Yellow Avocet saddle to match body of fish.
Red fork arch, chainring bolts and crank dust caps to match red fin of fish.
Adventure Components crank because the angularity reminded me of the seatstay “wishbone”.
Ignore the blue GripShift grips - I have yellow and black just haven’t decided which yet.

Sorry, don’t mean to hijack your thread, I’ll start my own at some point when the build is done.
I am now on the hunt for a steel Toxic Tuna to go with the Ti Oscar.

Smokinapankake

Oh my - so much lovely! That 1st gen FSX fork is my favorite, with those nicely tapered legs. Only fork that looks better in my mind is a Bontrager comp or the Japanese made Tange Switchblade. Where did you get your Oscar? The only other one I’ve ever seen was hung from the ceiling at Fishers Cyclery in Salt Lake City when I worked there in the mid-90’s. It was bought by one of our employees, Chan Head, who raced it for a couple years. I don’t know what ever happened to it.

Meanwhile, I’m still gathering parts as budget allows. I think I’m pretty close to building.... just have to make some decisions about wheels. Probably use some silver Hadley hubs laced up to some sort of Mavic rim.

CCMDoc

Thanks for the kind words.
Bought it off another person, not your employee Chan though I don’t know it’s pedigree so it could be the same.

Looking forward to your build and a ride report - so nice!

Smokinapankake

Probably not - the one at Fishers I don't remember having a yellow fish, but its been way too many years now...
And thanks for your kind words as well. Not too often do you get to see a bona fide Fishlips roaming the woods.

Smokinapankake

So it’s finally assembled (mostly, ahem).. needs a chain, some tires, and some cabling tweaks, but here we are:


Components list:
XTR M952 shift/brake levers
XTR M952 linear pull brakes
XTR M953 rapid rise rear derailleur
LX M550 top pull front derailleur
Origin8 ProPulsion thread less headset
GT by Hadley hubs (hubs of the Gods!)
White Industries made by Sugino cranks, 20x32x44 chainrings
Shimano BB-UN72 bottom bracket
Ti spindled clipless pedals
Origin8 seatpost
RC Components stem with Ti bolts
Sram PG-990 11x34 9 speed cassette
Bontrager Crowbar handlebar










I don’t love the rear derailleur cable housing route; no matter how long or short I set it it gets an awkward bend. I may remove the cable housing stops on the seatstay and add guides to run a full length housing from the rear top tube housing stop down to the rear derailleur, along the top of the seatstay. Or just zip tie along the top of the seatstay. Thoughts?

CCMDoc

looking very nice!
I wouldn’t cut the cable stops off.
Wait till you put a chain on it and see where the body of the derailleur winds up.
I’m betting you’ll see that cable housing wrap properly.