oneclick 

Polishing is not (always) just for looks.

Vincent did their engine internals - who sees that?

davester

That's a shame, and on an orange International that looks to be just about my size. There's a slippery slope here. You never know what other 46 year old part will break next. To minimize risk, you should dispose of the entire bike at "davester's hazardous bike recycling facility". I'll pay the shipping cost.

Pcampeau

I’m afraid I cannot part with this hazardous machine. I’ll just have to take my chances on my road to ruin.

79pmooney

Logos are dangerous. Just ask Dave Levy at TiCycles who has repaired a number of old Treks that cracked across the seatstay caps. (I called him when I saw the crack across the "R" on my right seatstay cap. I don't think he'd ever seen that bike but he said right there over the phone he would repair the left one too and that there would be crack across that one also. There was.)

So the OP's lever went 46 years. 1975. I have almost nothing that old in my bike stuff. My Competition is two years older but doesn't really count as I had TiCycles strip and inspect the frame, then rebraze the lugs and do a couple of other repairs. My Mooney's seatpin is older. 1967. Stock on my UO-8. Has the nub for a blind fit to the matching seatlug ears and works perfectly for the canti cable hanger. The Mooney started with the nice Campy pin that was miserable with the hanger. Three years later the UO-8 died and the pin found it's next life. Pretty ordinary steel, conservatively sized. I expect it to go on a few more years (and when it does fail, I just slowly decline!)

unworthy1

I'll look thru my stash of Weinmann and DC levers and will reply here if I have a spare, I assume you prefer an exact match with same logo, same (dangerous) slots and the QR flip-up, correct? Or are you open to a different non-match replacement?

Pcampeau

Well, I’d prefer the same match. Otherwise I’ll be replacing both with a different matching set. I appreciate that your looking through your stash.

steelbikeguy

as someone who has been watching this thread and has an International with this style of lever... I'm still trying to make sense of it.
Not that it really needs to make sense; there could be a manufacturing flaw, or perhaps the lever was bent once and had been bent back to position. That would be plenty to create a weak spot. Considering how exposed the levers are to crash damage, this seems like it could be the cause.

Other than this... there weren't any scratches visible in the photos, so it probably didn't lead a hard life. The bike most likely wasn't used for racing, so probably not a lot of heavy braking.
I recently retired some Shimano Ultegra brake levers that I'd ridden for over 50k miles, and they had seen some wear and tear. No failures, though.

The only lessons I can see would be the usual... don't rely on parts that have evidence of a rough life. If they have significant scratches on the lever, find replacements. Maybe check that they are straight and probably haven't been bent and straightened?
None of this applies to the OP's situation, but just thinking through what the best practices might be. Stuff can break at any time for unknown reasons, and we'd all like to minimize any injuries. Short of just using new bars, stems, brakes, cranks, etc., it's nice to have some guidelines for what vintage parts to actually use.

done rambling for now.
Steve in Peoria

merziac

Chiming back in to ask how many fingers did you have on the lever when it broke?

Pcampeau

I agree, the bike was shipped to me from Finland a few years ago with the levers attached.You never know how roughly it may have been handled. I inspected the frame well, but never once inspected the levers for cracks, which I’m learning now is a good idea with vintage aluminum. The part broke off kind of slowly under pressure, like a bend with a crack opening up, I then easily wiggled the lever apart with my thumb and forefinger. I’m not afraid of using vintage parts but will be a more cautious inspector going forward.

steelbikeguy

I've never heard of a brake lever breaking (or is it "break lever braking"? ), so I've never inspected one for cracks either. Might be something to add to the list.

I've gotten better about taking close looks at my cranks, though. The Campagnolo Record crank is somewhat infamous for cracking at the thin web that joins the right arm to the spider, but this design feature also exists on other cranks, such as the Sugino AT that I like so much. I've filed away that thin web on my Sugino AT's, but still look closely when I pull things apart for maintenance. I did find something that looked like the start of a crack on one bike's AT crank recently....




I got the file out and took off a bit more metal, and I think I got it.




The bike has over 50k miles on it, and the crank was used before I got it, so paranoia is appropriate.

Steve in Peoria

oneclick 

Miche, Ofmega, Gimpemme, Nervar, Mavic, Galli, SR, Zeus...

Any crank with a web feature like that doesn't even go in the bin here without it being filed AND polished. To polish I have a series of short bits of line, one for each abrasive; clamp one end in the vice, charge it, and run the crank-web back-and-forth over the line. 5 mines each side with a swiss file, 5 more with the polish, and frequent checks thereafter.

Pcampeau

I think two. I was just pulling up to my apartment when it broke. Not a hard brake.

Brad L 

There's an NOS non-slotted set on Ebay.
Weinmann Drop Bar Road Bicycle Brake Levers Part # 164 17165 | eBay

Vintage Schwinn

The engineering of said part obviously met a critical standard for structural reliability given the typical average manufacturing tolerances at the time that holy, oval holed , lighter weight brake lever arm was designed & conceived............before they "green lighted" the mass production of that exact model of pre-production prototype.

Obviously, the engineers were aware then that such a holy, oval slotted hole, would lessen the total structural rigidity of said part, however it was determined that even so, that the total strength & structural rigidity of the lighter weight slotted arm was substantially strong enough given the anticipated life-span of said part and the bicycle that it would be an original equipment component part of. The engineers obviously knew that combination of metal fatigue and other natural and enviromental factors over a span of a decade or more could seriously compromise the integrity of said "lightweight oval slotted hole, brake lever.
PRODUCT LIABILITY CASES had not really made a blip on the radar screen at that point in time as such part was designed, prototype-tested and placed into production.
Attorneys were prohibited from advertising. Case law had not yet made such incremental advances in "protecting the welfare of the general public". You only had the advancement in Automobile Safety brought on largely because of the very crappy Chevrolet Corvair of 1960-1963. General Motors design engineers knew that the Corvair engine and transaxle weighed some nearly 150 pounds more than the original design target goal. Not only that but the longer length package than the original design goal, necessitated that the engine be placed about 8 inches to a foot farther rearward, causing a greater rear weight bias, that all but made the swing axle design configuration a very bad choice given the overweight powerpackage and it very rearward placement. GM finally installed a compensating limiter spring attachment for the 1964 model in order to attempt to reduce the extreme negative camber jacking action of the rear wheels under certain conditions. There were a large number of accidents that the 1960-1963 Corvairs were involved in, probably way more than for the other typical American compact junkmobiles of the early sixties. Ralph Nader became a household name because of his relentless UNSAFE AT ANY SPEED fight with General Motors to adress the shortcomings of the poorly designed first generation Corvair, and to address the issue of dangerous vehicles that automakers were making (Volkswagen Microbus, Triumph Spitfire(mk 1 of 1962-70) with a horrible swing axle arrangement that during some spirited driving would jack the rear wheels to an extreme negative camber that was far worse than the early Corvair. The first generation Triumph did not however have a rear engine that made things worse. Thanks largely to the Corvair, the US Goverment passed the first of massive sweeping federal legislation concerning the manufacture of Automobiles beginning in 1966. Among the sweeping changes.....require all motor vehicles to have dual-circuit brake master cylinders by 1967 model year (AMC pioneered this, first seen on 1962 AMC vehicles...immediately adopted by Rolls-Royce & Cadillac for '62 also).
Collapseable steering columns would be required by 1968. (so in a frontal impact crash it would lessen the possibility of the steering column spearing the driver)....FORD resisted making the change for 1967, and thus placed round donut pads on the center of the steering wheels all their 1967 models..... most other manufacturers had already developed a collapseable steering column for the 1967 model year........ SIDE MARKER LIGHTS were required for 1968..... .........Sharp edged and chromed or shiny inside rear view mirrors were banned, by 1969............ had to be matte non reflective surface on rear surface area of mirror housing................most car manufacturers then adopted the "breakaway rearview mirror" that glued to the windshield at that time. HEAD RESTS were required for 1969 model year (head restraint of either adjustable headrest or fixed high seat back that would effectively function as proper head restraint. SHOULDER HARNESSES were required (the diagnal across the body strap of the seatbelt............in those days it was still a two piece............Nobody wore seatbelts and the shoulder harness part stayed clipped and stored up on the edge of the headliner. LOCKING STEERING COLUMN was required for 1969 (not a saftey thing so much but at the time was thought might reduce car theft)
There were other requirements for door hinge strength and structure that forced some small British cars that did not make such changes to not be sold here.
It wasn't until the "PINTO wagon" rear collision cases during the mid Seventies that product liability began to become significant. The Pinto wagon was at one time the biggest selling brand new station wagon in the USA, or most other years, the 2nd best selling station wagon in the USA behind the large Ford LTD-Country Squire-RanchWagon model(s). Well in a number of high speed rear collisions into the rear of the Pinto wagon, the occupants of the Pinto were burned to death in a massive fire. It was analyzed by expert witnesses that the relative placement of the gasoline tank to the rear axle assembly and lack of other protecting structure from another high speed automobile impacting the rear area of the wagon................the gasoline tank bursts, spraying gasoline within the passenger compartment and due to the nature of the crash and metal upon metal friction , it likely ignites..... Well in the Pinto case, evidence came to light in the form of a document, internal FORD Motor Company MEMO, from their engineering department to product planning/development that stated exactly this scenario possibility and stated that the car's rear end should be relocated to provide a subtantial level of safety should a high speed rear end collision ever occur. Along with this MEMO was the evidence that product planning determined that it would be far more cost-effective to just litigate any potential occurrances, rather than redesign the rear of the wagon to eliminate this potential. This was not unusual at all at the time with any manufacturing corporation. Things are far different today. On local broadcast segments of the three main broadcasts networks, you'll likely see that most all the advertising air time is purchased by major Law firms.
I'm not certain that some product componts would be brought to market without signficant revisions as one major product liability case can shutter a manufacturer for good. We played with lawn darts, and woodburning kits and chemistry sets as kids.........also had air rifles, pump air rifles and guns that fired projectiles, pellet pistols, and pistols/guns that fired bb's and pellets at a very high rate of fps. Asbestos was once used in motor vehicle brake linings, roofing shingles because of fireproof qualities. Johns Manville was a sizeable, very profitable corporation at one point in time.....
The point here is that if you're so concerned about SAFETY with respect to your bicycle's brake levers: DON'T USE THOSE OLD DAMN LEVERS WITH THE COOL LOOKING Oval Holes , THAT ARE AN EFFORT TO SAVE MAYBE 16 grams of WEIGHT. You assume the risk!! Just as if you were to buy an old PINTO wagon or an early Corvair, or most any automobile from the early Sixties or earlier.
Just like repeatedly bending a coathanger back and forth will cause metal fatigue, so too will thousands of rides over nearly fifty years.....maybe Mr. Universe or the Incredible Hulk rode that bike for decades, contributing to the metal fatigue that caused the break. Hey if you wanna be silly Willy with all the drilled out components to save 58 grams total, and to look so cool, well you likely won't have to worry about it, if nothing breaks.....but if something does crack and break......be alert or else have a good health plan and have a good Orthopaedic Surgeon and Trauma Surgeon on speed-dial. The odds are that 99.345% of the time you won't have any issue to worry about that. Stop worrying and go ride, but do wear a helmet and watch out for those Nuts that are driving like Tiger Woods, doing 75 in a 35 mph zone.

unworthy1

so far I have only the non-slotted levers with Weinmann logo and the flip-up QR, very much like the ones on eBay but with black pivots, not red anodized (so obviously a special-order worth LOTS of extra $$$)
I will keep looking cause I have more of this vintage lever at the "other location".

Hudson308 

Wow. My guess is you don't frequent casinos.

oneclick 

Somehow I don't think that was the decision process.

It think it was more like this:

"Hey - bits with holes in 'em sold really well"

"Ok, more holes then".

(Call me cynical, but seatposts still have flutes, frame tubes needless bends...)

Nubra 

Someone wasn't very busy today.

Chombi1 

I think, the same had been happening to the older ALAN frames with their lower aluminum head lugs that has a wreath decoration "pantographed" (most likely just pressed.) on them. When the aluminum lugs cracked on the frames, it was always right through the wreath pantograph. Pressing on the wreath pantograph might have caused micro cracking on the lug, which then caused the failures, after some time and miles.