Yes, I see your point :) .

But there are flush zerks that use a needle. They are often seen on the center joint of a CV driveshaft.

Seems I have come to own a Bridgestone MTB4, I found it. What a fright, which to work on now?

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=520274This bottom bracket "oiling port" ? found on my newly acquired 1958 Sun Cresta (Birmingham) is a on a lightweight EUUT tubed bike. I intend to put a few drops of gear oil in for the time being as the bearings feel pretty good. You can see more of the bike here. http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...m-england.html

Ha, I know! @Velocivixen, it's hell now, but think about how triumphant you'll feel. And now you know why some of us (I'm included) try to avoid cottered cranks. Sure, most people manage just fine most of the time, but then this happens.

And oil ports really are a good thing if you use them right. Oil frequently, and DON'T FORGET! I did my three-month European trip oiling my hubs frequently. After my trip, I disassembled the bearings, and man, were they clean. The trouble is, if you forget, you're in trouble, so we use grease, because that tolerates less regular maintenance.

This is what I used to remove my cotters on my two bikes, mine is very similar, actually it is an A type ball joint puller.

http://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-391.../dp/B003YVWHOE

So going to the new 22T cogs, about how many links will I need to add to my chains?

I have never used master links, do you guys use them?

I always fit a new chain. They're not expensive and I like how smooth a new chain runs. As far as I know, 1/8" chains always come with master links. I use them. I just fit a 22T cog on the Sports I'm working on now. One of the things I always do that I feel is helpful is stretch the circlip that holds the cog on the hub a bit. They are usually nearly closed on the ends and I spread them so there's a gap of around 3/16". That's plenty tight enough and it makes it much easier to get it back on the hub. I take my hubs apart as routine maintenance to grease the wheel bearings and there's no need to fight with that circlip each time.

Question for those of you with the older quadrant shifter... Is it a really tiny delicate thing? Until yesterday I had really only seen pictures and always imagined it to be a fairly substantial thing, but was in a bike shop while travelling yesterday and they had an old step through (couldn't pull it out for pictures) with a quadrant shifter; that thing was maybe 1-2" across with this delicate little lever on it - thought I would have to hold my pinky up while shifting. :). Is that how they all are?

Sounds about right to me, although I can tell you from experience with riding it the last several days, I'd find anything bigger to be annoying when stopping and starting.

Okay, it's just a week away! I probably asked this before, but let's get a "roll call" of who's heading out to the Lake Pepin Three Speed Tour this weekend. I'm on my way!

Well, you know I'm in. Hey, I just read your blog. A sleeper car on the Empire Builder train? Nice! Watch for a PM...

I DID IT!!!

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/...9883387c_c.jpgStock Cotter on Its Way OUT! by velocivixen, on Flickr
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7306/...eeae590c_c.jpgFixed Cup Race Good by velocivixen, on Flickr
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7573/...f0a5305f_c.jpgClean Bottom Bracket Shell by velocivixen, on Flickr

Now that wasn't so bad was it?:rolleyes:

Not a single swear word was uttered either.

Congratulations! I drink a beer to celebrate your victory.

Right about 2 inches across, at the widest point. They have a somewhat fragile flat spring in them to encourage the lever peg to "click" into the holes for low and normal. The other fragile bit is the free swinging sleeve for the shifter cable that hangs on the pivot at the bottom.

However, they're not too fragile beyond those parts. They're generally well made and they do work. They are a pain to use on a busy street with traffic because you have to reach down for them. They also can be tricky to adjust: you don't want low to be too tight, but you don't want neutral to be too close to the peg hole for normal. This really affects the AW hub connected to the shifter. The K does not have this issue, and they were designed with the K in mind. They offer no real advantage over the 1940s-50s type bar shifter, aside from historical accuracy.

Nice work! I see you drilled a very clean, straight hole through the pin. Not easy to do. I'll try to be influenced by your not swearing all the way through this nasty job if it ever happens to me. No guarantees though.

@BigChief - the garage door is open when I'm working and the houses are somewhat close together, so neighbors and children would likely hear me if I did. I did say "Oh man...." and "this is unbelievable!" quite a few times.

Glad you got it out. You might want to consider a small investment in a can of Kroil (available online through www.kanolabs.com); there are always more stuck parts in the future. So far its never let me down- I started using it 23 years ago when rebuilding a 1941 Indian motorbike.


In addition to the oil ports found on older machines, an easy way to lube the BB if you are in doubt is to dribble the oil down the seat tube.

Yahoo!! Lake Pepin 3-speed tour yo.

This is my cotter press.

http://i.imgur.com/BKAWQ7X.jpg

Now that's a C clamp !:)

Is this an extra bench vise you have around the workshop or do you disconnect it from the mount ?

Love that purple Falcon BTW!

My wife says I cannot be a Raleigh Rescue :( . Well, I installed the two Shimano 22T cogs. One bike had a 17 (mine) and the other (wife) had a 20. Both now have 22T. Hope that is not geared to low. Though we have no significant hills around here there is the eternal, infernal wind. You know, my Pinarello is 52/48 and the biggest cog in the rear is either a 21 on my fast wheel set and a 25 on my "mountain" wheel set.

We're in. See you there!

Hard to say if it will be too low for you or not. Even in Southern Florida, where wind is the only factor, the 48/22 combination is good for me on a Sports. I'm riding upright with no toe clips and the bike is around 34 pounds. For me, normal gear with the standard 48/18 is a bit too low and the AW's 33% jump in overdrive is too tall to be useful to me. Now, if I was stronger and wanted to push the bike up to a 20mph cruising speed, I might feel differently. My high gear cruising speed on these bikes is around 12mph. With the 22T cog, overdrive becomes a perfect cruising ratio, normal is good for a mild headwind and low becomes a very useful granny gear for stiff winds, soft sandy trails and hills. I hope you are happy with the 48/22 gearing, but if not, at least it's simple to change it back.

This is why I need more than one! After a number of years, yes years, I convinced my husband to go for a ride on his Dunelt. "I don't have all three gears." I thought they were all there, but that was a long time ago. After looking at my other shifters I noticed that the plastic face plate cover is cracked off at the top and missing a piece of the plastic. I checked the cable, etc., after looking at the Sheldon Brown site. Everything looks okay, and it shifts. It does feel a little wonky. After examining my other bicycles from shifters to hubs, I realize it isn't just the plastic that is broken. The narrow piece of metal which should appear just below the plastic window has also snapped off and is not long enough to hold the trigger in place for all three gear positions. Is there any chance that piece of metal band can be replaced.

I posted on the "trade" thread for a replacement shifter. I prefer not to replace with a modern one. Does anyone have a source, other than eBay, for a 70s era shifter?

I hope my description makes sense. Thanks for any help you may offer.

A picture would help. Are you talking about the casing cap that connects the casing to the shifter?
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=520558