911hillclimber

Spokes I think are stainless, was that original?
Rims are poor all over and will need replacing..
Never tried the alum foil method. The chrome on the brake parts is all but gone.

911hillclimber

The Big Strip-down begins, some parts have come free easily, one screw had to be drilled off (so far) and the crusty condition deepens.
One pedal came off easily (!) and the other..well, it is stubborn. As in very. Heat and a bigger hammer needed.

Handle bars will not shift, but the stacks of small brackets are coming free well.
My biggest concern is getting a chrome finish back on all these small parts without sending them out for chrome. Have found some good chrome paints, so will try them out on a few parts.
I think my small grit blaster cabinet will be called into duty soon.

Some pics from today:

RB1-luvr

bringing a bike back from that condition is challenging and fun. Enjoy it.

clubman 

Yes, original.

911hillclimber

Thank you both, this project was to be a winter tease or I get very bored indeed.

This afternoon i was reminded on another forum running parallel to this one the pedal spindle threads are RH and LH...
After a lot of heat, teasing the crank arm with 2 hammers (like popping a reluctant car ball joint), a goodly thump with my lump hammer and the two have separated nicely.

Handle bars next.

As an aside, any experiences on cost to have the bars, brakes and chain wheel stripped and re-chromed?

markk900

I haven't done any chrome in years....here in Canada it is getting difficult due to the toxic nature of a lot of the chemicals used. Even years ago when I did some motorcycle parts it wasn't cheap.

Can you post pictures of the pieces you think need chroming? The chainwheel in particular didn't seem that bad to me. And I know you were thinking of chrome paint and while I have been tempted over the years I have not tried it, and when I have seen it used it looks, at best, barely OK and would have been better left alone.

Oh: and as to rims, you are probably best off to look for a more modern parts bike and steal the rims from that. While they no longer make them with the lovely satin centre section you can get the appropriate shape usually fairly cheaply by buying an unloved Raleigh. Might net you appropriate fenders too if you are lucky. There was a guy in Greece with NOS rims but they were ridiculously expensive and probably have already been bought up.

911hillclimber

Bike is almost totally stripped down now, bottom bracket came out easy even, but 2 other screws used to hold the back brake stirrup guides in place needed mole grips.

So far, one screw head drilled off and 2 mangled heads by mole grips.

Mudguards are really rough, not sure what to try yet. Metal id really thin and the curves are compound to say the leased and quite complex for my meager skills.

dbhouston 

I had an early 50's Claude Butler in similar condition and got what seemed to me to be good results on the rusty frame and guards with just (1) Evaporust liquid and gel as needed and (2) diluted boiled linseed oil over everything. Good luck and have fun!

911hillclimber

That does look very good, just can't imagine this Humber having a similar result, but I've bought some grit sand to blast the fram and everything else now, it's having a full repaint.
I have a small grit blast cabinet so fresh grit on the way to do everything that will go inside the cabinet, the main frame will have to be blasted last of all in the open.

I have used Hammerite Smooth gloss black or blue on previous motorcycle restorations to good effect, cures tough and holds a shine.

Thinking of nickel plating for the 'chromed' parts, but fancy trying some of the new chrome paints now on the market to keep costs down.
Bought a good pair of mudguards for the bike off ebay as mine are so bad, multiple pin holes all over.

markk900

I'll be interested in your results with the paint. I did mine with a rust paint, and it turned out really well however I wouldn't call the finish tough even after a year of curing.... Apparently there is a way to get Hammerite here in Canada so may try that next time.

clubman 

I did a bike with Hammerite 20 years ago. No big deal imo. It chipped like everything else.

911hillclimber

Using the UK Hammerite system demands close adherence to the instructions, esp the ambient temperature.
As with all paint, all down to the prep!

I've been quick cleaning to all the parts today, getting years of oil/grease/rust caked on off the parts. The Chrome pile has halved.
most of the parts away from the handle bar region were painted black. I'm awaiting an estimate for nickel plating at the moment..

Removed the tyres once I'd figured out how to exhaust the air in the tubes, both rims held air! Strange valve design, but the tubes could be original, the rear has 1 puncture repair, front ok.
Tyres shot so they have been recycled.

Rims are not good. I say this as the brake surface is very rust pitted, front and back, so i think new rims needed.
Is there a spec for rims using rod brakes? Are they referred to in some special way/ name?

markk900

Rims are often called "westwood" if you are looking for replacements.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_w.html#westwood

clubman 

You should have no trouble finding appropriate rims in the UK. They literally made bazillions...

Salubrious

There is a tool called a cotter pin press, which is used to remove and re-install cotter pins. If you have such a tool, you'll find working with cottered cranks to be fairly easy. You can get them from Mark Stonich in Minneapolis Bikesmith Design cotter press
Generally a hammer isn't good for cotter pins or the bearings. Even with a cotter press you still have to be careful. A bit of penetrating oil for a couple of days is a good move. I usually leave the retaining nut in place but I do loosen it. I think press the cotter pin with the tool. I might then loosen the nut a bit more and press it again. You have to be careful to not bend the pin. In this way the nut can be used to chase the threads in case they got distorted.

When reinstalling, press the pin into place after cleaning it up and giving it a light coat of grease. Once its good and snug, run the nut on to it and snug it down being careful to not over tighten! The purpose of the nut is retention. It is not meant to be used to draw the pin into place!
Kool Stop makes replacement brake pads. If you have the brakes set up correctly they are quite powerful. This requires the wheels to be concentric though!
Good Luck, it looks like a worthy project.

911hillclimber

Thank you for everyones help, as you can read, I am a novice on these things.
I was a bit confused by which style of rim to get, but Westwood rims at Sheldon's are v cheap at £10 each!
Cotter pins tapped out eventually wiih a good dose of WD40, some heat and the sharp tap. Pity they are so rusty, can't really use them again, but at a few ££ so cheap to use new.

I need to resist these mechanical things and press-on with the paint of the frame, forks and guards while the weather is still on my side here in England.

Plan is the paint and detailing (pin stripes and transfers). Colours?
Should be black, but they all are, blue appeals a lot, Surf Green even more!
Wheels and tyres. (they will take me some time!)
Sort out paint v re-chroming and get it done

Not much left after that, so need to slow down a touch.

Salubrious

Modern cotter pins are often not as hard so its good to use the originals if you can. Another thing to be aware of is that it was common practice to file the face side of the cotter pin on order to achieve a fit and in particular to allow the opposing crank to be exactly 180 degrees once the pin was snugged into place. Of course you can eyeball this sort of thing but if you want to make it easier, your best bet is to re-use the old pins. If you can't reinstall them hang on to them anyway so you have an idea of the filing that needs to be done on the face.

911hillclimber

Thank you.
I have kept them (never throw anything away until the job is done!) but have dropped one nut under the bench, but might find it yet!

It is noticeable how few suppliers reply to emails that they invite you to use to check on part availability or price. Slowing things down a bit!

markk900

I came up with a neat (to me) approach when filing the cotters for my wife's Peugeot: I used a sharpie to colour the surface (poor man's engineer's blue) to show where the high spots were and it made the job, if not faster, at least easier and more satisfying results were achieved. It was especially important where there was a small ridge in the surface (in spite of being quite careful with the file) that the colour made stand out very clearly.

As to the press - I use mine extensively now that I have one, especially for putting the pins back in, but I have to admit for many years just wedging a piece of wood under the arm to be removed and banging. Yes a number of pins did not survive but I didn't know any better, and even the mighty Bikesmith cotter press mashed one of the pins on the Peugeot (hence the need to file new ones).

Salubrious

Yes, even with the press you can get into trouble. That is why I don't remove the retaining nut- I just loosen it, unless I know in advance that the cotter will easily be pressed out (for example if I had previously installed it). The nut helps prevent bending the cotter pin and can be used to prevent distorting its threads too.

markk900

Salubrious : yeah, nut was still on. I think the pin itself was a replacement over the years and very soft. I ended up drilling that one out.

911hillclimber

pent a few hours in the garage over the last few days looking at all the parts closely.
Looking to the Chrome Box, and it is obvious that on this bike the rear brake parts were all painted black, not a sparkle of chrome (evidence) anywhere. That thins the plating pile down a bit.
What chrome there is on the handle bar 'areas' is very robust, not sure if my grit blast will clean it off, hope to find out next week when the fresh grit arrives.

The current chrome pile is pictured below, time to send this picture to a few local platers for a quote (if they will respond).
I'll try the chrome paint I have too!

There are several brake parts that show no evidence of chrome or paint where other bikes from the period are covered in chrome, any comments?

All the spokes are off the wheels. Every one unscrewed perfectly but most of the nipples are tatty and the slotted heads ground hard, so have ordered 100 new ones, but the spokes look good esp will do when all polished up.
De-greased the two hubs, and they look good. Need to be sure the SA 4 speed hub is ok before lacing the wheels with new rims.

The front wheel has 32 spokes, the rear 40, so have just ordered from Bankrupt Bike Parts (what a company name!) 2 new Westwood rims, brake blocks, tyres with gum coloured side walls.
They sell a lot of parts for these older bikes and the site is good and clear and payment system normal. Will get as much as possible from them.

Sheldon will not respond to emails (which they invite you to use).

Wife has approved of a propane heater for the garage! First time I'll have heating in there since 1978 when we married.








73T 911 Coupe, road/hillclimber 3.2L

911hillclimber

Might even get a chrome quote soon! Might get a rude shock too....

Parts arriving from Bankrupt Bike Parts here in England..
Wheels, gum colour side wall tyres and brake blocks, de rusting fluid, my 'new' mudguards which are as solid as new ones, and some leather restoring fluids for the Brookes saddle.
Spoke nipples here and such like, new ball bearings awaited.
Even the 'lost' grit blast media arrived today, so as soon as it stops raining will get blasting all these small parts.

Going to paint it a rich Royal Blue, rattle can.

911hillclimber

Quote for chrome plating arrived this afternoon. £800 + vat plus postage.
No lead time given.
Don't think they want/need the business.

Chrome paint then!

markk900

Oh my! That’s worse than I would have thought.

I would experiment with the chrome paint on some of the parts that you can repaint black if need be. I have not heard good lasting results with chrome paint.