sovende

UniGlide cassette came off easily. Was hoping that the threaded retention cog wasn't fused to the freehub body (and it wasn't!). Fair amount of caked on grime was scraped off and since there are no internal parts to the cassette assembly, decided to degrease with hot soapy water be for placing it into the EvapoRust soak. There was more rust on the cogs than I expected and 24 hours in the EvapoRust showed that there was more to be removed. A little research here, on SheldonBrown.com and a couple of other sites, led me to believe that disassembly was a simple matter of removing 3 small (very small) bolts that held the 2nd thru 6th cogs together. Once disassembled, cleaning the individual cogs of remaining caked on grease and removing the rust was simple. Interesting tidbit gleaned from the research (and many here prolly know this) is that UniGlide cogs can be "flipped" if the wear on the teeth is excessive! This applies to all cogs with the exception of the threaded retention cog that secures the cassette to the freehub. As this is my first time actually working on a UniGlide cassette/freehub system, I'm learning a lot!

sovende

I’m frequently amazed as to how active this forum is. The last post to this thread was only two weeks ago but it’s SIX pages down!!! I guess that’s a good thing .
Anyway, I’ve got this ‘80 Lotus Excelle all but completely disassembled. Frame is bare except I’ve left the front derailer in place on the seat tube (no real need to remove it, it’s been cleaned, lubed, functions just fine AND I won’t have to deal with properly positioning it ). All ferrous parts (showing the slightest bit of rust) have been soaked or are being soaked in EvapoRust! Uniglide cassette was totally disassembled, cleaned and reassembled. Same with the rear hub. Bottom bracket has been disassembled, cleaned, re-greased and adjusted. Headset is awaiting reassembly. Haven’t worked on the front wheel hub yet. Front an rear brake assemblies are off the frame but don’t think that they will require a complete tear down. Having a great time with this project! Will definitely post some pics when I start to reassemble. .

rustystrings61 

This is a lovely bike, and finding one of these in my size would make me very happy, especially as a freebie! It looks like a very nice bike, and I am enjoying hearing about the refurbishment!

sovende

Ya, I do wish that the frame was a bit (well quite a bit) larger as 19” C-C is just too small for me . However, I guess it was never really meant to be mine. My daughter (the Dumpster Diver) clearly has the option of first refusal. Things are shaping up for it to be a very nice specimen once I’m done. With most of the components removed I was able to clean the greasy grime out of all but the most inaccessible nooks and crannies! After that, some automotive “scratch remover” reduced the ugly appearance of many blemishes on the frame. To be sure, there are some minor dings/chips that require actual sanding, priming and painting. That may or may not be happening. I’m wrestling somewhat on just how much it is to be restored OEM parts wise? I’ve put the “dork disk” back on the rear wheel (easy enough to remove if need be) but I’m hesitant to put any effort into finding a replacement for the missing front brake “assist lever” and re-installing them. On other bikes, I’ve sawed off the safety lever boss on the inside of the brake lever assembly but I’ve yet to decide on that. Also not sure about replacing the foam handlebar grips. TBCH, I personally kinda like them but do feel that they fit in the same category as the “dork disk” and “safety levers. I will be replacing brake and shift cables and the associated housings. It’s a work “in progress” and a pleasant diversion!

cyclecats

I bought this exact bike in 1980, and used it as my main transportation for years. Thousands of miles and a few life changes later, I gave it to a friend’s daughter who was moving to San Francisco. It was promptly stolen….but hopefully someone, somewhere is still riding it. Ealier this year, I started looking for a replacement, since I really loved it and it rode so wonderfully. Found one on CL a few states away—exactly the same size and color as my original, but a 1981 rather than a 1980. A family member in the seller’s area picked it up for me. It is in pristine condition, and bone stock, except that someone had replaced the downtube shifters with Suntour barcons, and swapped out the original Kashimax saddle. I’m almost finished regreasing, changing cables
etc, and should have it back on the road soon. I’ll post pics and details once I’m finished and I reach the magical 10 post threshold for posting pictures. This site has been an invaluable snd inspiring source of information!