QMD

I purchased an old 10 speed 'Free Spirit' bicycle at a rummage sale at the beginning of this year. I had to replace the brake cable that ran to the rear brake since it broke, and I anticipate that I will need new tires soon due to them being really dry/cracking, but for now the bike gets me from point A to point B

I was wondering if anyone can tell me anything about the bike (I read online that it is from Sears, but that is about it)

The bike has a cottered crank, which is somewhat annoying since one of them is slightly ahead of the other, but it is manageable. A mechanic at the local bike shop said it isn't worth replacing a crank, but I may do it if I can get one off a bike that someone is trashing. I try not to jump curbs, and don't abuse the bike so the rest is okay.

Today one of my pedals broke, I am planning to replace them, as well as the handle/brake levers (rusty)

Any other tips for keeping an old bike running well?

Thanks

garage sale GT

crank spindles shouldn't be that much from niagaracycle or bikepartsusa.

If it's been sitting the grease is likely to be dry in the hubs, bottom bracket, and headset.

I would try to polish up the brake levers. Lower end aluminum levers can feel flimsy and if you get a better set, it will look odd and out of place.

auchencrow

You don't need tires soon - you need them now. If you are ordering from a big on-line store you can combine shipping and get some decent tires such as Kendas pretty inexpensively.

It sounds like one of your cotters is facing the wrong way. They need to point in opposite directions to effect cranks at 180 from each other. Since you need to relube it anyway these have to come out an be replaced. (cotters aren't re-useable). If you are not versed in what to do a Gogle search on Sheldon Brown - or go to your Local bike store.

EjustE

If you can, you should post some pictures of the bike. Some of these Free Spirits were hidden gems.

As far as 'what does one need to do to take care of an old bike' goes, this place is practically mandatory reading (and will take you about a day or so to get through it...)

QMD

Is it really that urgent? Granted I can't read them very well to know what PSI to pump them up to...I was able to make out "65 PSI" on the front so I assume the same for the back

Looking at the crank from the point of view of the left pedal, with it forward (left in this view), the pedals are at ~190 degrees, i.e. the left pedal is more ahead of the other. The local bike shop guy said something about me "pushing it beyond where it was meant to go", and that I would have to replace the entire crank. I have been told by others that I should replace the cotter pin. The good thing is that it does not wobble (my raleigh bike at home has a wobbly pedal, preventing me from standing up and riding)

Btw, my right pedal broke when I was standing up, just some backstory. There is about 2 inches of it left over (it literally broke). I was thinking of replacing them with metal pedals like these https://cgi.ebay.com/1984-Wald-Rat-Tr...item1e5af09d37

auchencrow

If your tires are dry rotted and cracked, there is no telling if they might peel away from the rim = having a very bad day.

Without pic's I am guessing, but sounds like those telling you to replace the cotters are right. Just make sure they are installed correctly so that you attain 180 - and take it to a different bike store = There is no way you could "push it (the crank) beyond where it wants to go".
(I bent a crank once, but that was from a 50mph impact with an automobile.)

Those eBay Wald steel caged pedals are pretty much indestructible. They also weigh a ton.

vincev

Get tires.You'll be singing a different song when your 15miles from home and a tire goes.

randyjawa 

There is nothing wrong with cottered cranks in my opinion. That said, they are pretty darn heavy.

Cotter pins can definitely be used again, and again, and again as long as they are not worn out or damaged. Your cranks are not in line for one of two reasons...

One: The cotter pin is worn, allowing the crank arm to become a wee bit loose. This will account for misalignment.

Two: The cotter pins were not installed properly to begin with. Often times cotter pins must have the flats filed to make them fit properly. You must be very careful to file the pins in an identical fashion, ensuring that the flats are filed at the same angle. This does take a bit of knowing what you are doing.

As for your Free Spirit bicycle...

It is a Sears model and of entry level quality at the very best. The bike will offer a reasonably light ride but nothing at all special. Enjoy your bike.

auchencrow

+1

I have never been able to remove a pair without compressing/bending the threads. Am I doing something wrong?

+1 = take it to a different LBS!

mickey85

The cottered crank free spirits were typically licensed Puch bikes - i.e. really good Austrian models. They usually had European built (not Sturmey Archer) 3 speeds, that were comparable in quality to Sturmeys, and were really nice, Sports type bikes.

garage sale GT

I don't know the "correct" way but I like to back the nuts off and hit them rather than the end of the cotter. Plus, you can just get some extras from niagara.

garage sale GT

If you overpowered a cottered crank somehow through a crash or something, it would be loose as heck long before it got actually twisted.

Glennfordx4

I picked up a mint vintage woman's Free Spirit 10 speed last year that my wife has been using in a trade,It doesn't have cottered cranks though. If you are interested I have a ton of NOS and Clean used cottered cranks and NOS spindles and pins I can make you a deal on,PM me. Got any pics of the bike.

These are just some of the dirty sets I have but you get the picture

auchencrow

(It was a forged not a cottered crank. Either way, it takes a lot of effort.)

garage sale GT

Right but the OP is the one contemplating a fix.

You know, I just realized if you had two different brands of cotter, even if they're in the right way, it could be the cause of misalignment. There's a flat ground into one side of the pin, and the angle could be slightly different between two different brands, and everything would still work except there'd be misalignment if they were mixed.

In other words, cotters would work properly with a range of angles and one brand may be different from another.

jhefner

+1; had one of these before my Varsity. It was black; I think most of them were. I believe it had a lugged frame as well.

The much cheaper Free Spirits that Sears sold later were made by Murray, and had the one piece Ashtabula cranks.

-James

mickey85

That said, I had an early '80's Free Spirit with a Shimano hub. I liked that bike. I sold it to a student of mine for $50 and it's now carting her around Purdue.

randyjawa 

The trick, for lack of a better word, to removing and properly installing cotter pins is to use a press to do so. I made this small press out of a couple of nuts, a high tensile set screw and a piece of 3/4 key stock. It ain't fancy but it works like a charm.

Removal: remove cotter pin nut and flat washer. Install cotter pin press, threaded set screw pressing on the threaded end of the cotter pin. Tighten up the set screw on the press (do not go crazy - just make it good and snug). Lightly tap the square end of the set screw and feel for looseness. Snug the screw up again, tap and check until the cotter pin slides out. NOTE: This is not guaranteed. Sometimes the pins are just too tight.

Installation: slide cotter pin into crank arm and spindle flat. Install cotter pin press, threaded set screw pressing on the head, not the threaded end, of the pin. Snug up real good and give the square end of the set screw a couple of taps with a metal hammer. Snug and repeat several times. Once satisfied that the pin is good and tight, install the cotter pin flat washer and cotter pin nut. Snug the nut up in accordance with appropriate torque values and you are done. Note: Be careful with hammer impact. Too hard and too much might dent bottom bracket bearing races.

Hope this was a help.

CotterPin_Press_1.jpg CotterPin_Press_4.jpg CotterPin_Press_3.jpg

dedhed

I like it! what size are the nuts and what's the spacing between them? Looks like a 10 min job for our blacksmith.

auchencrow

Randyjawa - your cotter-key press is brilliant: I think your choice of HSS components is the trick to keep it from spreading!

randyjawa 

Two 2 1/2" x 1/2" NC hardened set screws with square heads and concave opposite ends
Two Grade 5 Hex Nuts
One piece of 5/8 key stock approximately 2 5/8" in length. You could allow a little more to ensure proper clearance for longer cotter pins.

Make sure the nuts are in line and weld away. It would be nice if the welder knew what he was doing.

Clean the threads out of one end to allow the cotter pin to slide out when during the removal process. Replace the hardened set screw when it starts to show signs of mushrooming. Wear eye protection during impact times.

Hope this is a help.

CotterPin_Press_4_Comment_1.jpg

auchencrow

Thank you for providing the "how-to" on that, Randyjawa!

QMD

Would it be better to replace the cotter or just replace the crank with a cotterless/single piece crank like the one on this bike:

https://www.schwinnbike.com/usa/eng/P...41-S9WIL-Willy

Thanks!

mickey85

you can't fit a single piece crank through the much smaller bottom bracket of a 3 piece, be it cottered or cotterless.

If the Puch Free Spirits weren't british, Swiss, French, or Italian threaded (I want to say that they're not), you can go with a standard bottom bracket and get a pressed-on square-taper bottom bracket that has been the standard since the late '60's, but honestly, there isn't much of a reason to go with anything other than the original cottered bottom bracket in this case.

QMD

Unfortunately I do know know much about this type of work, but I was thinking of removing the whole front crank with chainrings etc. such that all that one could see would be a hole through which the mechanism passes through, and then replace it with one like the one shown in the picture. This may or may not be possible, but it was just what I was thinking.

If not, I'll follow the advice posted above regarding removing/replacing cotters. Thanks once again!