Viscount / Lambert Crank Questions
 

I got my hands on a set of Viscount / Lambert cranks, which are copies of the famous TA Specialities Pro 5 Vis cranks. They were filthy when I got them, but cleaned up very nicely:

http://djcatnap.com/blogimg/viscrank1.jpg

I'm planning on turning them into a triple set, with the addition of a matching 30T granny gear. Then I'd like to mount them on my Bridgestone RB-T. I have questions about them. I have read the threads on the Pro 5 Vis, but want to see if I missed anything.

First of all, they came with the weird washers, the dark colored-ones pictured in the lower-right hand corner. They were on the bottom bracket spindle of the Lambert I removed them from. I know the Lambert had a unique non-tapered square spindle, so do I still need to use these washers when mounting these cranks on a tapered BB spindle?

Also, will I need to file the insides of the crank tapers to fit a tapered spindle? Or is it likely to fit right onto a normal square taper BB without modification?

It seems to me you would need to be an incredible craftsman to make the crank properly fit a tapered spindle with a file. Maybe with a CNC machine.

I have the original bb assembly from an Aerospace (crashed so bad the REPLACEMENT fork was trashed)--yours if it will help, though it's pretty bunged up as well (from my expert brute force removal job), and I don't know how you'll get it to fit a regular BB.

The original Lambert BB spindle was not tapered; it was square cut. The black washers were mounted on the spindle between the cranks and the bottom bracket, with the serrated side against the cranks. These washers were held in place by the round section of the spindle and pressure from the tightened crank bolt. It did not always work. To make matters worse, the crank bolt was British Featherthread and the hex head sometimes sheared off from over tightening. The first generation Lambert had a triple 32-42-52.

This system was abandoned in favor of a tapered square spindle in the Viscount. It's difficult to determine whether you have the tapered or non-tapered version of the cranks from your photo. If you have the non-tapered version, your best bet is to find TA cyclotouriste or similar cranks.

I removed the crank from a Lambert and replaced it (on the Lambert) with a Shimano Tourney crank, so I'm pretty familiar with the eccentricities of their square-cut BB spindle. When looking at the spindle, it didn't appear tapered, but on the other hand the Tourney cranks installed on it easily, without any issue.

However, I had thought it was a relatively minor operation to install the Lambert cranks onto a common JIS or ISO BB; you guys seem to say that it will be so difficult I might as well not bother! Is it really that hard?

No, it really isn't that hard.

I successfully filed the tapers on mine. I didn't measure the taper, I just wung it. See if you can color the inside of the square hole with a sharpie or something like that, then put the crank on the spindle as far as it will go, then take it off again and look inside the hole. You should be able to see where the spindle touched the crank, because the ink will be rubbed away there. So file that area away and color it in with the sharpie. Repeat. Until you have the spindle going in half way, nothing is critical. But as you get closer to finishing, you have to be increasingly careful. Don't go too far. In the end you will have to tighten the crank bolts a lot to push the arms onto the spindle as far as possible, which will reshape your new tapers a little bit. Don't be afraid to tighten it some more after riding a few miles.

I didn't mean to imply that I knew what I was talking about. The ratio with which you should lend credence to rhm's advice to mine is: 44:1.

It is a beautiful crank. It would be cool if you could find a way to re-use it.

Oh, I wouldn't say that! :lol: I just tend to go with that slogan from Nike or whoever it is... just do it! What could possibly go wrong?*


[*yes, this is a challenge to someone to find a nice image on google or something, showing one of the countless things that could possibly go wrong... should be fun!]

thanks for the detailed advice, Rhm!

The crank was absolutely coated in grime to the point where it was black/brown in color. I cleaned it with Simple Green and Goo Gone, and then wet sanded it with 1500 grit sandpaper, followed by a bronze wire brush, and then finally Simichrome polish. Now it has a mirror finish! :thumb:

Next question - once I get my hands on a matching granny ring, any suggestions on a hack to mount it without spending the $50 on a TA triple chainring bolt set up? I mean, is it even possible, or is the hardware so proprietary as to preclude that?