Originally Posted by
dmott
Im thinking good cutters is definitely what I need. I'm using cheap needlenose with the real small cutter, then filing by hand, which takes me a while. I think once I have good cutters I will shorten the shifter housings like you said. Thanks a lot.
edit: the shifter housings are original and they are cramped but worked, that's why they are too long in the first place. If I were to shorten I'm guessing I ould just get a new cable and housing.
Highly doubt it. While they may well be what was on there when you bought the bike, my guess is the former owner screwed them up. I've owned a lot of Schwinns from that era, including some with stem shifters. Cable housings were about 1/3 the length you have now.
As you can see from this link, the shift cables continued up towards the handlebars at approximately the same angle as the down tube, then they did about a 140 degree turn up to the shift levers. Yours dip down a lot towards the fork, creating a downward turn first, then they eventually loop up to the levers. No immediate rush job, its just one of those small details to keep in mind as you acquire some tools (or head to a co-op).
http://www.trfindley.com/flschwinn_1...985Ltwt19.html