[MENTION=22396]Wildwood[/MENTION] requested an update, so I'm sharing my response here, as it has some questions for my fellow vintage mechanics. Stuff I'd like you weigh in on, if you have any guidance, I've marked in red:
1) Got some Zeus brake levers and calipers from [MENTION=324747]Stevensb[/MENTION]; they're pretty cool!
Need hoods though.
2) Got an English threaded adjustable cup in the NDS of the BB. It felt a little tight going in but at no time did it feel like I was cutting new threads. Taking it back out, threads look solid. The fixed side is even tighter, so I haven't yet tried to force it in, but I think that's what it's gonna take. When I attempted the fixed cup, it went in about 5 turns against very stiff resistance, I backed it out, and it doesn't look like I'm cutting new threads there either. I think the BB is just a little ovalized. Want me to run it across the street and see if the bike shop can chase the threads? Probably a $30 shop charge there, if they have the thread cutter.
NDS:
DS:
Referencing
Sheldon's Mix-n-Match BB guide,
unless somehow it's "Raleigh threaded," it doesn't seem possible that this BB is threaded anything but English, as per his chart English cups don't seem to even sorta-kinda fit any other standard, except very loosely. There's nothing loose about the way these are fitting! I'll run it by the Forum tonight.
3) Got the Frenchie Ofmega headset cap assembly off 3bay (which we needed because the steerer tube is French threaded and the VO headset you gave me was English). I cleaned up as best I could the bungled threads on the steerer tube (this bike's a mess) but now it threads on. I've never installed a headset like this, but
it looks like you're supposed to fit the top part of the headset into the head tube by threading it onto the steerer tube and letting it pull itself in as you tighten it down. Then lock it with the threaded cap I'm holding in the pic. Anyone know otherwise, let me know.
I'm learning a lot here, albeit slowly. I keep procrastinating because of multiple thread problems which I fear I may make worse with my hamfisted mechanicking. OTOH, hamfisted may be the only thing to get these parts to thread.
Cheerio,
Caveman.