unworthy1, a new account restriction prevents me from replying privately. please send me a message.

random comments ... i know someone who loved vise grips so much, he used them as often as possible. on the other hand, i sniff at 12-point sockets so the prospect of buying parts that were treated so carelessly induced a fair amount of foot dragging. while doing that, i clicked around and discovered that i should be quite willing to pay $30 for this headset.

i assume that it's customary to modify a headset a little during installation, e.g. to avoid trimming the steerer tube. on my bike, there is a keyed steel washer and two alloy spacers. one spacer is thicker than the other. (actually, all these parts are off the bike at the moment. i will paint the inside of the steerer tube with Rust Reformer.)

in 1983, many people preferred loose bearings so i think my installer discarded the caged ones. my lower races are neatly dimpled by the 22 bearings they held. thankfully, all the other races on my bicycle are in good shape. :-)

Shimano sold a set of three wrenches labeled Special Tool. my dealer replaced the bottom bracket wrench with a Dyna-Drive pedal wrench, a stamped tool. the other two are forged, but not scalloped. one of the 32mm ends has a 4mm spacer attached via screws. i guess this spacer is supposed to help me position the wrenches. if you are skeptical, you are not alone. still, these are my favorite tools.