Old 05-05-08, 03:26 PM
  #12  
Little-Acorn
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 163

Bikes: '72 Schwinn Sports Tourer, '73 Schwinn Super Sport, '79 Schwinn Twinn Sport 10sp tandem

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P.S. Serial number is on the front headset tube, starts with HQ which I believe makes it an August 1979 model. Captain's seat tube is 22", stoker's is 19-1/4". But since the stem for the stoker's handlebar clamps to the seat POST above the captain's seat tube, I can only lower the captain's seat as far as a 23" frame would allow. Fortunately, that's a good height for me, no harm no foul.

I was able to take SOME of the wobble out of the rear wheel with a spoke wrench, after a generous application of Liquid Wrench. I'll need to work on it some more, but things are looking better for the original steel wheels. I'm sure I can get them pretty nice with some time and patience. The spokes when I got the bike were nice and tight, just the right degree, no potato-chipped wheels. Just the effects of a few potholes on the rims, I'd guess.

WD-40 got the front brake working a lot better (many shots into the cable housing from each end while working the lever), seems decent now. The rear drum brake (says ATOM on the outside) is still making the quiet noise, but one thing I was wrong on: It doesn't stop the bike worth a damn. Might still put a caliper brake on the rear.

Most grime comes off with a shot of WD-40 and a rubdown with a folded paper towel, I've seen worse. In case I run into anything really stubborn, I have a gallon jug of Extreme Simple Green for Aircraft at home, heh heh heh... that stuff took 20 years of exhaust from bad rings and valves off my Cessna in about 20 minutes, and without even scrubbing very hard. I'm convinced it can clean anything up to and including a politician.
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