jetboy 

So today I started tearing down my ratty Pinarello project and had a question:

My fork (chrome.. 1987ish) sounds like it has a tiny bolt or something rattling around in one fork tube. I cant see anyway something could have gotten in there.. maybe its a broken off piece of brass from the brazing?

even as I write this I am realizing there is probably no remedy and I need to just live with it or get a different fork. sure is annoying to hear it rattling about in there.


anyone have a magic solution?

dsbrantjr

Are there any vent holes in the fork that you could use to introduce some grease or frame saver and immobilize the object? There should be a small hole somewhere to relieve the pressure when the fork was brazed to the crown; even if it is at the top some heavy oil dribbled in should quiet things down.

jetboy 

yes, there are two vent holes at near bottom: they are pretty small but you are right- I could inject some grease and maybe the object will get caught in it and stick. it sounds too big to get out the holes- they are very small.

HillRider

A drop of crazy glue in the vent hole may immobilize it.

hueyhoolihan

if grease or glue doesn't work, i'd probably try that aerosol expanding foam. i used a can of that to fill an annoyingly loud carbon frame. it came with a narrow nozzle just the right size to get into a vent hole.

you won't need much. beware, it will keep coming out of the vent hole for a while...

cale

During periods of work disputes, workers have been known to drop a washer or other innocuous object into a panel or whatever (fork in your case?) to show their displeasure.

cale

I've got an alternate to expanding foam which could impact fork flex, perhaps hair spray would be better.

Wolf Dust

Do the grease thing. It should work, and unlike foam or superglue, it can be diluted with a degreaser if you ever want the grease gone.

Henry III

I would do a dab of glue in the vent hole. Most likely a chunk of excess flux rattling around.

Andrew R Stewart 

I would avoid the foam as it could trap water and increase the long term possibility of rust. You don't really want to seal the vent holes. I've used sew up glue before to trap inside the frame crap before. I wonder if it's a bit of flux that wasn't fully dissolved out during production and now has come loose. I might be tempted to do a really hot water soak followed by thorough draining/drying before squirting anything into the blades. Andy.

hueyhoolihan

i've always wondered... what's the flux capacity of a fork?

Andrew R Stewart 

Huey- Not sure of your question. Is it how much flux can reside inside the blade? The entire interior volume could contain flux, though doubtful. Is the question why would flux be inside the fork? It's used during the joining process to limit the formation of oxides that tend to happen at the high temps of brazing/welding (inert gas is another method of this, as in t "IG" welding). If a bit more then usual and/or not fully dissolved out during the after joining process this crusty stuff can flake off the interior surfaces and rattle about. If the question is about the electrical stuff, I don't know. Andy.

cale

Flux capacity. Ha, ha ha, hahaha,...

dsbrantjr

When I worked at a car dealership we had a station wagon with an irritating "clunk". It turned out to be a soda can suspended by string inside of a body panel by somebody at the factory.

HillRider

Uh, Andy a "flux capacitor" is a made-up pseudo scientific name for a non-existent device used to baffle the naive when selling them something technically complicated.

Kimmo 

~1.2 jiggaW, I should think, give or take... YMMV.

fietsbob

Script writing for Sci Fi Aside, an electrical capacitor could be soldered to a circuit board
or the back of a Tone Pot on your electric Guitar

with solder which is containing a flux core.