imgur (dot) com/a/Sw9zDT3
hi, so i'm working on a friend's bike and i discovered that the linkage in the front derailleur is pretty frozen. It moves slightly..... The issue seems to be with the riveted linkage, what would be a good option for freeing this? I've tried lube and a de-rusting spray and neither really seemed to do much.
also, I'd like to service the pedals in the link above but the screws on either side of the cover are very stubborn and don't seem to want to move.

sorry for the awkward link i still can't post pictures yet lol

Here's some help:



Penetrant and quality tools would certainly help.

Re: the frozen FD - I've had a few of these. I was able to get them to function again with lube, mild heat, and just patiently working them until they are free. Some force may be required; however resist using too much. If it's a lower range FD, you may be better off tossing it and finding a cheap replacement at your coop.

Good luck

Most of the ft ders we see that have frozen (usually by corrosion) can be made to move fully. But sometimes not very quickly or for long. Once corroded freeze up is more likely to return. Andy

You take it off , and work on it off the bike? moving it and oiling it?

I've worked on lots of POS BSO's and my method of attack is to spray it down with Kroil, work back & forth, sometimes need a screwdriver/lever/wrench to get it moving. Keep working it and spraying it. Once it's halfway freed up you can use the cable to move it. When it's moving well enough for the shifter to work acceptably I'll clean it off and Tri flow it.

Really bad I might hit it with a torch to help loosen things up too.

https://www.amazon.com/Kano-Kroil-Pe.../dp/B000F09CF4

You can purchase a serviceable front derailleur for less than $10- new. What is your labor worth? How much does the penetrate cost?

Purchase new, clean and oil regularly.

Maybe on line, but my time to run to the LBS who may or may not have one and certainly not <$10 there.
Either way, sometimes I just want the job done now without making a trip to the LBS or waiting for parts to come.
And frankly, some of them won't be worth putting the $10 into the FD rather than better budgeted for new cables or a tire.

And lightly used ones from a donor bike are a dime a dozen. The only reason I can see for trying to fix one is to prove to yourself that you can.

Pedals are another story. I've never been very successful in rejuvenating old cheap pedals and donor bike pedals are usually pretty questionable too. If you want a reliable bike, I'd get some cheap new ones.

I would like to address the notion that it’s not worth rehabbing old parts when new ones are cheap.

First, I agree that some parts are not worth the effort. Especially, poorly made junk found on cheap department store bikes.

At the Bike Exchange we recently moved our shop and had a lot of bikes we couldn’t fit into the new space. A group got together and scrapped about 50 bikes that we just didn’t want to waste our time on knowing that the homeless and poor that are the recipients of our donations need something reliable, not a piece of C**p that no one in their right mind would want.

Having said that, I just spent a half hour cleaning up a pair of rusty Lyotard pedals that looked terrible when I started and look like new now after soaking in vinegar for a couple hours then being wire brushed with a brass detail brush and cleaned in the sink with hot soapy water.

Especially with old bike boom bikes, sourcing a part can be a hassle, and with a little care almost anything can be brought back almost as good as new.

I spent many years as a remodeling contractor and I can’t tell you how many times I went looking for a plumbing fitting only to find the store was “just out”. Driving around town for a couple hours looking for a 50 cent part that I had to have is a royal PITA. The same goes for rehabbing bikes. That tiny cable end that fits into the braze on that you dropped into a black hole or the seat post that is all scared and rusty and is an uncommon size can stop your work.

Rather than going on the hunt I usually try to reuse the part in question. I have a pretty well equipped shop and have accumulated a good supply of bits and pieces and I never throw something away unless I know it is worthless.

Actually, even then you never know when that broken rear derailleur might provide a spring or something you need to get an otherwise beautiful part back together.

A while ago I was working for the first time on a set of Universal center pull brakes. Either I lost it or maybe it was never there, but I discovered that a special washer was missing that was unique to this brake. Luckily for me my friend Graig, who spends his life rehabbing high end vintage bikes, took pity on me and gave me the special washer I needed.

In my long life I have never made a lot of money but I have owned a Classic Maserati and a 36 ft. yacht among other toys. If I had to buy those things new I never could have afforded them but finding great deals on something tired and worn and restoring it myself has allowed me to acquire luxuries far above my pay grade.

So, before you throw something out, take a close look at it and see if you can figure a way to fix it. If you can’t fix it, take it down to the co-op and ask them if they have any ideas.

If they have something in their bins that will work, get that.

If all else fails, find a GOOD bike shop and buy a new one , but throw the old one in your spares box.

You never know when it might come in handy.