Dave Cutter

I thought the RSX brifters would be fine with a little WD-40. But the right on (7 speed) didn't come around with a little cleaning. So I disassembled it... and it looks to my untrained eye as if the little spring (yellow arrow) is broken. Is there parts for these old shifters?

JohnDThompson 

One of my Viscounts came completely bare: no fork, BB, or even paint. Another came with the goofy non-tapered spindle. Bot got tapped for Italian thread and a standard loose-ball bottom bracket, as God intended..

gearheadgeek

I don't think you can buy parts for these, other than finding a broken lever to use for parts. I can't see the pic well enough to tell if that one is broken, and I'm too lazy to get up and find my reading glasses. I've opened up a couple of sets of RSX levers and they are pretty robust. Other than the grease that hardens and jams up the tiny little pawls. Good luck with the cleaning.

- John

Dave Cutter

Yeah they cleaned up fine. But one little tiny spring is broken. Can't find a parts kit anywhere. Will check out the local bike co-op this weekend for replacement shifters.

I wouldn't mind keeping this one (and it's left triple) anyway. As a have a nice old Cannondale with RSX shifters as well... so it wouldn't be so bad to have some for spare parts.

Dave Cutter

After re-looking at my picture of the RSX shifter parts.... I realized the parts were just way too clean for the WD40 spraying I had done. So... I re-examined the part and found the spring was not broken... the part that should have been holding the pawl down was under the pawl.

So I reinstalled the spring as I thought it should be... now it works fine. Maybe someone else had tried repairing the shifter before me.... and didn't get the spring in there correctly. All those little parts aren't all that easy to work with.

I am really tickled with this project so far. It's going to take a really good cleaning, and some new cables, handlebar tape, and maybe tires and brake pads. but it's a nice little bike.

gearheadgeek

That's awesome! I love it when a plan comes together...

- John

shafter

I had some RSX shifters that needed to be disassembled and cleaned. I think i dealt with the exact same thing- a spring arm that kept slipping off the groove on top of a silver ratchet.

Lascauxcaveman 

I'm proud of ya, Dave! Not sure I would have been able to figure out that one.

I've acquired 3 sets of brifters over the last year, all of them non-functional. Each came back to life with a torrent of WD-40 and a prayer. I hope I never have to actually take one of them apart.

Dave Cutter

Me too. But it is just a project bike... to keep me occupied during the cold snowy months. But I am really happy to see the bike come back to life.

That's interesting.

YouTube videos provided most of the information. Then I saw a picture of a clean mechanism similar to the one I had taken of mine.... only mine didn't have the spring across it.

I think one of the things I enjoy about wrenching on bikes.... is the learning. And... just working with my hands... can be relaxing. And I enjoy seeing a bicycle return to service. It is a small girls or woman's bike. It's not like I'll get rich by fixing and selling it. But these project bikes do help cover the cost of my cycling.

Waiting now for a warm (above freezing) day to wash the bike. Then I'll carry it down to the man cave to finish it up.

flying_rhino

New (used) Campy Record FD and snappy red & white Keo Max pedals for the go-fast bike.

And, work continues slowly on my first C&V project (today was remove crankset and BB day).

Dave Cutter

The bike I brought home #247.... is pretty much finished.

(Besides getting the shifter working) I replaced the handlebar tape (I had to, because I had cut it off the old tape to fix the shifter). The fix also required 2 new cables (1 brake and 1 shifter), I reused the old cable housings.

I removed the old white-wall tires (I used last years tires from my daily rider... which hadn't got the wear they should have... but I optimistically replaced them anyway. So this years cycling season won't be interrupted by worn tires).

I had a nice women's (Terry Brand) saddle in my parts bin. So I replaced the torn women's saddle that was already on the bike.

I de-cluttered the bike. I removed the (old) bottle cages and pump. And I CLEANED the bike.

burnfingers

1989 GT Talera, hybrid conversion project in white. got it back to ridable, now it's just fine tuning everything.

bwilli88 

I changed the rims from some rusty ERTO 635mm Whitworth chrome rims I bought in the states last year to some nice SS ERTO 635mm clinchers and lost a pound on my 83 Gazelle olefiets.

650b wheels and rusty 635 rims


83 Gazelle with the new rims






Oh the indignity of it all, this little 650b step thru is getting a make over, new tires and cables and brakes. (wheels in the first pic)

Bradleykd

I've been working on sourcing parts to hang on this frame:








I've got pretty much everything but wheels now... In my haste of great deals, I failed to notice that I bought 32 hole hubs and 36 hole rims... Doh.

RiddleOfSteel

^^^^^^ Oh boy, that is going to make a killer looking bike. Black + Campy = Can not resist. Reminds me of a recent drop-off at one of our local LBSs, a Masi Gran Criterium in black with chromed lugs and 2x8 Ergo drivetrain. Black anodized Campy rims, the thing was gorgeous.

For me I am nearing completion of my Super Le Tour and it has me pretty amped.

Not shown: 16+ hours cleaning and polishing the chrome. New decals have been applied and really make the look. And the black headset.


Partial setup here, and looking much better in person, IMO. This is more a tease as the seatpost, bars, and brifters have been changed...for the better! Stay tuned...!

Drillium Dude

^ That is looking great! Where did you find the decals?

Here's my latest. Not yet finished - I have two saddle/bar tape options I'm exploring and I'm awaiting two parts to come back before I cable up the brakes and derailleurs. But it's a bike-shaped object:



DD

gomango

Such a cool bike.

Turning out great DD!

TenGrainBread 

You're gonna like those tires...

flying_rhino

My first C&V project grinds along - after I got back from work today I put the brakes back on, installed the new crankset & BB, got the FD back on & cabled up, and spun on the FW. Next task for the week is to find a longer B-tension adjustment screw for the RD and hopefully be able to kluge together a poor man's WiFli drivetrain.

Drillium Dude

Ha ha - I've been enjoying these tires since 2005 when I found a bunch of them on Ebay. Still haven't worn out any of my pairs yet, either

I don't see them around anymore on Ebay, so their apparent longevity is a good thing!

DD

blackhawknj

I will be overhauling the bottom bracket of my 1969 Dunelt. I bought a Park Cotter Pin Press years ago.

RiddleOfSteel

Good ol' Velocals had them, much to my surprise! It seemed to take Schwinn well into the '80s to finally get the decals under the clearcoat instead of on them post-painting. Works for me! As soon as it stops raining, I'll get the bike out (again) for some decent complete pictures, but so far it's a great ride. Everything good a bike named Le tour (of some variation) should be and in this case, extra good looking.

As for wrenching, it's been a parts hunting special for the Paramount build and I have decided to not sell my '84 Super Sport frameset, instead working with the ivory paint+two-tone grey decals and putting a full Shimano 600 (6400-era) groupset on it, complete with dark grey anodized Wolber rims. Ravishing, in my opinion. I've wanted to do a 6400 build for a while. I picked up the almost-new wheelset a month or two back for a great deal and the Uniglide cassette still holds what appears to be an original clear plastic 'dork disc' and I debate leaving it on there...maybe I'll just hang that thing up. Bike's gotta look its best!

Sir_Name 

Needs another iteration to keep the threads from unwinding.

SJX426 

I've been short on proper length quill stems on a couple of bikes. Picked up one the right length last week and swapped two on bikes to the right length. Been working on getting all my bikes with the same measurements so there is lest adjustment to do when trading off.

Also picked up an Ultrasonic cleaner at HB and started cleaning up some Victory components. FD is done with the RD next up for assembly. In the process I found the plate/washer that is under the screw for the shifters was missing. Only have one. I don't know if I dropped it or it wasn't delivered with the set. I was thinking of using a dime to replace it.

So I did use a dime. Faster and cheaper than a washer!
[IMG]P1040756, on Flickr[/IMG]
[IMG]P1040755, on Flickr[/IMG]

Chrome Molly

Finishing up an OT build for someone...

Pretty much ready to go when they want to come get it...