CO_Hoya 

From this pic, it appears that you have the self-extracting parts needed for the cranks. If you re-install, you should be able to pull those cranks.

Bonzo Banana

The way it's discoloured towards the crank is as if some god of cycling had been riding it with so much power that it created flames around the lower legs with such an intense cadence.

Many people grunge up their cycles just to deter thieves anyway if they are going to use it as a beater bike. I wouldn't go over the top cleaning it, the frame may have been given a heat treatment in the fire and have a stronger chance of becoming brittle and cracking so I personally would sort it to a rideable state and enjoy it. If you were being extra careful I would consider perhaps making sure anyone who rides it is relatively light. Aluminium frames always get weaker with time anyway.

scozim 

And the fun continues - there are so many lines I can use.

The Golden Boy 

It's the gift that keeps giving. Think of it as an everlasting fire...

scozim 

That I'm not sure about. The bolt took a 8 mm allen wrench. The washer that was left in there was nylon/plastic and not steel. Then there's the dustcap. I guess I could try and see if the dustcap works to extract it. I haven't dealt with this type of bb before and as I loosened the bolt and it suddenly got harder I didn't want to mess it up.

CO_Hoya 

That was a generic pic, so take it with a grain of salt. FWIW, my cranks use an 8mm wrench as well.

scozim 

And it worked! Thanks for the tip.

RiddleOfSteel

That whole setup with the crank arm, bolt cap, and bolt is meant to be self-extracting. It is completely normal to use the 8mm allen wrench and have the bolt go loose quickly, then snug up as you continue winding counter-clockwise. That snugging up is the self-extraction process starting as the bolt presses against the cap.

I would reinstall everything, getting the bolt to the start of "snug" tight, install the cap with the pin spanners (tighten that snugly), and then use the 8mm allen wrench (I have both a wrench and a 3/8" drive key that attaches to my socket wrench) and slowly unscrew the crank arm.

When installing, take everything apart, grease the splines, line up the crank arm with the cartridge BB splines, and push the crank arm in/on. They should slot on about 3mm initially. Thread on the bolt and tighten the arm to the BB spindle. Install the cap with pin spanners. I have found that with the carnk arm, bolt, and cap all together, that it's impossible to line up the splines because you have to actually start threading the bolt onto the spindle and get the crank arm close enough to the splines to start the guess fitting. So I just take everything off to avoid the guessing and mangling of splines.

Sincerely,

A man with many Octalink cranksets.

PS: Sweet find, and great restoration. Another Cannondale fan having just rescued one myself, but this time from menacing dirt, dust, and long-lasting neglect. Now you have gradient decals!

EddyR

Drillium Dude 

Good deal, because I was about to suggest you remove the rings to make it easier to get the last of the crud from around the BB shell.

DD

Pompiere

I was a volunteer fire fighter for 20 years, so I have a little experience with fire damage. Aluminium melts at 1218 degrees. It would have to be close to melting in order to alter the metal structure. Plastics can vary, but 250-300 degrees is common, unless it was meant for high temperature use, like cookware. The lack of bubbling on the paint also is a good indication that the bike did not get hot enough to affect the metal.

Personally, I would be more concerned with the carbon fork, since the resin would degrade at a much lower temperature than the aluminium frame. I would check it over very carefully for any sign of degradation.

scozim 

Thanks for this info. That's a little more reassuring.

CO_Hoya 

Bonzo Banana

According to this catalogue it's 6061-T6 so it is un-necessarily over-hardened making it likely to be much more brittle or it may be completely unaffected. Considering the paintwork etc I would of thought realistically marginal effect but add to that the aluminium frame is actually over 20 years and they were not known for being particularly strong anyway, just like any old aluminium frame you should be cautious. Regular frame checks and an ear for unexpected noises should be fine. As for the carbon forks maybe they need to be checked professionally. Scanned etc. Tightwad that I am I'd probably just ride the bike in a safe area until I build up trust in it before taking it onto the open road.

https://vintagecannondale.com/year/1997/1997.pdf

Pompiere

Thanks for the link on aluminium properties. Still, based on the limited paint and tire damage, I don't think the temperature exposure was long or hot enough to alter the strength of the frame.

scozim 

Well, it's a week later and time for a shakedown ride. Thanks to Rccardr and DFrost for supplying some needed parts - brakes, shifters and front derailleur. I used Tektro levers I had on hand (need to buy a replacement quick release pin that I somehow lost over time on the left lever). I also decided to go with the Shimano 600 short cage that was sitting on my shelf. It picks up the slack on the 30t inner chainring but it starts to get marginal in the last two cogs of the freewheel. Good thing I won't use that much. Tried to stay somewhat on a limited budget to make sure my wife was happy. So, it went from full Ultegra to a mix of parts to get it on the road. Downtube index 105 shifters seem to be working well. 7 spd in the rear vs. 9 spd that was on it. I had one black water bottle cage on hand - turns out it was a Cannondale one. That's convenient.

desconhecido 

If it were mine, I wouldn't worry about the aluminum but I would replace the fork. !" CF forks are available, but finding one with a threaded steerer , I don't know about that. Lots of options if you are willing to go steel.

As for the toughness of Cannondale frames, look at this. Seems as though fatigue life of an aluminum frame is not too bad.

ryansu

Wow truly a Phoenix nice Job @scozim

scozim 

Just got back from a 15-16 mile test ride. Never having ridden a Cannondale before I'm definitely impressed. The 50 cm top tube makes the ride a tad too compact for me. Would probably need to go 120 or 130mm on the stem to stretch out a little more. Definitely felt stiff and responsive. I stood up and mashed on a couple of short hills and didn't hear any creaking from the frame (just my knees) so that seems to be a good sign. Going over the frame again shows no cracking and the carbon fork appears to be in really good shape too. It took very minor clean up of soot.

Now, all I need to do is talk my brother into taking this and I'll get my 1984 Super Vitus Peugeot PSV back.

stardognine

Good luck with that. 😀
Nice save. 👍 But definitely keep an eye out, for a 'dale that fits right. 😉

scozim 

Actually, he texted me first last week about a trade so I'm not letting him off the hook.

Drillium Dude 

I've seen pretty much all your bikes and you know what? This fire-rescue is now the pick of the litter. I mean that sincerely. Even the half-burned (smoked?) decals give it a unique talking point.

HOWEVER!

I agree with what others have said: watch that carbon fork like a hawk. If you even suspect it's suspect, pull and replace - otherwise your dentist will have his work cut out for him

DD

Johno59

A cured carbon matrix ie alternate layers of carbon and epoxy resin, can withstand 180 degrees C. Above that the resin starts to advance in hardness and it begins to lose the bond with the strands of the carbon fibers that give the material (in this case the forks) flexibility and incredible strength.
The top clear layer has no carbon matrix in it. It is merely aesthetic in function and has little strength. Examine it closely. If it is not blistered then it would not have been excessively heated and you are good to go.
If this soft layer is damaged you need to keep a careful eye on it. I personally think the front end is only smoke damaged.