LOL...in hind sight I kinda wish I didn't jump so fast.

Had the crack in seat stay looked at and it is cracked, but good news the shop said it could just be brazed...but they also noticed something else...the BAD News...they noticed the down tube is buckled near the head tube lug. It's hard to see, but if you run you finger on the bump you can feel it. Weird thing is the is no apparent damage on the head tube and none on the fork. So either this happened early in this bikes life and the fork was replace, or some one did a hell of a job on repairing the fork. What made the news worse was the attitude of the shop I brought it to...their bedside manner could be better. Anyway, looks like this frame is toast. It's wall art that will always remind me of how much money I wasted on it. :cry:

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...90ddede351.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9e68e45a1c.jpg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a2fc8b4611.jpg

Oh man, that sucks. :(

So I guess this begs the question: Is a 710 work repairing?

Poor bedside manner is really disheartening when dealing with something as tenuous as "will this frame be ok and will my money have been wasted?" I'm sorry that happened. The frame has had its share of bumps and bruises, as we have seen from your very thorough going-through. [MENTION=381793]gugie[/MENTION] had his Raleigh Grander Sportier ripple its head tube pretty good as he was easing the headset cups into the frame just after powdercoating. It just completed a three day, 170-mile tour with no issue.

If you liked the way it rode and handled before, I think it's worth saving and riding again. I'd fix the brake bridge and go from there. Ultimately, those with more knowledge and experience will chime in.

Yeah, I nearly cried when I saw this:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c5072c340d.jpg

I've probably put in 1200 miles on it.

I would get that bridge fixed, however.

That's pretty trivial damage for a steel frame. I'd be surprised if it had any noticeable effect on handling. Fix the brake bridge and there's plenty of life left in that frame.

Frames can and do sometimes get such damage without the fork getting noticeably bent, just depends on where the greater yield strength lies.

Thanks all...I have to make some decisions. Appreciate all the comments. It's hard to compare how it rides since I only had a ride around the culdesac when I got it before I did the full teardown. I think at the very least I'll look for a shop to get the stay fixed if it's not too costly. I have a couple other projects to work anyway. Also considering cutting losses and selling frame as-is with full disclosure of damages.

Reviving an old thread because I'm trying to rescue a ratty '81 710 frame, and I've just pulled EXACTLY the same bolt out of the seat binder.

None of my SAE or Metric allen keys will fit -- it's somewhere around a 4.5mm -- and the odd thing, relative to John's long-ago comment above, is that a standard M6 head definitely does not fit into the binder receptacle. So a regular M6 surely can't have been the normal bolt for this, even if this weird black thing is also wrong.

anyone with any clues?

I believe a 4.5 bolt was standard - my 1982 has one. Perhaps it was to keep thieves from stealing the saddle?

I say ride it. Fix the brake bridge, and the buckling under the lug looks more trivial than others I've seen. One of my latest purchases was a PXN-10 w/ a similar buckling - heck it even had some slight cracking in the paint. I saw it before I handed over the money. I handed it over anyway. It was cheap enough, and I thought 'what the heck'. And the fork was straight, and it rides fine. I can understand it bothering you, but few material things in life are perfect (just joking...none are). Have fun and enjoy a vintage Trek:)

It’s been over 4 years, I wonder what amerikaner did with that frame?
Tim

Such a weird bolt with its odd threading and head. Ended up using a regular M6, a little longer since the head has to stay outside, and with a washer to spread the load over the rim of the receiving socket. Seems safer than letting the just-slightly-too-large bolt head try to wedge its way in over time. Some steady work with plenty of machine oil and all seems copacetic for now. Onwards!