Hi

I just bought a Colnago frameset off of Craig's list today and realized when I got home that the driveside rear drop out is pushed almost closed. I feel so dumb, I don't know how I missed it. Does anyone know how to fix this? Would heating it up and hammering it straight work?

Thanks

Steel? I've reshaped steel dropouts cold without problems, YMMV!

Too much heat will burn the paint, not enough heat won't make any difference.

Do you mean that you have just pried them open and pushed them flat without heat?

Worst case scenario, you could have a local frame builder replace the crushed drop out. You might want to try posting a picture of your crushed drop out in the frame builders section too.

More or less. I formed them around a dropout alignment tool to get the right clearances and alignment, it isn't hard if it is a horizontal dropout. After all, they were cold when they were bent closed...

Verticals are noticeably more likely to crack, being shorter. A picture is worth, etc.

Sorry here's two pictures. Any idea what model it might be? The guy said it was from the 1980s. The bottom bracket has the clover cut out, seat stays have colnago on them, and the fork crown has the clover on it as well. Thanks very much.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink

I'd do that dropout cold. You'll need to retap the thread for the dropout alignment screw (and to get a new screw). Leave the screw in while you are reshaping the dropout, it will be tough to remove. You'll need to align the dropouts afterwards, it is easier with the correct tools.

Thanks for the advice. I feel a little less nervous now about doing it. I paid $75 for it. Do you think I got ripped off? It came with a Campy Racing T crank, fork, Mirage headset, and seat post.

I'd try cold re-setting too. It could crack but I'd chance it. For $75 it could be a great buy. The dropout with the two threaded small holes came out in 1978/9. The two holes were designed to fit a Campagnolo chain de-railling system called "Portacatena". I would guess your frame to be made around 1980.

As there is no paint on the frame, if you had access to an oxy/acetelene set it would be a simple task to heat the dropout to a red colour near the rear of the dropout and bend it back into shape.

I have brazed a cracked dropout with bronze and it is completely successful 5 years on.

Best of luck,

Gary.

great buy for a restoration project. obviously if you can have the dropout heated first that is the way to go. if not i would try a small lever bar or even claw hammer with the end placed above the adjusting screw and the contact point at the lower end of the dropout. going to a frame builder or even a welding shop should not cost more than about $20-$25 bucks. good luck! by the way, what is the rear spacing 126mm?

Just the dang fork is worth around $75 on ebay!

Yes. Dropouts are made from mild steel, so they can tolerate bending.

Cast dropouts are the general exception to this rule.

Those are forged mild steel dropouts (Campy 1010B) and should be trivial to fix cold.

Check the adjuster hole area and the closed end of the slot carefully for cracks; that is a common place for failure. If you see cracks, do not despair. Just fill the adjuster hole with brass before painting and it should be fine. You may as well do the other side and the portacatena holes at the same time to preclude future trouble. Those threaded adjusters aren't strictly required and often are more nuisance than they're worth.

N.B. the frame is definitely worth $75.

I've done this myself on a couple bikes. They weren't bent quite as much, but slow firm pressure with a cold chisel (wider, stronger and easier to control than a screwdriver) fixed things right up.

I'd suggest taking the frame to your LBS, yes anyone can open the dropouts but
aligning the dropouts afterwards requires alignment tools which your LBS should have.
To be honest I've done both, but the one the LBS did was much better aligned.

Marty

I've used a crowbar before, and it worked fine. Mine wasn't quite bent so much though.

Thanks so much everyone for the help. I'm not sure if I'm just going to take it to my LBS or fix it myself this weekend. Thanks though for the advice.

I saw several suggestions to heat the dropout to bend. I certainly no expert but I would have concerns that that much heat would damage the brazing of the stay joints. I would cold set it only.

Good buy and good luck.

+1 on the dating, c. 1980. Looks like it could be a 1979/80 Super--with the old style bb, over-the-BB cable routing, engraved/concave seat stays and the beefy round spacer between the rear stays... -definitely worth the price.
+1 on setting the dropout cold--if it moves out of plane, use 2 plates and clamps. Might be worth checking alignment at your LBS when you are done.
Cheers

You have the beginnings of a crack at the adjuster threads, pretty sure I can see them from here. I would try to get the dropout replaced. The frame is worth a good paint job, no point in saving a few bucks where the dropout is concerned. A pro framebuilder can get the Tecnociclo droputs from Richard Sachs. They should be an exact match to these

I have cold set a couple exactly like that with a small pry bar and they are good as new. I vote for circa 1980 also.

Good buy!

vjp

I would bet that whatever crushed that dropout closed, also bent the frame. Check the alignment.

Totally +1 re Mike's comment.

Whatever force crushed the Dropout, also certainly tweeked the alignment. You don't want to spread the d.o., get it sprayed, then build it up only to find it always wants to go left of right!!! Fixing it at that point may result in small cracks to the paint job.

Take it to a local frame builder. If the d.o. is cracked, it can be easily replaced. I believe Bicycle Classics has 'em. They aren't expensive.

https://00eda5d.netsolhost.com/index.html See the home page, right side:
"NOS forged Campagnolo adjustable road dropouts (full sets of four, with adjusters) are also available for $49/set. We have the 1010/B (short, no eyelets), and the 1010/A (long, no eyelets) versions in stock currently. Model 1010 sets (long, with eyelets) are sometimes available, for $69/set."

If they don't have 'em, they appear on ebay too. The framebuilder route is worth the additional service of insuring the frame is totally straight.

Additionally, the frame builder will have bike painting contacts to get a nice spray job. Following that, if you expect to build it up to a first class job, the frame builder can do the facing jobs (bb, head tube, and steerer tube crown race) as well as thread chasing jobs.

The frame is clearly worth the effort and $75 gives you a bunch of dollars to get it into top shape!

Best of luck

Steve

Yep, I'll agree with everyone who says you can cold set that dropout to the proper axle clearance; a large screwdriver--the bigger and longer the better--or a cold chisel or a flat bar or a crow bar will all do the job. Once that's done then off to the lbs to have the dropouts aligned and then you can address any further frame alignment issues. If you need the frame aligned, the dropout replaced and a nice paint job Matt Assenmacher would be a great choice for skilled and reasonable work.

Thanks everyone. Maybe you could give me advice on another problem- the seat post is seized. I've read that I could pull the BB and dump Goo-Be-Gone or something like that down the seat tube. Or something about freezing it and them warming the seat post? I want to try to save the post if possible because I heard that Colnago's need weird post sizes.

Thanks
Kate