Sixty Fiver

Nice to see that the lights are still on and hope everyone is well.

Have just started to get back on a bike that does not have a motor and think a certain old Raleigh Sports needs to get out for a fall ride.

SirMike1983 

I think there will always be people interested in and tinkering with these bikes. Like Ford Model A buffs or the air cooled VW Beetle folks. It has a strong, niche following in the old bike realm.

BigChief 

Good to see you again!

Miller72

Dying to know!!
Did you break the bank and buy it!?
If I was just 8/9 states closer I would already have it LOL!!

nlerner

Over the weekend, I broke down and started cleaning up this '62 lady's Raleigh Sports. Everything was covered in a wonderfully preservative layer of grime, and once I removed that with some polishing compound, the original finish was really shining. This lousy basement photo doesn't quite do it justice:



The teardown was really easy as every nut and bolt came loose easily. This machine was treated well over its life (or stored well, more likely).

plympton

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0923171656-00.jpgWell back from Maine and since we have had 4 days of tropical storm weather on Cape Cod I started to take the Raleigh apart. I am calling it a 1952 (serial number no help) in honor of the owners name inscribed on the crank arm. I searched him on ancestry.com and he was born in 1952 which is consistent with the changes made to the bike in the 60's when he would have been about 12yo. There are a few nuts and bolts that are not period but over all everything looks right. Rookie mistake was buying the BikeHand tool kit. I didn't need a thing in it. I have just ordered two Park bottom bracket tools [can't get the BB off. I am concerned about a video I saw on removing the BB. I bent 2 pipe clamps (yes pipe clamps) trying to remove cotter. I finally used heat. Now the video shows a plastic race. If so it's probably NG now. I've tried three different paint strippers. The repaint came off easy. The factory paint not so much. Back to Maine today to winterize cabin back to bike next week.

Scipunk

Man i do love those full chainguards! I am watching this closely as i am going to be going through similar stuff with newer bikes (64, 69 and 73)

Is that the Yaheetech bike stand and if so how do you like it?

BigChief 

Thanks for the update. What a nice project. You won't find one of those plastic bearing cages in this bike. That nonsense started in the 70s. You'll have 11 loose 1/4" bearings on each side. Those Park Tools are handy. Most of the time those bottom bracket adjustable cups are loose enough to just unthread by hand, but sometimes they're just a tighter fit and you need some leverage to back it out. When they're like that you have to be super careful when you thread it back in. The tight fit makes it hard to tell when you have the threads engaged correctly and it's very easy to cross thread these. The Park Tool is helpful there. I never remove the fixed cup unless I'm replacing it. Much easier to clean it with a rag and a stick. Since the cotters bent coming out I highly recommend buying new ones from Mark here:
Bicycle Crank Cotters

Scipunk

@BigChief

Thanks for this also, see i didn't know that about the plastic bearing thing, so i only have to worry about my 73?

Also thanks for the cotter pin link, I'm sure ill need some as well.

I need to find someone local who has this much knowledge so i can learn hands on

Scipunk

You are the main reason i wanted a Raleigh Sport. Glad to see you back, Ty for everything

plympton

Park tool came before I left. 21 bearings in BB and rust no grease. by the way 49 bearings total in the top tube. one bearing missing from both places? Is it just the grease that will hold them in place while I fit things back together or is there a trick to it?

nlerner

BB should be 11 bearings in each side, so I think you lost one! Headset is much more forgiving. My approach is to just about fill the cup and then remove one. And, yes, the grease will hold them in place while you install.

BigChief 

Yes, you fill the head set races full of bearings, but leave the space for the last one empty. I grease up the lower headset race on the fork, load the bearings on it, grease and load the pressed in cup race on the top of the frame and carefully slip the fork tube through and screw on the upper race while I hold the fork in place. Same sort of thing with the bottom bracket since I don't remove the fixed cup. I grease and load up the adjustable cup, get grease into the fixed cup with a stick, then place the 11 bearings on the drive side of the greased spindle and carefully pass it through then hold the drive side end while I screw the adjustable cup back in place.

Salubrious

You could always make up a brake cable that uses a modern cable housing couldn't you? They don't compress and have a lot less friction, and have the advantage of looking innocent enough on the bike.

BTW, recently I've been working on my 1935 Sports, which uses drum brakes front and rear. The rear cable was original but in pretty deplorable condition. I made up a replacement by obtaining a vintage NOS cable housing and inner cable, cutting it to the right length and then removed the cable end from the old original cable.

I did this by putting the cable in a vise and heating it up with a torch. The solder went molten and I removed the cable end. I then placed it on the new cable along with the associated hardware of the old cable. I then clamped the cable in the vise in such a way that I could tap the individual wires of the new cable apart and spread them so they wanted to hold the cable end on.

Then I heated up a tiny stainless bowl (again using the torch) that contained about a tablespoon of solder made of 95% antimony and 5% silver. You can obtain the solder at Graingers and the like. Once the sold was molten I dipped the cable end in it, held it there for about 10 seconds and removed it and allowed it to cool. No filing was needed; the solder filled the cable end quite well and the cable was ready to go after it cooled off.

This is how the original cable was made BTW. The trick really was sorting out what solder is used.

BigChief 

I didn't think of that. I've even heard of compression-less housing, but don't know much about it. Another trick I forgot was the one about using a light coat of epoxy and fine sand on parts you don't want to slip.
One thing to remember about silver solder or silver braze is that the regular flux you use for 60/40 lead solder won't work. It won't stand up to the heat required. You need brazing flux

noglider 

@Sixty Fiver, welcome back. I don't want to call you the original poster. You're the founder of this thread.

The recent pictures show just how good the paint was on those old bikes. To be truthful, I polished mine with motor oil. There are better things you can use, for sure.

Scipunk

So found this on the 73 handlebars today, what could have cause this deep of a gouge? Will this compromise the handlebar at all?
IMG_1582 by David Ashe, on Flickr

nlerner

Well, I've also heard that you brush your teeth with motor oil, so at least you're consistent.

3speedslow

@Scipunk looks like they had something moving along the bar. Hard to say..

As to the danger, because most of the weight is on the seat and the only pressure is from steering, you should be okay. Just clean the bars and try and minimize the rust in the groove. Steel bars are strong.

3speedslow

Day 2 of a nasty cold has me slowed down. Got one of the 501 pedals I have to look at. The nub which sticks up from the cage for some reason hits the crank arm and won't move past it. I will take it apart and see if the axle is bent. Really want to use these but could go to the block ones which came with it. I see a set is for sale here but wow! No can do..

Shifter cable is hooked, brakes are next. I found my Raleigh kickstand and decided to install.

noglider 

Something might have been lost in translation. I have confessed to putting lime in my coffee.

adventurepdx

Well, that's your problem! Your brake is broken!

adventurepdx

Welcome back, Mr. Raving Bike Fiend! Since I'm on a comics tip...

Scipunk

I have that same stand on my 64 and the damn things wants to tip over constantly I’m gonna get a greenfield for it instead

thumpism

If you have matching gouges on the other side I'd guess someone had a Wald basket mounted on that bike at some point. It's probably safe enough but I'm sure someone will bring expertise to this discussion.