Scipunk

thanks for that tip, man its been years since i pulled a bike apart and these Raleigh's are finicky...lol I believe i am missing the retainers but ill get a closer look tomorrow

clubman 

Some dropouts have a recess or keyhole for a lip on the axle nut or cone. You have to pull the forks apart and the wheel will drop out. It's a pain without the bike in a stand.

BigChief 

Some Raleigh forks are set way too tight. You should be able to lightly spread the fork and the wheel should drop out. Sometimes it's so tight that it takes two people to wrestle the wheel out. I don't put up with that. If I have to repair a flat on the road, the last thing I want is battle getting the wheel off. I reset the fork until I only have to spread it maybe 1/32". I use a scissor jack and spread the fork very slowly and check a lot to make sure I get it just right and not more than I want.
I suspect you will have the usual Raleigh front hub with no lock nuts, so when you put the wheel back on remember that the fixed cone (the one without flats for the cone spanner) must go on the right side of the bike.

johnnyspaghetti

An incredibly bad shot of a fixed cable wheel with metal wheel on this 60' sports. The 1960 ladies frame has a clamp-on cable wheel low.
Note the diamond stamping on the upper rear stay tops.

clubman 

Here's a similar pressed fork end with the recess more visible. It's a 52

SirMike1983 

The pressed fork end was common on even decent bikes prior to the mid-1950s.

While brazed fork drops can come out or separate, pressed forks can crack along the seam where the pressing was done. The brazed ones are usually a bit more durable. The pressed fork ends often are more prone to getting deformed and just plain "dinged up" as well. But they can and do work effectively if they're not damaged badly.

Cracked pressed fork (2 cracks actually, and separating along the fold where it was pressed):



Repaired:

plympton

Thank you for the pic. That is how my 49 looks. My apologies to you all for my pics for I am from the 20th century ie flip phone.

Scipunk

Great info Mike, did you do that repair yourself?

Scipunk

So i loosened the pump bracket and this is the color underneath that orange part is from the sun which i think is awesome
64 Raleigh Sports colour by David Ashe, on Flickr

Also notice there was a split band bracket above it at some point, long enough to preserve the paint some) which is weird to me unless they routed the cable differently but there is no evidence of the jockey pulley ever being near the BB...lol

Also look how clean this seat post was...
64 Raleigh Sports by David Ashe, on Flickr

Scipunk

I am gonna post my 64 updates in it's own thread i have as to not clutter this thread up when there are so many others who need help and info

BigChief 

Good job on the teardown. Please keep the pictures coming. This is a very interesting project.

Scipunk

@BigChief i pulled my wheel on the 64 and it does in fact have the anti rotation washers and copper shavings on the inside of one Oo?

BigChief 

That's good. Saves you a few bucks. Thought I saw a plain washer. No idea where copper shavings would come from. There's no copper parts there that I can think of.

Scipunk

Yeah i have to agree, the copper, it's a bit odd. The silver washers are on the front wheel which does not have the lock nut so there's that. I am sure more mysteries will be added as i get the bike apart...lol

BigChief 

Oh yeah, these old Raleighs do have their quirks. British standard nuts and threads, lock nut less front hubs, 15/16" handlebars, 26TPI threads, 32 and 40 hole hubs, the need for parts that haven't been made in 50 years and sometimes quality control issues like that messed up fork I had on my 73 Sports. You get used to it after a while. It wouldn't be so much fun if it were easy.

Scipunk

Lol so true I’m learning a lot about them and the quirks are abundant!

noglider 

Overall, I still like to work on them. They mostly used good materials, and generally, the workmanship was good in its time. They're the longest lasting type of bike I've seen, and I've seen lots of bikes. I'm sure the US had more bomber type 1-speeds than 3-speeds in the 1950s, and now the 3-speeds outnumber the old 1-speeds.

3speedslow

I like to work on them but riding is still the reason to get them!
Nice r ide today before back to work at home.

gster

Interesting bike. You've routed your cables "British Style" like a motorbike, i.e. right hand controls front brake.
All of mine are the opposite.
Nice work.

BigChief 

That is a magnificent scorcher!!!!
Love it. Perfect home for the old window shifter. I like the English cable routing. The cables make a nice even cross out in front. I'm getting used to right/front braking anyway from riding my rod brake roadster. The cable routing on my scorcher looks the same, but only because R559s have the cables connected on the other side from the Raleigh calipers. My scorcher is also a 21" with a tall stem to be able to set up a 23" like riding position. Might be just in my head, but for some reason, I like the way the 21" frame handles better than the 23" Raleighs I have. Feels different somehow, more sporty

3speedslow

Thanks. Cable routing seems right to me on 3 speeds. Plus I had my time on cafes SOHC Hondas.
Most of my English bikes are cabled that way.

Gearing is set at 46/20 which gives me a hard-ish 3rd, nice 2nd, and a rediculous easy 1st.

Hub was ticking along but seemed loud so I put some more oil in there. See when it leaks out. Shifting is crisp! Wish I had more time for country riding.

I am cleaning and putting fresh grease into the hubs which will be the second wheel set- SS.

Scipunk

Missed out on a 51 ladies and a 52 mens due to lack of funds :/ both rather cheap for my area ($100). Would probably be easier to get one from a member and have it shipped...lol

In other news parts and such should be arriving for the 64' soon

3speedslow

Hey @BigChief thanks! High praise from all of you.

Window shifter did not go on this one, it has another bike to go to. I agree with the 21" frame being a good choice for this type, at least for me. I like the 23" for gentle riding. I need to go hunt up another 3 speed do at bike.

For its SS wheel set, I will use the alum set from Sun. Hubs are ready to be built up.

BigChief 

In case any of you missed the other thread about leather saddles, check out the selection from this German outfit.
CONTEC Parts 2017 (EN)
I didn't know about these. Stainless frames not chrome, but they look great. If you had asked me before, I would have said that you couldn't buy a new dual rail silver frame B66 anymore. I would have been wrong.

Scipunk

@3speedslow love the bike!
Since I am returning to the addicti... I mean hobby the ones I have bought have been while uneducated, important purchases to me for learning and such.
I know I don’t have a cool scorcher (not sure what the means I assume a faster 3 speed?) or a old 40’s or 50’s but I love them none the less. The 64 has a weird story that will remain a mystery and the 73 while apparently left in a big is 1 month younger than me They will both be ridden I promise and I have a special plan for the 73
Someday perhaps I’ll have a bike people will love as much as I do until then I need to figure out how to not break them lol