Today I tackled my 1955 Raleigh's full chain case.

It should have been easier than it was, but I have learnt a lot...

The bike was going fine, but the gearing is too tall for my puttering around with the kids, so I decided on a larger rear sprocket

I am lucky that the chaincase is complete including the sliding 'windows' at the rear axle and the crank.
And it doesn't rattle.
So why would I mess with it?

I took off the small rear screw-on section that comes off to allow rear wheel removal.
I thought it had an 18 tooth sprocket, so I bought a new 20 tooth from the local bike shop. He didn't know how much it cost, as he 'hadn't sold one for a while' ! In the end we settled on 2 pounds, and he threw in some spare links for the correct size but modern version of the chain, as I thought the chain wouldn't be long enough to cope with the bigger sprocket

Got home, popped off rear wheel (aftyer disconnecting dynohub, gear linkage) to find it was in fact a 17 tooth cog I was swapping out for a 20 tooth, so a good drop in ratio.
I swapped the cog over no problemo, but then decided to splice in 2 extra links.
So I had very oily chain lying on cobbles.
Then it started to rain.
I connected 2 modern links to the end of the chain, but the pins of the removable link wouldn't fit through the eye of the new link - too narrow.
So I removed new link, reconnected removable link and tried to break the chain elsewhere to insert extra links.
But the old pins wouldn't come out, then my chainlink tool broke!
And it was still raining
Then I tried to fit the wheel back in to the chain with its new larger 20 tooth sprocket. It fitted but only just engaged the forward-sloping rear forks slots for the axle, and wouldn't slide back enough to clear the inside edge of the chain case, and the sprocket was trapped outside this and rubbing
So it kept raining, and I again removed the original removable link to slide the wheel right back to clear the edge of the chaincase.
Then I lost the top end of the chain down the case...
Meanwhile I was half an hour late getting the chicken in the oven to roast for dinner, it was raining and I was covered in 55 year old oil.
I finally sorted it out but because the wheel is sitting so far forward in the rear forks, the removable corner of the chain case wont sit back properly, so is temporarily held by one screw instead of two

So I need a new modern chain and a new chain link tool to do the job with. I will buy a Quality One this time.

Meanwhile the chaincase had slightly bent from the weight of the bike without rear wheel resting on it, so reassembled chain rubbed!

It was still raining...

A bit of gently-applied brute force realigned the chain case, quick adjustment got all 4 gears on the FG hub working.

And next time, I will:-

1. check the weather forecast
2. Start with a new chain and not presume that a 1955 Raleigh chain is compatible with a 2010 one
3. investigate a working stand for the bikes so I don't grovel around on my knees in the rain, my pre-arthritic left hip doesn't impinge, and I don't have to rest the bike on its chaincase.

Fun and games...

PS: the roast was lovely

AL NZ, that about sums up the typical experience most people have with chaincases. they're great at keeping your drivetrain and your pants clean, but they do make the simplest repairs (even repairing a flat!) a major pain! i upgraded the rear cog on my '51 raleigh from an 18T to a 22T, and i just bought a cheap new chain to deal with the extra 4 links. it is nice that the chaincases are designed to accommodate a 22T cog. if you ever lose the chain inside the chaincase, just hang the bike from the front wheel-- the chain dangles down.

here's my chaincase, hiding the 22T cog:

I want to say LOL, but your story is so tragic. I was laughing anyway. Old bikes are great fun, aren't they?

So... I shouldnt have bought an original mid 50s coventry chain for my brit project?
Live and learn.

When I worked in an LBS (70's) I loved when one of these came in. Rod brakes, chain case, SA hub. And the rider was always some tweeded out British expat. I always did my best work, I wanted to prove to that worldly gent that even though I was a midwest hick, I could fix his exotic machine. If you own and love a bike like that, a workstand might be the ticket (and a covered workspace too).

All I can say is -
"when it rains, it pours"