Ah! One more who thinks grinding paste might help. As I wrote before, though, would the turning balls work? Worth a try, though. It couldn't make the surfaces worse.

The seller (this is a recent purchase) has offered me new axles so that's not a problem but it wouldn't make sense to risk damaging them by using them with bad cups.

There's a very good engineering works a 15 minute ride from home. I'm going to take the pedal there to see what they say when I have time.

Thinking outside the box, for a second, I have seen pedals that didn't have ball bearings at all, but rather nylon bushings. Possibilities?

I wanna know who let you out of the box Really though, THAT is an interesting idea!

Forget JBWeld. If you want to put thousands of miles on these pedals, you are going to have to address the hardness issue. If you are using them for occasional rides, just smooth down what you have.

The problem is that these pedals were never designed to be repaired. Any repair more involved than cleaning up the cups or replacing the bearings, axles & cones will require a great deal of money, as well as an imaginative machinist. I doubt there is enough material in the barrel of the pedal to hold a loose cup, even if the original were machined down to accept it. Then you have the issue of axle length, which isn't trivial. If you were a machinist (or had one who owed you a big favor), it might be worth exploring other options. However, you wouldn't have posted here if you were or had.

I hope this doesn't come across as unsympathetic. My wife has an all-Campy bike, except for the pedals which are mid-range steel Way Assautos. She likes them, and I dread the day they wear out and I have to deal with the same issue you have!

If you value your time, you'd be better off replacing these pedals. None of the techniques described is anywhere close to being guaranteed to succeed, and that would be AFTER spending a lot of time. If you want to replace the pedals with the exact model, just wait and watch ebay and craigslist. Use google alerts to do the watching for you.

One nice thing about these pedals is that they were made to last. They lasted, and now they're done. Fixing them up to last doesn't make sense, since they're dead now. The supposed durability has been spent. It's gone.

I think that if the cups were intended to be replaced or repaired, they would be pressed in rather then part of the pedal body. I would suspect that if you found a set of restored pedals on Ebay the cones might be new, the bearings might be new, the cups are unlikely to be replaced or repaired, unless they are press fit. You could potentially mill or drill out the cup and press or braze one in as the cup location looks to be supported by the cage, the question is, whether a cup that could be pressed or brazed in would be available. Then you need to replace the chrome, chrome is a very hazardous process that uses toxic materials, so it's likely to be very expensive. I could see repairing those pedals costing over $100 per pedal and they still might not work 100%.

There are some modern pedals that are reproductions of older designs, any rat-trap style pedal would be a good option, like these not exactly period correct, but close enough that give them 6 months use, most people would not be able to tell.

Dawes-man, I have a pair of 40- or 50-year old pedals you might like. They are in excellent condition. The design is different than yours, but it's period correct, and they're British-made.

I'm willing to trade, if you've got anything I need.

Pictures are here.

I'm late to this discussion, but I have used valve-lapping compound to clean up minor (key word) pitting in races that could not be pressed out (or no new races sold). Compound is very fine and lapping with a hand drill takes a long time. If I was determined to use this method I'd ask my Mom for some of the diamond powders (coarse to extra fine) used by lapidary hobbyists, it would cut far faster than the silicon carbide in lapping compound. Yes, it removed any case-hardened layer that may (another key word) have been present, so I always sought out softer ball bearings than the grade 25 chromium alloy jobs we use in every other case...look for grade 500, plain steel. I also think that the pitting in these fine and vintage pedals is unfortunately too deep to attempt lapping it away (YRMV and hope springs eternal).

What you are referring to is case hardening. AFAIK, a quality cone or any other high grade part would be milled from solid billet. It would have the same hardness throughout. The billet would presumably have been forged making it more expensive, whereas case hardening would have been created by heating and cooling — that is to say tempering. If I'm wrong — someone burn me down as I'm retrieving stuff that my Dad taught me many decades ago.

What does this mean to Dawes-man?
Well you have nothing to lose, so I'm gonna suggest something that reminds me of something my uncle told me back in the Cretaceous. In Britain during WWII he worked 12 hour shifts making pistons for Rolls Royce Merlins. (They powered Spitfires, Hurricanes etc). To wind down after work, he'd go home and grind a crankshaft of an old Riley race car — with a file! Now this guy was old school craftsman. They don't make them this way anymore. You would be on a big learning curve. But lets try:

His method used machinist's blue and a repeated process. He'd file down the crank bearing surfaces turning the crank in V-blocks. Then he'd assemble the blued crank with the shells and torque down the caps. Then he'd turn the crank. Next he'd pull down the bearing caps, the shells and stuff and put the crank in the V-blocks and file away the blue high spots. Then he'd repeat the process. No one can do this anymore — or wants to. It worked for him!

Now for you ... you can use a fine rat tail file. You need a small vise. You file as best you can and as close as you can to the center of the bearing track. For the inside race you can use a Dremel type tool [Dai shin sells them] and an appropriate sized and shaped stone. Blue up the cones and races and assemble them on bearings with no grease. Rotate them and see what comes out. Trial and error. It may drive you crazy, or you may just ace it enough to make them work.

BTW: You may know all about Kamata — a few stops south of Shinagawa, and just before you cross the river to Kawasaki? If you need a machine shop to handle this problem, get the Keihin Tohoku to Kamata Station. Walk out the front and turn east. You will leave the busy high street and be following the river ... or close to it. There is a very winding, narrow road about 100 meters to the west of the river that is the backbone of the neigborhood. It contains the local mom-pop shopping. That whole area is — or was 15 years ago — full of family-run, precision machine shops. Typically, the family lives above the shop.

This kind of stuff is their forte. (They make hydraulics for the shinkan-sen and so on). This kinjo has been considered the pride of Japan. After the bubble, the government tooks pains to prevent these crafts families from being ruined. (Let's hope they succeeded).

You might find someone willing to make you a new set of cones. After all, if they set up the lathe to make one, they can make more. Or maybe they can machine the old cone and mill the old race for oversize bearings. Just a few thoughts — extreme but that seems to be where you are heading.

If it all seems too much, my LBS here in Sendai has some MKS pedals that do look in character. Your LBS will have the same catalog.

Good luck — and look me up if you get to Tohoku. You can use one of my rides.

And now I'm thinking that it wouldn't be THAT hard (relatively speaking) to pull the steel cups out of an aluminum pedal and alter them to fit...

This subject is going to be on my mind for a while, I suspect.

This subject is going to be on my mind for a while, I suspect.[/QUOTE]

...yes, I know what you mean. Interesting challenge indeed. And I can fully empathize with the OP's desire to keep things original equipment and to save what can be saved. Noble cause. But these pedals, though fine and scarce, are not unobtainable I wouldn't think. Uk ebay and dealer watch should yield a set with patience.

They look like French-made, Lyotard Faucheaux, late model with riveted cross piece instead of screwed and without the oil hole in the barrel and clip.

I doubt you have anything I need.

Not at all. See the PM I've just sent you.

I'm sure you're right that these pedals were not designed to be repaired but judging by the build, I'm sure they were built to last. What puzzles me is that these problems affect the right pedal while the left is in very good condition. I think perhaps they are not really a pair.

Since my first post I've been in contact with someone who restores hubs and pedals and he has confirmed what you suspect. He only restores things with good, inboard races. He's never asked his engineer to work on inboard races and doesn't know if it's possible but he's kindly offered to find out. We'll see but hope fades.

The Mikashima pedals you link are very good, without doubt. I have 2 pairs of their Touring model but I'm afraid that for me there's no substitute for the pleasure in using components that were made around the time I was born and have survived. Hats off to Mikashima, though! Inexpensive and well-made.

An aside... Mikashima pedals look much better if you polish them with 400, then 600 grit paper and then finish them off with Autosol metal polish. They look even better if you make an effort and polish out the casting seams.

I thought 'lapidary' was something to do with butterfly collecting and looked it up. Ah!

About the 500 grade balls, is that because they relieve the races from the full force of the cutting effect of the diamond powders?

From all the thoughtful replies offered here I'm beginning to think that trying to clean up the races with some kind of compound and a drill is the only (very small) hope I have.

Hello Lenton,

So near and yet so far! We must meet up some time.

Very interesting about Kamata and worth schlepping over there just to have a look. I reckon it would be a 30 to 40 minute ride over there. Back in 1981 I used to live in Edogawabashi, which was just such a community but with small, family-run printing workshops all around.

What you say about the races etc. being made from material the same hardness throughout is possibly right, to my completely unqualified and lacking-in-knowledge eye. However, I really don't trust my hand with a Dremel (which I have) and fear making them even worse than they already are. But thanks!

No, I think the best hope for my level of expertise is in using a power drill and some sort of grinding compound in the assembled pedal. If that doesn't work, I shall gracefully accept defeat. I have a pair of Campagnolo Superleggeri pedals that i can modify to take my wide feet if need be. With the black taken off they would resemble 1950s Campagnolo Record pedals... I think.

The softer (grade 500) balls are something to use after you've finished grinding/lapping/polishing since the remaining steel on both cups and race might be softer than before (this assumes that something had been case-hardened, but with cheap mass-produced pedals, they probably skipped this manufacturing step). When I did the job with lapping compound I just used any old balls of the correct size since they were going to be tossed out with the old compound...also make sure you really thoroughly clean the internals when you're done: don't let any silicon carbide (or diamond dust) mix with your grease and fresh bearings. Lapping compound is just the abrasive mixed with heavy-weight machine oil or grease, so clean with that in mind.

Gotcha! Makes perfect sense. Many thanks.

About cleaning up afterwards, yes indeed!

I'm a tinkerer (is there a 12-step for that, yet?), and giving this^ idea some more thought I think I'd explore using some of these:
https://www.igus.com/wpck/default.asp...ager&C=US&L=en if all other options fail (and I still wanted to try to use the pedals, but wasn't averse to some permanent modifications)
You could probably clip them into the cups both in-and-outboard, maybe just have to redrill the holes to match an existing metric size clip bearing...then the real mods would be to the pedal shaft, turning it on a lathe so you have a flat contact surface...maybe sourcing some precision spacers to replace the cones. The upside is these bearings are inexpensive, self-lubing, though can be used with lubes as well, easily replaced...probably durable enough for a bicycle pedal application (that's a guess).

Unworthy has a point — assuming I catch his meaning. I assume that there is a Daishin or Marushi near you. Depending on the branch store, they have a selection of sealed bearings that just by chance may be made to fit in the pedals and fitted over the axel. A long shot, but you never know. And don't forget Tokyo Hands — which by the way is not up here. There is one in Machida and ..... You would know better than I.

Yeah, we should meet up. Next time I'm south to renew my passport or something, I'll PM you.

Were any of the original parts actually hardened in the first place? Most stamped steel type bearing cups are just that, stamped steel. The cones are probably harder than plain steel but rarely do I find such components truly hardened steel. If those were mine, I'd probably clean the inner races as best as possible, even wet sanding will do wonders for them. Nothing short of spray welding and grinding will make them new again. The races can be turned on a lathe or with a drill and filled or sanded. Replace the balls, regrease and see what you have then.
If that doesn't provide satisfactory results, then go to a place that stocks small bearings, find a pair of sealed bearings that fit ID and OD dimensions, press them in, then modify the old cones to retain the bearings or come up with some spacers to take up any end play. Other than that, their toast.
I would venture to guess that some new balls and some well dressed cones would give good service again. Chances are the old damage came from being dry or wet and rust formed. Pitting in the races isn't good but were talking about pedals here, not wheel bearings on a high speed vehicle. These are low RPM fairly light load bearings.

*** hmmm ...looks like a definite snub to an offer of help, to me.

I'm still thinking nylon or other plastic is the way to go. The clip bearings Unworthy1 linked to, above, seem not quite right to me, but it all depends what's out there. Ideal, in my mind, would be a pair of plastic rings that nest together on a conical surface and, together, form a torus (donut) shape that fits the existing cup and cone. I rather doubt anyone makes exactly the thing I imagine, but I know there are lots of manufacturers making lots of plastic bearings. It's just a matter of finding the best one for the job.

A perfect fit is not necessary; extra space can be filled with epoxy or whatever.

This is a person who, in response to me seeking to find out if anything can be done to save a vintage bicycle part, declares it is junk. Who, on being asked if this is an informed judgement ignores the request but takes the time to expand on their photo-hosting preferences. They then give me a mini-lecture on the best use of my time and stuff I already know about how to acquire bicycle parts. And after that, this person offers me a French part, saying it is English, in return for anything I might have that they want. I don't see an offer of help anywhere in that but quite a lot to be offended by.

Whew! Let that be a lesson to us all!