Wattsup

Ok, so I just bought what I thought was a Park HHP-2 clone, the Unior 1680/4. I saved about $100 over the Park, and supposedly it will press 1" , 1 1/8", 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" cups. My headtube is 1 1/8 to 1 1/4, so I figured I'm all set. I thought the drifts would fit nicely in both cups. I get the thing in the mail, it's looks nice, a beast, like it will last three lifetimes. But unless I don't understand something, it looks like the drifts won't do what I thought they would....like they're too small for the bottom cup. It's as if the drifts are for 1" and 1 1/8", but one has to remove the drift and rely on the large end piece to press in the bottom 1 1/4" cup. The drift does seem to fit the top cup. With the bearing removed, the drift sits inside the cup, and rests just on the edge of the cup where the bearing would sit. Is that called the "race?"
Maybe I'm doing things incorrectly? The headset is a Cane Creek 40, ZS 44/28.6 and EC44/33.

I notice on the park HHP-2, from reading the verbage, the drift itself will fit 1, 1 1/8, and 1 1/4, but one needs to remove the drift and use the big end piece for 1 1/2.

I passed on other less expensive presses, because they said they wouldn't press 1 1/4". I assumed they meant the drift itself wouldn't fit the 1 1/4 cup.....just like this one I have doesn't. Would you consider it false advertising for Unior to advertise 1" through 1 1/2" if the drift won't even fit properly in a 1 1/4" cup?

Am I thinking about this correctly? Thanks

Crankycrank

I would just contact Unior or maybe even some FAQ's or Manuals on their website will have the answer.

ljsense

No experience with the Unior 1680, but it looks like many headset presses with a series of stepped fittings that may or may not fit snug inside your headset bearings or cups.

It has flat surfaces on either end that will put pressure on a headset cup as you turn the clamp, and that's usually good enough.

I'd take out your bearings and do one headset cup first. After that one is seated, do the other. The tool will apply reasonably even force, even if it doesn't have a fitting that perfectly mates with the inside of a headset cup. The headtube will determine whether seated cups are aligned, not the tool.

You should not have to reef down on the cups. Most headset presses have handles that would seem to encourage destroying parts through over torqueing.

smd4

This.

Wattsup

I understand that I can simply use the end pieces. There are numerous less expensive presses on Amazon that work that way. Park has a less expensive one like that too. I just wanted to know whether I got what I thought I was paying for.

smd4

The Park tool we used back in the day (80s - 90s) didn’t have any of those spacers. We just used the flat surfaces to press cups in. But then, we were mostly dealing with regular bearings, not cartridges.

Crankycrank

Try here. Check the video too. Headset press (uniortools.com)

Wattsup

Thanks. I did look at that video before purchasing, but the drifts don't fit at all on my bottom cup, and just catch an edge on the top cup. I'm not entirely sure how those drifts are supposed to work. Is he pressing that top cup in with the bearing in it? I can see the drift fitting then, but is that advisable?

In any case, I just rooted through my basement and found the $30 press I used four years ago to press these cups in. The drifts fit in the cups like they were made for it....no wiggling at all...seat perfectly, top and bottom. Oh well. I guess I should have looked harder before ordering this thing. Postage back to Italy is probably cost prohibitive. This thing is heavy.

FBinNY 

Forget about the specific parts for a moment and consider what's needed.

With steel headsets it's OK to press by the rim of the cup, since the part is plenty strong enough. However with an aluminum cup, is important to press from the center so the cup itself isn't stressed. The "cone" side is easy since you'll always b pressing from center.

If you don't have a proper stepped sleeve, you might try dropping the cone into the cup (without balls) and seeinf if it's tall enough to protect the rim. Otherwise feel free to improvise any adaptor which will achieve the purpose.

maddog34

or you could just use a quality 2x4 and a mallet like was done for DECADES..... just don't hit yer thumb.....

in the future, a very expensive robot will be sold that will install things with nary a finger lifted by the bike owner... and then it will bill you for it's time plus taxes for the sake of nostalgia.

Wattsup

So this is an aluminum headset with cups that take cartridge bearings. With the bearings removed, the "cone" (you're referring to the drift?) that comes with the headset drops right through one of the cups, catching nothing at all. I'd be pressing the rim of the cup. The other cup opening is a little smaller, and one edge of the cone just barely catches the edge of the race. Not by a lot though. I did just notice that Cane Creek makes an accessory "tool", a ring that sits nicely in both cups, and accepts the standard stepped drift. It's exactly what's needed here. The one side is beveled to the same curve that the race is in the cup, so it sits perfectly in the cup, like it was made to., Oh wait, it was made to! lol. $17, ships free. I would have had the same problem with the park tool.

FBinNY 

Understand that unless one is full time in a large and busy bike shop, it's impossible to stay current with every component.

So, I approach jobs by knowing the basic principles, and WHY we do jobs a certain way.

Pressing a headset (any headset) you want to press directly over the cylindrical part going into the frame. This eliminates thr risk of distorting the cup that might happen if you pressed on the unsupported overhang.

Doing that is your job, using either a bought part, or improvising one.

If you know what matters you can do any job with confidence.

Russ Roth

Not true in my experience, kings the bearings aren't pop out cartridges, you just press against the rim of the cup and no worries.

OP, a lot of times the stepped piece for the park really only fit into the headtube, but any of the park shop level headset presses I've used, which would have been made in the last 30 years, had large ends of the presses that weren't flat, they had shallow steps that the headset cup would fit in. The stepped adapters were always used to fit the headtube, only press in one side at a time, while the other adapter may or may not be used on the headset cup. I've seen headsets like the king that had bearings crushed from using the stepped adapter, I've never heard of the rim of a headset being crushed from not using it.

Wattsup

I just read the Park Tool instructions for their HHP-2. It says to just use the end plates if the adapters don't fit, and it warns that aluminum cups may receive cosmetic damage. The $30 press that I used last time fits perfectly, but it too is simply pushing on the rim of the cup. I don't think I'll have any problems using the end plates.

"For headsets not fitting #530-2 cup guides, simply press using threaded press plate and sliding press plate. Pressure on the outer rim of aluminum head cups may visually scar the cups. If not using the guides, it can help to press one cup at at time."

WizardOfBoz

As I understand it, there are two bushings (pic below) that face each other on a shaft. On one end of the shaft you have the threaded nut with handles. On the other you have a collar that can be affixed to the shaft at various points on the shaft. This allows you to use the setup easily with many different frame sizes without having to run the nut up and down, and allows you to put the tool in place easily, again, without having to take the nut off. If you are putting in a cartridge bearing seat, and the bushing isnt big enough you can reverse the bushings and use the flat side of them to push the seat on. If you are installing the bearings themselves, you absolultely positively don't want to just push on the inner race. You want a flat surface to push on both the inner and outer races at the same time to ensure that the rule is followed: no force is to be transmitted axially through the bearing in any install. The Unior is a great tool for a shop, where you have to install cups on many different frame sizes. At $182, its probably overkill for the home shop/single bike user. Doesn't stop me from wanting one, though!

cyccommute 

You shouldn’t use the stepped adapter on a cartridge bearing headset according to Chris King’s installation instructions. You should be pressing on the outer edges of the headset to avoid damaging the bearings. King doesn’t make them anymore but here’s a very affordable one from Fleabay. You could also use the flat part of the press (red arrows below) but I’d probably use something as a pad (plastic or aluminum) to cushion the flats. There is a problem with doing this as there is nothing to center the press so great care should be used if doing this.

Russ Roth

Do one side first with the adapter in the headtube and its a lot easier to line up with the flat plates and get that second cup in square. I've got that same cheapie press and it works well enough, but you do need to be cautious when pressing in the second cup that its sitting centered on the first cup and you're holding the second cup centered to the tool when starting. Should probably stop being lazy and make a set of adapters on the lathe and drill press from aluminum that would center the common outer diameters of the headset cups but I never think of it till I want to use it.

smd4

Again, this is the way I would do it. Toss the cones. "Centering the press" isn't too difficult, and they press straight down, so I wouldn't worry too much about the cups going in "cock-eyed."

maddog34

i have a Park HHP-3 press.. it works by pressing on the rims of the cups.. and it works wonderfully after i fitted a couple straight 3/4" ID PVC couplers onto it.... along with the supplied spacer, i can mix/match to achieve the needed centering, thereby maintaining near vertical alignment to the cups and frame.

it also doubles as a BB cup press.. some careful hand alignment is required.

and i always have a decent 2x4 trim piece and my Mac deadblow around, if needed.

i'm amazed that no one has mentioned using a bearing/race/seal installer of the correct size.... https://www.ebay.com/itm/19393832361...Bk9SR4Ce1s6uYg

Wattsup

I'm not worried, I think it will work fine.

Wattsup

I think those drifts are to deep. They wouldn't go all the way into my cup to allow it to press on the rim. I have two aluminum drifts that fit perfectly, but the inside diameter is too small. I guess I could go get someone to go drill it out to fit my new press.

Can you post a photo of your PVC solution?

cyccommute 

Well that’s what happens when you put people on your ignore list. Already been suggested.

WizardOfBoz

Good advice about centering, but the Unior costs $182 list, and about $145 street. I'm sure that there are more expensive presses out there but this one isn't cheap in my book. Looks pretty sturdy, too. Unior makes good stuff.

Russ Roth

Didn't realize that was the Unior version in the pic. Mine is not unior quality, I'm familiar with the brand and a number of their tools, but clearly is a ripoff of the unior design. This is one of those items where the park shop version is the best but I don't install enough headsets, especially with modern frames, to justify the cost and went with one that looked good for 80.

Wattsup

I paid $120 shipped.