Removing the Stem and Fork

Well, the bike is all apart now, with the exception of the stubborn bearing cups on the crank and headset, which I guess I'm just going to have to tape off when I paint, 'cause they're not going anywhere. The last things to come off were the stem and fork, which I did yesterday. I should take this opportunity to mention that I'm going largely from the book How to Restore Your Collector Bicycle by William Love (Bicycle Books, 2001). It's not perfect, by any means, but it's proving to be a good general guide.

I have to admit that as a new-comer to this, I was most confused by the headset assembly; and after taking it apart, I still don't quite get how it works. As a result, I meticulously documented every step with the digital camera just to make sure I could put it all back together in the right order. These are some of the more useful photos.

Photo 1 shows the stem after I removed it, with the expansion wedge at the bottom. To take off the stem, back out the bolt at the top of the stem about 1/2" and give it a good whack with a wooden or rubber mallet, or a regular hammer and piece of wood. This will dislodge the expansion wedge--it's very obvious when you are successful, as the stem will just slide out.

Photo 2 is probably a "well, duh" image for more experienced bike folks, but I wanted to remember the correct order for the hardware at the top of the headset once the fork was removed.

Photo 3 is looking down at the bearings at the top of the headset after removing the stem and hardware (and my feet make an appearance, as well).

Photo 4 shows the bottom bearings resting on the bottom bearing race.

Photo 5 shows the chrome plate on top of the fork removed. There is a tiny lip on the front side of the chrome plate that holds the plate to the fork. You can see where it attaches by where the metal on the fork is worn. I took this for my reference so I would remember later how to fit the plate black on.

Most of the hardware I've taken off now has been cleaned and bagged for reassembly. I took the front hub apart today, but didn't take any pictures, since it actually is pretty self-explanatory once you start it. Next, I'll take as much of the rear hub apart as I can, although I will not be venturing into the more intricate mechanics of the internal hub. I'll just be cleaning the dirt and grease off the external components and cleaning the bearings. I will take some photos of this and post them soon. Then, cleaning the frame in preparation for sanding.

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Cleaning Small Parts is Fun

So, I tackled the crank hardware last night and this morning using "Pedro's Bio Cleaner" (my usual all-purpose bike cleaner), a toothbrush, my thumbnail, and some very fine ("0000") steel wool. I used the toothbrush and my thumbnail to get the old dried-on grease off, and the steel wool to polish off the accumulated grime on the crank and crank arms, and to give them a bit of a shine. Compare the second photo with the similar "before" picture from yesterday.

My next goal is to take off the headset/fork. Should get to that in a day or two. At that point, everything will be off the frame and I'll be ready for cleaning, sanding, masking, priming, painting, detailing, and clear coating, all in that order. All done by me.

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The Crank

I finally went to the hardware store and bought a big enough wrench to take off the crank. For future reference, I needed the 10" adjustable wrench for the 1 1/8" inch nut.

The photo on top is the "before" picture of the crank assembly. In this photo, the bike is upside down and we're looking at the left side crank.

The second photo shows the "exploded" assembly after I took it apart, with the bearings exposed. The bearings come out, too, but were left in for the picture. One note here: everything I've read on removing the crank says that a spanner wrench is needed to remove the bearing race (a.k.a., adjusting cone), but mine came off just by turning with my fingers. Is this bad? I don't know.

In the third and fourth photos, I've circled the groove in the threads and the little tooth on the crank plate and washer than fits into it. These should be lined up for reassembly.

The fifth photo shows how dirty and grimy the inside of the crank assembly was. Shown here are the bearings for the right side. The old bearing grease has dried up and gotten gummy and dirty, which was probably dramatically affecting the ride of the bicycle. The last photo shows what fell out of the inside of the crank assembly--one very greasy, very dead insect.

Once I clean things up, I'll post some new pictures, just for contrast. I also have some thoughts on painting to post soon.

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Think dirty. In a good way.

Photo: www.dirtyagency.com

Actually, Keith Pops talks about a good deal more than old bikes at his blog, but his site DirtyAgency.com has a major focus on his work restoring old bikes. He's got some cool photos, a few links, and a sexy promo video, and he promises more soon.

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The Wheelmen.org

If you've happened upon my little half-acre of webspace and perhaps been disappointed that my 1971 Columbia Sports III isn't exactly all that old, here's a link that should fulfill your old bike fix.

From their website TheWheelmen.org:

The Wheelmen is a national, non-profit organization dedicated to keeping alive the heritage of American cycling, promoting the restoration and riding of early cycles (1918 or earlier), and encouraging cycling as part of modern living. Members are intent on learning lost skills, retelling lost stories, researching and writing of the golden era of cycling.

As for my own best efforts, they're on hold this week until I can get to the hardware store for a bigger wrench. Then, look out!

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GIANT ANTHEM S

       MANA TAHAN............ Sepeda produksi 2006, ini salah satu yang dibeli dalam bentuk full-bike. Memang sengaja ambil yang entry-level dari Giant Anthem (S), karena lebih ekonomis beli dalam bentuk full-bike dibanding beli frame saja. Sampai saat ini tinggal seatpost dan rear suspension saja yang masih orisinil, lainnya mana tahan sudah up-graded.



Spesifikasi :
Frame : Giant Anthem S
Frame year : 2006
Frame type : AluxX SL low-multipivot full-suspensions
Frame size : M (18 inch)
Color : blue silver
S/N : GR606996

Forks : RockShox Reba Race DualAir w/ remote lock
Rear suspension : Giant Maestro-A
Front derailleur : Shimano Deore LX FD-M580
Rear derailleur : Shimano Deore LX RD-M580
Shifters : Shimano Deore LX SL-M580
Crankset : Shimano Deore LT Hollowtech-II FC-M580
Cassette : Shimano Deore XT CS-M760
Chain : Shimano Deore XT CN-HG93
Bottom bracket : Shimano Deore XT
Pedals : Shimano DX
Brakes : Shimano Non-Series BR-M520 mechanical disc w/ 6 inch rotor
Stem : Maxm SL-Series
Handlebar : Maxm Al-5
Grips : Odi Ruffian MX
Headset : TH Industries Aheadset
Seatpost : Giant SP-D281
Saddle : WTB Rocket-V SLT Black
Wheelset : Mavic CrossRide Disc
Tires : Bontrager XR-Jones
Cables : Shimano XTR
Accessories : Cateye Enduro8 (cyclocomputer), Topeak (saddle bag), Topeak TC-2228B (handy-phone pack), Velo (chainstay-guard), Minoura (bottle cage), THE Pro-Series (shroud), Topeak (pump), Giant Quark-5 (head light), Giant Charm-3 (tail light)

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Bike-Saw Puzzle

It's been a few days since I've had a chance to get back to the bike, so today I did a bunch of stuff. I was only planning to take off the crank, but then I realized that I didn't have a big enough wrench (isn't that always the way?). So, instead, I took off the wheels, chain, kickstand, and fenders, which I then arranged artfully and took a picture.

While I had the bike upside down, I wiped off the accumulated dirt in preparation for the really thorough cleaning I'm going to do before sanding down the bad spots on the paint. I'll head to the hardware store this weekend for a bigger wrench and finally get the crank off, and maybe the stem as well. It's starting to get interesting.

Tip: When I tried to remove the rear fender, I found that the screw holding it to the frame was rusted tight, so I sprayed a little WD-40 on it and let it sit for about ten minutes. After that, it turned quite easily. This is the only time you should use WD-40 on a bike--never lube the chain or gears with WD-40. The problem is that WD-40 is formulated to resist water (WD=Water Displacement) and stay on whatever you put it on for a really long time. The longer it sits on your chain and gears, the more gunk gets stuck to it, and the gummier everything becomes. Use a specialty bike lube from your local bike store for your chain and gearing mechanism.

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