Woo Hoo! A Big Project!

[melville]

Nothing happening too quickly here. It's been raining and cold, and I just survived 36 hours of in-laws ('twas a good time), and now I'm back to it. Continuing with the fork, I slid a board under the front wheels of the dolly to get the front end up enough to install both sliders simultaneously and had at it. First I shoved both sliders up all the way, then installed the axle:



Then let them slide down to check for binding:



I had some issues with the vent holes on the right stanchion. They needed some deburring to get everything to run smoothly.

Then it was time to check the fork brace/fender mount. It was, after 35 years of abuse and sandblasting and powdercoating, a couple mm too wide for the space available. Had to give it a wee squeeze:



And then things were great:



My bottom caps were rusty. While they cleaned up nicely with a wire brush, they soon showed surface rust. I rebrushed them and after installing them in the sliders:



I painted them with the caliper paint that I didn't use on the caliper:



With the weather we've been having, they'll be dry sometime next spring. I may sneak them into a warm part of the house when Mrs. melville isn't looking.

[Chuey]

Last shot: toe strap in lower left corner. Where would we be without toe straps?

Chuey

[melville]

Last shot: toe strap in lower left corner. Where would we be without toe straps?

Chuey

That's wrapping a bag with disassembled Lyotard platforms inside that I must reassemble someday for my Raleigh International. Do you remember if it was 5/32 balls, 11 inner and 9 outer?

Then I can use the strap for the overnight brake bleed.

[ME 109]

Cool Stuff! Only thing: in the last shot, it looks like your bike should be selling pencils on a busy sidewalk somewhere.

Chuey

You funny Chuey.
I've seen people do things like that to dogs that have lost thier rear drive.

Time to get your glass into gear Melville! (fork alignment)










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[melville]

Cool Stuff! Only thing: in the last shot, it looks like your bike should be selling pencils on a busy sidewalk somewhere.

Chuey

You funny Chuey.
I've seen people do things like that to dogs that have lost thier rear drive.

Time to get your glass into gear Melville! (fork alignment)

Oh, but I have! I think we were between boards when I did this. Checking the fork tubes on my high precision Kombi fixture--all within .001 at the middle:



Fun with glass--I had no discernable rock and checked with a feeler gauge:



I made a parallelosity gauge:





And used it--< .001 from top to bottom:





It's miserable rainy today. I'm not sure I'll be doing much. I did put a space heater in the Kombi and ran it for a couple hours to cure yesterday's lower cap paint job. Mrs. melville was all about the NO when I inquired about drying the sliders in the house.

[ME 109]

Excellent Melville!
I love to improvise (financially forced to improvise) when carrying out various tasks.
It is amazing what can be done with minimal tools and materials.

[melville]

Got out for an hour or so between raindrops. Paint was dry on the caps, so I proceeded. The sliders are now secured to the damper rods and the boots are installed:



Next up is getting the oil into the fork and securing the tops.

[Chuey]

That's wrapping a bag with disassembled Lyotard platforms inside that I must reassemble someday for my Raleigh International. Do you remember if it was 5/32 balls, 11 inner and 9 outer?

Then I can use the strap for the overnight brake bleed.

Uncanny! I have Lyotard platforms on a couple of my bikes. I also have a 1971 Raleigh International. I had one when it was new, 1971. Sold it when I bought one of the first DeRosas in the country. My International rides so great. Workmanship is awful, but the look and ride are great. You should check out White Ind. They have made a super nice billet/CNC version of the Lyotard Platform.

Chuey

[melville]

Oh hell yeah! Big progress today, and a possible setback.

Oil in the fork, springs in, caps on and torqued:



7 weight oil. That is not a marital aid, it's the cover to the syringe. $2 at the vet!:



Front wheel on. Here's where I had the possible setback--the right slider had the old pinch bolt stuck in it. I left it with my local airhead guy and he did his best removing it, but the new bolt felt a bit soft before I got it to 10 ft-lbs. I'm going to come back to it in a bit, when I can put the bike on the centerstand:



Final drive on, loosely until the rear wheel is in place:



Rear wheel on, just like it had always been there:



And now, no longer selling pencils on the sidewalk:



Coming fun to include getting the #*&@&%$ springs on the stands, putting the rear brake pedal and linkage in place, checking the right slider pinch bolt, and (if pinch bolt successful) getting the front brake hydraulicized. If all that happens, I'm going to put the seat on and have the boys push me around the driveway while I make MC noises. Really.

[Chuey]

A couple things:

First, the first time I put the springs on my center stand, I thought it was a trick of the devil to make me repent all my bad deeds. I hated it! I've not yet invested in a spring puller dealie, but I now have a trick that works. From making my cafe racer exhaust systems (I've made several), I have some tubing scraps. There was a piece about 1/8" wide. That makes it 36mm by 3 or 4 mm. I squished it down so it was like a loop of metal. I clamp that with some vise grips and pull the spring with that. It works pretty well and the decrease in cuss words was notable.

Second, if you need a left side slider, I think I have one and I'll send it to you. Let me know.

Chuey