getting a spoke nipple back into a sealed rim

craigenty

Spoke came loose on Saturday and the nipple went awol inside the rim.

I have just taken the spoke out and the nipple fell out of the valve hole. Now I need to get the nipple all the way round to the other side of the rim and back through a tiny hole?

Any clues? Magnets? Could I drill a 4mm hole in the rim over the nipple hole then seal the hole after?

Fulcrum 3's by the way.

Cheers

Craig

SB75

My sympathies. This sounds like a right bu66er. I'd have a go at getting a long strand of copper wire (perhaps 2 or 3 twisted together) and shoving it through the nipple hole. Feed it in around the rim and you should be able to get the wire through the valve hole (use the head of an old spoke or similar). You'll then be able to put the nipple on the wire and pull it round. Obviously, you need to make sure you don't make the wire too thick for the hole in the nipple. Hope that makes sense. Let us know how you get on.

keef66

I have no personal experience, but suspect a magnet may be the official way. I'd probably try the drilling thing though.

How in god's name do they make the things in the factory?????

craigenty

Job done - Wink

1.Thread a piece of gear cable down the spoke hole, through the rim and out through the valve hole.
2.Put the nipple about 4mm onto the cable and splay about 5 or 6 strands over the nipple.
3. Gently pull the cable through the rim.
4. Nipple pops through hole first time.
5. hold the nipple with some long nose pliers
6. Quickly tug the cable - nipple stays in place - cable comes out.

5 min tops - genius or what? Cool


Craig

synchronicity

Just wanted to add that a magnet won't work because nipples are either made of brass or aluminium and are non-magnetic.

Captain Fagor

10/10 for improvisation. Will log that in the memory banks in case it ever happens to me!

_Brun_

My Fulcrum 3's were supplied with a magnet and and a 'magnet-attracting nipple insert'. Sounds fun doesn't it?

Maybe their UK distributor will be able to supply them?

dbb

very creative - well done!

yes - Genius

velotechcycling

Fulcrum 3s are the same design as some of the Cmapg wheels that we repair or rebuild for repair or very occasionally for warranty.

DON'T go drilling holes in the rim. It's very bad idea on any number of levels!

DO get hold of the correct magnetic insert for the nipple & a strong magnet . We can supply these at Velotech if you can't find them from your LBS - they can order from us or from any of the Campag wholesalers, or from Jim Walker, who are Fulcrum's UK agent.
Screw the insert into the "spoke" end of the nipple.
Drop the nipple in through the valve hole.
Draw the nipple around the rim
When you have the nipple at the hole in the rim, run the magnet round the shpe of the rim & the nipple (cos the magnetic bung is in the "spoke" end) will orient itself correctly and the threaded part of the nipple that you are going to thread the spoke into will be drawn through the rim.

This is how they are built at the factory & yes, if you are doing acomplete wheelbuild, it does take a bit longer :-)

ugo.santalucia

Reviving this old thread for the benefit of the spannering community on BR... (interesting to see pretty much all the contributors no longer post on here with a couple of exceptions... ).

Fixing one of these Fulcrum 3 (I believe Zonda are the same) is a freaking joke... the supposed to be magnetic nipples are not even magnetic... or maybe they are under a scrapyard crane magnet... :? absolutely ludicrous... that of course combined with the nipples being pretty much all seized and snapping in half... at Fulcrum they must be having a laugh!

craigenty

I have to say, I've used my method of using the piece of cable a few times since my original problem in 2008. It really works.
I've also just ordered my 2nd pair of Fulcrum Zeros - they have been the best wheels I've ever had.

ugo.santalucia

craigenty wrote:

I have to say, I've used my method of using the piece of cable a few times since my original problem in 2008. It really works.
I've also just ordered my 2nd pair of Fulcrum Zeros - they have been the best wheels I've ever had.

Glad to see you're still on the forum!

bontie

A joke it is, the nipples arent magnetic, therefore the screw in jobbie that is magnetic.
Hardly worth it in my opinion, but thanks for the help anyway Paolo.

arlowood

Video for this very process on Campag rims so maybe it would work on the Fulcrums as well.

I guess you need the special magnet that fits into the nipple tho' so not sure if that is feasible for the Fulcrum wheels/nipples

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaC1x-K20Cc

StillGoing

_Brun_ wrote:

My Fulcrum 3's were supplied with a magnet and and a 'magnet-attracting nipple insert'. Sounds fun doesn't it?

Maybe their UK distributor will be able to supply them?

Yep same here.

ugo.santalucia

What a palaver... :?

rafletcher

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Reviving this old thread for the benefit of the spannering community on BR... (interesting to see pretty much all the contributors no longer post on here with a couple of exceptions... ).

Fixing one of these Fulcrum 3 (I believe Zonda are the same) is a freaking joke... the supposed to be magnetic nipples are not even magnetic... or maybe they are under a scrapyard crane magnet... :? absolutely ludicrous... that of course combined with the nipples being pretty much all seized and snapping in half... at Fulcrum they must be having a laugh!

To be fair, the Veliotech post talks of a magnetic insert that screws into the nipple - so any piece of steel rod with the correct thread would help. But yes, a real b*stard I should imagine.

slowbike

ugo.santalucia wrote:

What a palaver... :?

hardly complicated - it's not as though you have to replace a spoke or nipple every ride ... so what's the fuss?

ugo.santalucia

Slowbike wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

What a palaver... :?

hardly complicated - it's not as though you have to replace a spoke or nipple every ride ... so what's the fuss?

Yes, but as they are all seized and snapping as you turn them... I'd have to replace them all... do you want to do it? :?

ugo.santalucia

rafletcher wrote:

so any piece of steel rod with the correct thread would help. But yes, a real b*stard I should imagine.

hence a piece of spoke... annoyingly most spokes are non magnetic or very weakly magnetic... need to get a rusted one from a bike abandoned in front of the station, as those are magnetic...

slowbike

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Slowbike wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

What a palaver... :?

hardly complicated - it's not as though you have to replace a spoke or nipple every ride ... so what's the fuss?

Yes, but as they are all seized and snapping as you turn them... I'd have to replace them all... do you want to do it? :?

If it was my wheel then yes - but as it's not and I wouldn't get paid to do it then no ... not particularly....
it's still not really a palaver - unless you do it in the really slow way the video showed....

ugo.santalucia

Slowbike wrote:

If it was my wheel then yes - but as it's not and I wouldn't get paid to do it then no ... not particularly....
it's still not really a palaver - unless you do it in the really slow way the video showed....

OK, it's not a palaver, it's a PITA... why in person you don't come across so pedantic?