Thread To Tell Everyone What Fettling You've Just Done

desweller

Unfettled (is that a word? It is now) my bike by riding in the rain and mud (the joys of living in the Cotswolds). Now the rear brake won't release and my shiny new wheel looks like it's been on there for 12 months, not 36 hours.

SimonAH

M

redvee wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

so job two (tonight) will be finding a way to mount a front mech..... Happy days!

Is the seat tube long enough before it reaches the low top tube?.

Unfortunately no, but fabricated a bracket from 3mm steel plate and welded it in place this evening, added a friction shifter to the bars and we now have twelve gears over a way larger range. I am an engineering god.

Also fitted one of those 'pull out like a shower head' mixer taps to the kitchen sink this evening. I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

desweller

SimonAH wrote:

I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

I'm not familiar with the detailed requirements of the role, but are you quite sure that you've understood what's involved?

veronese68

Stopped at evans to buy a new brake cable inner to replace the one that snapped. Nothing stainless in stock, so bought galvanised and thought I'd upgrade later.
Fitted the brake cable with no drama. As I finish my neighbour pulls up and we have a chat, I mention the lack of stainless cables and he asks if the Specialized a couple of doors along had any. I am an idiot, Why didn't I think of that?

SimonAH

quote="DesWeller"]

SimonAH wrote:

I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

I'm not familiar with the detailed requirements of the role, but are you quite sure that you've understood what's involved?[/quote]

Lots of fiddling around in tight spaces where you can't see your hands hoping that nothing will leak when you're done?

rjsterry

SimonAH wrote:

Also fitted one of those 'pull out like a shower head' mixer taps to the kitchen sink this evening. I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

Taps are almost by definition an absolute ar$e to fit: they are always behind the sink bowl, so just reaching the connectors and nuts is a challenge, never mind getting a spanner to them. I've found it is easiest to take the worktop off the units and rest it on a couple of trestles, flip it over if that helps, and fit the tap 'in the open' before lifting the whole worktop-sink-tap assembly back into position.

desweller

rjsterry wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

Also fitted one of those 'pull out like a shower head' mixer taps to the kitchen sink this evening. I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

Taps are almost by definition an absolute ar$e to fit: they are always behind the sink bowl, so just reaching the connectors and nuts is a challenge, never mind getting a spanner to them. I've found it is easiest to take the worktop off the units and rest it on a couple of trestles, flip it over if that helps, and fit the tap 'in the open' before lifting the whole worktop-sink-tap assembly back into position.

Tap spanners, dude. Tap spanners.

EKE_38BPM

My fixie has had a hard life recently as its being kept outdoors in my girlfriend's back garden under inadequate shelter and after getting caught in a massive downpour the other day I tipped it up onto its back wheel to take it through the house and a large amount of water came running out of the (drainage?) holes in the chain stays. As its a 29 year old steel frame with a fair few spots of rust on the outside I was seriously concerned that any water in the frame would rust the bike from the inside out so today I stripped the bike.

BB: removed and replaced with the Campag one that I usually have on but swapped a while back to see if that was causing my drift to the left (it wasn't).
Chainset: Shimano chainset removed and Campag chainset installed.
Pedals: removed from Shimano chainset, cleaned and replaced onto Campag chainset.
Fork: removed, cleaned, sprayed internally with WD40 and wiped down with GT85
Headset: cleaned, degreased, regreased and replaced.
Stem: removed, cleaned and replaced.
Seat post: removed, cleaned and replaced (also wiped down with some GT85 for teflony slidiness)
Front wheel: removed, rim and tyre cleaned (tyre inspected for foreign objects), spokes & hub cleaned and tefloned (note: rim not tefloned).
Front brake: removed, disassembled, cleaned, reassembled and replaced.
Brake cable: removed from outer, given a teflon wipe and replaced.
Rear brake: I checked and checked and checked, but it definitely doesn't have one.
Rear wheel: Once I was obliged to ride through a deep puddle and for weeks afterwards the bike felt slow and I could hear a sloshing sound. Eventually I removed the tyre and innertube and about 200ml of water came out. With this in mind, I removed the tyre and innertube and let the wheel drain. Only a few drops of water came out, but worth it for peace of mind. Rim and tyre cleaned (tyre inspected for foreign objects), spokes and hub cleaned and tefloned (note: rim also tefloned).
Track sprocket and lockring: removed, cleaned and replaced. Sprocket turned around to even wear.
Reflective spokes straws: removed, cleaned and replaced.
Chain: cleaned and lubed.
Frame: with everything off I left it to air out whilst I did everything else. I then cleaned it, sprayed inside the tubes with WD40 (the WD stands for Water Displacement) then wiped down with teflon.


My bike is now back in one piece, looking shiny, smelling of GT85 and feeling slick to the touch. I really want to take it for a test ride, but its wet outside and there is no way I'm getting it wet and dirty after all that!!!

itboffin

What's GT45 ....?

EKE_38BPM

itboffin wrote:

What's GT45 ....?

Oops, meant GT85. Now edited.

EKE_38BPM

itboffin wrote:

What's GT45 ....?

Hold on, all of that fettling and you pick up on a stupid typo!?!

itboffin

EKE_38BPM wrote:

itboffin wrote:

What's GT45 ....?

Hold on, all of that fettling and you pick up on a stupid typo!?!

1-2 3 times a layboy :P

ketsbaia

Taken cassette off old rear wheel, cleaned, put on new rear wheel.
Rim tape applied to both wheels.
Inner tubes fitted
Tyres fitted.
Fit new wheels to posh bike.

Taken me hours.

Net weight saving?

500g.

Would have been easier to skip dinner. :roll:

rjsterry

DesWeller wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

Also fitted one of those 'pull out like a shower head' mixer taps to the kitchen sink this evening. I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

Taps are almost by definition an absolute ar$e to fit: they are always behind the sink bowl, so just reaching the connectors and nuts is a challenge, never mind getting a spanner to them. I've found it is easiest to take the worktop off the units and rest it on a couple of trestles, flip it over if that helps, and fit the tap 'in the open' before lifting the whole worktop-sink-tap assembly back into position.

Tap spanners, dude. Tap spanners.

... Are bugger all use for anything other than traditional pillar taps. The monobloc mixer taps I've fitted have a ~50mm dia. threaded body with a big rubber washer and a large octagonal nut to clamp it through the worktop.

Wrath Rob

Just tried to re-index the rear dérailleur on the Comtat to no avail. Noticed a lot of play in the jockey wheels so dismantled them to discover a nice, rusty bearing, which might explain the play. Been accumulating bits to upgrade the commuter to 10sp so think I'll be buying a new 10sp 105 dérailleur and chain shortly. Hopefully I'll be able to index that properly.

twist83

Fitted an old set of Carbon FSA Flat Bars to the Boardman Hybrid I had lieing around gathering dust. Also tried to fit an old Pair of Avid Juicy 3's to replace the BB5's on there currently. All I achieved there was the fact both need bleeding and then my finger got caught by the spoke and smashed into the disc taking a huge chunk out of it and spraying blood on the carpet.

BB5's now back on and Juicy 3's on Ebay :roll:

Also fitted the Fox RP2 shock which came for the other halfs Giant Trance so that will keep her Happy.

ketsbaia

So I sat on the bike and wheeled it back and forth under my own weight and heard one or two pings from the spokes. Guess they need tensioning, then, yeah?

EKE_38BPM

ketsbaia wrote:

So I sat on the bike and wheeled it back and forth under my own weight and heard one or two pings from the spokes. Guess they need tensioning, then, yeah?

New wheel build? If so, then that noise is normal for the first use. If not, get tensioning.

ketsbaia

New wheels, but I didn't build them. Will take to LBS to make sure. Ta.

jonnyboy77

Removed rear wheel from the Kona to find out what the noise from the rear brake was all about, noticed the pads looked a bit thin ...



Ah ... ordered new pads and rode the Ridgeback to work today!

- Jon

UndercoverElephant

EKE_38BPM wrote:

ketsbaia wrote:

So I sat on the bike and wheeled it back and forth under my own weight and heard one or two pings from the spokes. Guess they need tensioning, then, yeah?

New wheel build? If so, then that noise is normal for the first use. If not, get tensioning.

Not so, properly built wheels won't make any sound. If they ping like that, the builder hasn't accounted for spoke twist, meaning that sitting on them has compressed them enough that they're re-seating. If they're still true, they should be fine, if not they'll need tweaking.

ketsbaia

I did the 'pluck each spoke and see how it sounds' test and some were clearly at a higher pitch than others, so I'm guessing they need looking at properly. No biggie. Tenner at LBS to make sure, I reckon.

sturmey

rjsterry wrote:

DesWeller wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

SimonAH wrote:

Also fitted one of those 'pull out like a shower head' mixer taps to the kitchen sink this evening. I could now get a job as a gynacologist I reckon. Two hours of head in a cupboard swearing.

Taps are almost by definition an absolute ar$e to fit: they are always behind the sink bowl, so just reaching the connectors and nuts is a challenge, never mind getting a spanner to them. I've found it is easiest to take the worktop off the units and rest it on a couple of trestles, flip it over if that helps, and fit the tap 'in the open' before lifting the whole worktop-sink-tap assembly back into position.

Tap spanners, dude. Tap spanners.

... Are bugger all use for anything other than traditional pillar taps. The monobloc mixer taps I've fitted have a ~50mm dia. threaded body with a big rubber washer and a large octagonal nut to clamp it through the worktop.

By 'tap spanners' he may have been referring to a set of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0015NSTU4/r ... wo=&hvqmt=

You will find one of them will fit over the hexagonal brass nut and then you use the tommy bar to tighten.
The copper tails (or easier still the flexis) can be tightened into the base of the tap before you install it.
Not sure why anyone would remove the kitchen worktop, as most worktops these days are mitred and glued so removing them is not an option. Unneccessary too.

JamesFree

New wheels on my commuting stead along with new brake pads. Also gave it its first clean of the year

The difference is amazing with nice new smooth bearings and lighter rims!

pitchshifter

Just went to overhaul my 105 brakes as the rear one needed new pads and was sticky. Rear brake was fine, front one (which worked fine) I rounded off the arm's allen key bolt which is now precariously loose and has a fair bit of play in it :evil:

RAGE!!!

davis

pitchshifter wrote:

Just went to overhaul my 105 brakes as the rear one needed new pads and was sticky. Rear brake was fine, front one (which worked fine) I rounded off the arm's allen key bolt which is now precariously loose and has a fair bit of play in it :evil:

Slightly over-sized torx bit in the hole?

Initialised

Gears are getting bad, I feel some fettling coming on.

corshamjim

Spend 10 minutes or so trueing up the back wheel of my Dahon - I couldn't bear to give it away with a scraping back brake. Adjusted the brake too - quite pleased it seems to work fine now.

desweller

The ferrule on my brake outer was wedged in the frame at the front of the top tube. Wound a wood screw into it to provide something I could get some purchase on, gripped the screw with mole grips and tapped it out with a pin punch.

Shouldn't have been that hard! Are we not supposed to use ferrules on brake outers any more?

optimisticbiker

Initialised wrote:

Gears are getting bad, I feel some fettling coming on.

Is this just a placeholder for the future??