Strip-down and re-assemble 'as new'; what do I need?

lastant · March 2014

Right, I've had the bike a while now and more than happy doing the basic maintenance (brakes, gears, wheels etc.) and keep reasonably on top of cleaning but haven't done anything too taxing...including stripping the bike down to component parts, giving it a *deep* clean and re-assembling.

Now, it's developed a random click that I can't solve so thinking I might just take the opportunity to take it all apart and put it back together again to try and stop it...it's either that or chuck it in the Thames on the way home one night!

I've got enough Muc-Off stuff to do the cleaning, and a toolkit from Lidl that I assume will have all the parts I could possibly need to take the bike to pieces and re-build it - curious as to what pastes, lubes and 'stuff' I'd also need to make this as painfree as possible?

Any hints and tips from anyone?

warreng · March 2014

In my experience (which is a lot less than most people on here) it's the bottom bracket that is the source of most creaks so you'll need the right tool for that

jonnyboy77 · March 2014

I'd suggest a book like Zinn would help too.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zinn-Art-Road-B ... aintenance

Clicking is fun. Pedals, bottom bracket, crank bolts, chainring bolts ... take your pick. I built my commuter bike from component parts using Zinn (the mountain bike one, adapted!) and bought, borrowed or made tools as I needed them. The trickiest bit was inserting the headset cups into the frame.

Checking rotation on bottom brackets, crank bolts and pedals is another one to look out for. The danger of overtightening something in the belief your're working hard to loosen it!

If you rely on it as your sole bike, I would also allow a lot of time to make mistakes, run to the shops etc. to avoud being without the bike.

Have fun!

Jon

veronese68 · March 2014

New cables.

greg66_tri_v2.0 · March 2014

lastant wrote:

and a toolkit from Lidl that I assume will have all the parts I could possibly need to take the bike to pieces and re-build it - curious as to what pastes, lubes and 'stuff' I'd also need to make this as painfree as possible?

Any hints and tips from anyone?

Must have tools (IMO): a pedal spanner (also good for centring brakes); a crankset removal tool (which one depends on your crankset); BB removal tool (ditto); a chainwhip, cassette removal tool and a large adjustable mouth spanner; a set of allen keys; a screwdriver (for mech adjustment).

Things I very rarely take to pieces: brake callipers, chains (need a chain length tool and a chain closing/opening tool).

Things I never take to pieces/remove: chainrings from chainsets; front or rear mechs; stems and stem faceplates.

Useful stuff: carbon assembly paste (if carbon frame with carbon seatpost), grease (for threads and bearings, if you can get to the bearings).

Worth doing occasionally: brake pads, renew cables and outers (a cable cutter is v useful here), bar tape (nowhere near as hard as you'd think, just pay attention to how it unravels around the shifters, and do the same in reverse with the new stuff).

Sharkyssurfers · March 2014

also hide the swear jar as there could be a lot of that going on :twisted:

jspash · March 2014

WarrenG wrote:

In my experience (which is a lot less than most people on here) it's the bottom bracket that is the source of most creaks so you'll need the right tool for that

In my experience it's only been the BB once. Which is too bad since it's easy to fix. The other times the culprit was
- seat post
- left pedal
- right pedal (3 times). i think i'm "right footed"
- dodgy brifter

the longest living odd noise and most infuriating to find...
- a dangly plastic bit that came loose from my rucksack and was tapping on the frame. but only when there was a tailwind. which is VERY rare round these parts.

Monkeypump · March 2014

Patience. Lots of it.

Workshop stand. Half-way through, you'll either be glad you have one or wish you had one.

Cable cutter, the best quality you can afford.

Headset press.

Rags, cloths, etc.

Latex gloves.

Space to work, and boxes/bags to keep all the bits in (labelled ideally).

YouTube. Lots of helpful vids on there.

bdave262000 · March 2014

You will need one of these. Child optional

goonz · March 2014

According to my wife, we need one of those child things. Bikes are definitely optional...

bdave262000 · March 2014

goonz wrote:

According to my wife, we need one of those child things. Bikes are definitely optional...

Wasn't one great rider quoted as saying "bike first, car second, family third". Sean Yates I think, either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave.

rubertoe · March 2014

I'd say a workstand and latex gloves.

and patience.

talius · March 2014

bdave262000 wrote:

goonz wrote:

According to my wife, we need one of those child things. Bikes are definitely optional...

Wasn't one great rider quoted as saying "bike first, car second, family third". Sean Yates I think, either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave.

Sean Kelly. Probably both.

goonz · March 2014

bdave262000 wrote:

goonz wrote:

According to my wife, we need one of those child things. Bikes are definitely optional...

Wasn't one great rider quoted as saying "bike first, car second, family third". Sean Yates I think, either incredibly stupid or incredibly brave.

I've been trying that approach for the past few years. It started off brave, its now painful. :oops:

jonnyboy77 · March 2014

Swarfega is great too!

andy9964 · March 2014

jonnyboy77 wrote:

Swarfega is great too!

Margarine or any vegetable spread is just as effective

EKE_38BPM · March 2014

Patience, music (or Radio 4), no distractions (kids, pets, partner etc), a magnet on a stick (to pick up the things you drop), a clean work area (if you drop small things like nuts on grass, you will never see them again) and no pressing time limit.

If you have the necessary tools (I now regard my work stand as a necessity) and a practical mind you should be fine.

BTW, I assume you will be dismantling your wheels (removing the spokes, stripping the hub etc) in order to clean your nipples, spokes etc and separating your chain in order to clean and degrease each individual link.

CiB · March 2014

I'd recommend taking the chain rings off to give them a good clean in the inaccessible nooks & crannies. You may need a Torx tool to do this, but it's a worthy investment - all bike tools are.

My approach is to break down anything that's held together with screw threads, except for the brake calipers which clean up ok with rags in various places. Chinese takeaway food tubs are v useful - the whole bike fits in a couple of these, and a third to leave the chain soaking in whilst you clean everything else is a handy way to get it done. A bucket of warm soapy water gets the rest of it clean, but be sure to get every last washer & screw out before emptying it down the drain.

Handy fluids: GT85, Teflon lube, grease (of the nature that you might use on a tractor), Copperslip, water, Swarfega and red wine. I'd take issue with EKE's suggestion of R4 - it requires attention and draws you in. The background drone of 5Live is better.

Once you've stripped & rebuilt a bike to that level you'll never need to trouble your LBS again, and you'll probably wonder why you ever did before.

lastant · March 2014

Had a feeling that question would get people interested on a Friday afternoon!

Sounds like I'm more or less there, until the Lidl toolkit fails (or is missing a part!), as I already have the workstand and most the bits and pieces mentioned. Might wait for next weekend and get new brake pads and bar tape in to do the job properly.

Thanks everyone.

tgotb · March 2014

Be prepared either to leave the bike in bits while you order replacements for any cartridge bearings you find are shot, or to rebuild the bike and then dismantle the relevant part again when the replacement bearings arrive. Cartridge bearings I have to replace in the past:
Headset (very infrequently)
Bottom bracket (though for Shimano Hollowtech it's easier to replace the whole BB assembly)
Wheels (how frequently depends on quality of secondary seals)
Jockey wheels

For the cross bike I actually have a stock of spare bearings, but most reasonable people would regard this as being obsessive behaviour.

You can rejuvenate tired bearings as follows (especially if the only problem is that they're dry):
1. Prise off both seals very carefully with a scalpel
2. If they contain mud (very common with off-road jockey wheels) rinse under the tap
3. Shake/blow to remove as much water as possible, and then disperse the rest with GT85
4. Apply grease (this is almost impossible if you don't get rid of the water)
5. Replace seals

I have to do this with the jockey wheels and bottom bracket bearings after every single muddy CX race or training ride. It doesn't take long, but does get pretty boring when you're doing it 2-3 times a week...

EKE_38BPM · March 2014

Some of my favorite tools/toys:
Work stand
Grease gun
Chainring bolt tool
3rd hand tool (my all-time favorite tool)
Cable cutters

There are ways to get around not having any of them, but having the right tool/toy for the job makes the job easier.

jonnyboy77 · March 2014

Andy9964 wrote:

jonnyboy77 wrote:

Swarfega is great too!

Margarine or any vegetable spread is just as effective

Kinky

SmellTheGlove · March 2014

Rags cut into 50x50mm squares approx.
Sounds a bit obsessive but try it and see if you agree!

Also someone mentioned an "adjustable mouth spanner" which is indispensable in those moments when someone leans over your shoulder offering helpful advice.

EKE_38BPM · March 2014

When I was a kid, the only tools I had to work on my bike was a pair of pliers, a hammer & nail and an adjustable spanner. I don't think Allen keys had been invented.
The hammer and nail was my chain tool but everything else from adjusting the seat post nut to removing the cotter pin nut was done using either the pliers or the adjustable spanner. All of the nuts on my bike ended up being rounded off.

I am now very happy to say I don't own an adjustable spanner and I haven't used one on a bike I've owned for over twenty years and all of my nuts are the correct shape.

DO NOT USE ADJUSTABLE SPANNERS.

rick_chasey · March 2014

I think you need a new bike.

tgotb · March 2014

EKE_38BPM wrote:

When I was a kid, the only tools I had to work on my bike was a pair of pliers, a hammer & nail and an adjustable spanner. I don't think Allen keys had been invented.

Did you have one of those multi-spanner things, stamped out of a flat sheet of steel? Perfect for rounding off nuts whilst stripping the threads on your cotter pins :roll:

EKE_38BPM · March 2014

TGOTB wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:

When I was a kid, the only tools I had to work on my bike was a pair of pliers, a hammer & nail and an adjustable spanner. I don't think Allen keys had been invented.

Did you have one of those multi-spanner things, stamped out of a flat sheet of steel? Perfect for rounding off nuts whilst stripping the threads on your cotter pins :roll:

Multi-spanner!? How posh.

woodnut · March 2014

TGOTB wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:
When I was a kid, the only tools I had to work on my bike was a pair of pliers, a hammer & nail and an adjustable spanner. I don't think Allen keys had been invented.
Did you have one of those multi-spanner things, stamped out of a flat sheet of steel? Perfect for rounding off nuts whilst stripping the threads on your cotter pins :roll:

Multi-spanner!? How posh.

Or one of those dog bone spanners, they were ace, except for loosening nuts & bolts

FoldingJoe · March 2014

woodnut wrote:

TGOTB wrote:

EKE_38BPM wrote:
When I was a kid, the only tools I had to work on my bike was a pair of pliers, a hammer & nail and an adjustable spanner. I don't think Allen keys had been invented.
Did you have one of those multi-spanner things, stamped out of a flat sheet of steel? Perfect for rounding off nuts whilst stripping the threads on your cotter pins :roll:

Multi-spanner!? How posh.

Or one of those dog bone spanners, they were ace, except for loosening nuts & bolts

This was my tool of choice as a nipper. Oh, and my Mother's spoons to remove tyres!!

Strip-down and re-assemble 'as new'; what do I need?

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