Re: *The 76er* (A/C, wheels, and faux BMX update: 6/14)
Day 45
I was just halfway through this update and hit the "back" button my browser... :x
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. As usual, got a late start tonight, heading into the shop around 10:30pm. Texted Cody, but I think the wrench fest the night before combined with a long hard day of work wore him out, so I would be working alone tonight. I turned on public television and got to work with the A/C on and the fan running.
First order of business was to finally bring the frame back upstairs onto the stand:
I then thought about some assembly I could do that I wouldn't have to undo later and decided to start with the fork. Before throwing it on I would thoroughly grease the bearings:
That is a large coffee can full of white lithium grease. My brother-in-law offered me a 3/4 full 5 gallon bucket of the grease years ago, and not seeing a use for that much I just filled a coffee can, now I wish I had kept the whole thing. Oh well. I also dabbed some into the cups:
Next I slid in the fork and quickly realized that if you are going to install a triple tree fork off the ground you better have all your parts where you can reach them... I didn't. I used this shop rag to tie the fork up so it wouldn't fall on the floor while I grabbed the stuff I needed:
Next I slid on the 3rd triple tree mount, now a light bracket, then the top mount and tightened down all the clamping allen screws:
Then I moved to the back and for the first time ever installed the homemade layback seatpost and refurbished saddle.
(Yes, that is an old GT bmx seat clamp.)
It was time to install the crank, but one look at the black sticky bearings and cups (not removed since installed in 1976) and I knew I had some cleaning to do. I went downstairs and found some Wynn's cleaner of some sort for internal engine cleaning. I dumped some in a bowl and dropped in my parts. Man, this stuff was potent! Known to cause cancer in the state of California... luckily I've never even been to California so I should be safe, so I scrubbed away and man did they clean up nice!
After installing the crank, little skiptooth, and pedals, I dropped in the stems with a piece of leftover fork leg material:
View from top:
Still not sure about bars until the bike is on it's wheels and I can guage the flow of the bike, I tapes something on for ideas:
Satisfied with the assembly for the night, I went back to the wheels. Using the straws I split earlier in the day I started sliding them on the spokes:
Once the straws were on the spokes I pushed the over the nipples and taped them close to the hub so they wouldn't slide out of place:
Then I took them downstairs for a coating of self etching primer:
(Ahhh! Flying Saucer Attack!)
This self etching primer, besides the paint stipper, had the strongest fumes of any of the other paint so far, but it made a nice primer coat and it doesn't hurt at all that it has a green tint to it. :wink:
If I wasn't married to the build name already I'd have to call this thing "The Late Night Bike." It was just after 12:30 and the paint fumes were heavy in the air, so I took a little rest on my comfy sack:
Wait... if I'm sleeping there... then how am I typing here? :shock:
Must be some good paint fumes.
Did you know that many spills occur during the transportation of hazardous materials and one study found that 18,000 hazardous materials spills occurred during 1976! Maybe this accounts for my ADHD, the tumors in my legs, and my scoliosis... not to mention the uneven cantilever bars and other parts on my 76er.
