Father Farnum

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Karate Chicken Industries

Karate Chicken Industries

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1991 GF Tassajara, stripped down and about to get ratty KCI style for the dirt. Building this for a former mentor from my USAF days. He picked it up where he lives on the cheap and a lot of the componentry was rusted out, but the frameset is still in good shape. That's alright, I didn't want to mess with canti brakes twice in a row anyway. It has a 1 1/4" headtube/fork, which I have not seen in a long time. It's going to be a straight-up ripper when done and will be able to accommodate up to 2.6" ISO 559 dirt treads.
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Caffiene + Elbow Grease

It was kinda nice for a change to work on a GF frame with his name only on it in six places.

Now to collect a few parts from the bins that are going replace what was cashed out.

I edited the OP because after initial frame cleaning, it showed a 1991 serial number.
 
I had a consultation with Father Farnum today and the parts are coming together. I'll probably run into a little custom fab or figure out an existing part to make the v-brake conversion work on the rear brake, while still using the steel tube fabbed to the frame for cantilever use. I think an old Avid Full Metal Jacket adapter will work and I still have a half-dozen of them as well as some FMJ steel tubing. The fork is cleaned and there are some other drivetrain parts in the ready box.
 
Parts is Parts

That 36t 110 BCD chainring was the very last one in the back of my chainring box, perfecto.

After getting sidetracked by a couple of other acquisitions, two build consultations and more parts storage organizing, the parts box is going to get emptied onto the frame today.

FFBuild1.jpg
 
I've stalled out for a minute, due to not being happy with the brake levers I had. Another set of inexpensive, yet wholly functional new takeoffs are on the way via fleabay. I'm going to take a break from building and organizing to go for a ride this morning. I think I have the v-brake conversion figured out in an acceptable manner as well.

The Avids were unacceptable as found in the brakes bin:
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Twenty minutes later, they were acceptable:
avids2.jpg


Endlesschain said:
o.k so thats the first time I have ever seen a bike that old with a 1 1/4 headset,I just looked up and seen that brother Gary might of started it(or at least used that size) and it didn't last long and took awhile to pick up again
Click to expand...
That caused its own set of problems due to the lack of 1 1/4" headset spacers made. I didn't have to drop $20 on two spacers and don't know any machinists who could whip one up for me, so I got creative while riding back from the bike shop down the street. All of my best problem solving is from the saddle.
 
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Just about there, but.. It's always the buts, right? One of the brake arms is frozen internally and is soaking to get broken free.

The v-brake conversion appears to have been figured out. It'll require a little help from the Dremel, a tap, and the internal from a shifter adjustment barrel. I'll document that part with a few pics and a how-to when I do it. A lot of old frames out there that were set up similarly for cantis and could make for ripping conversions using a simple mod like this.
 
FINALLY! With the help of time, penetrant, prying, and the awesome Craftsman punch kit on my work bench that pesky brake arm is now un-frozen. The post and bushing cleaned up easily with some 220 sandpaper and that was followed with a dose of my own blend shop oil (works great in Chris King hubs too!)

On to the brake solution. I have several of the barrel adjuster cores, so I fluted a couple of them to make taps. The solution was tested on the end of the steel tube before cutting it down. So,, with these tools, I made it happen. First I cut the tube to length with the cutting wheel, then used the reamer bit to lightly prep the inside of the tube, then using the punch for pressure and as a guide, threaded it, using up two of my homegrown tools. After that, a little blue loctite and the punch-push with the 8mm wrench set it home. Easy Peasy

One final note on the subject, be sure to bevel the inside of the tube end of the barrel adjuster core to ensure the brake cable feed is easy. I could have backed it out and done that, but instead stripped a wire tie, fed it through the tube, twisted it around the end of the brake cable and pulled the cable through.
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Finishing the build after lunch.
 
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Doneski! I love it when a rear derailleur just pops through the indexing up and down the cog first try.

Build highlights, of course the Avid Single Digit v-brake conversion w/dual compound Kool Stop pads. Shimano Parallax Deore XT HB M-738 hubs, laced with DT Competition spokes to Bontranger ceramic rims. Continental Diesel 26x2.5 and Continental Gravity 26x2.3. Shimano STX-RC 8-speed shifter pod and rear derailleur. A note on the hubset, I had cracked into one of those front hubs before. Another great design/concept that worked, but was too expensive to produce so it went away.

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Ready to fly down The Kessel Run soon after delivery this weekend. It's going to be ridiculously fast on the a-technical terrain.
 
Delivery completed and another happy recipient.

I had not known where this bike came from, but he had bought it new in 1992. It was lent out to a relative for a while and left outside for a couple of years. He says the set-up on it is way better than when he rolled it out of the bike shop in 1992. Tailored to him.
 

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