Spitfire or Sputter?

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

Howdy, I recently purchased a '68 drum brake 5-speed Schwinn tandem with HD S7 wheels. It was missing the chainguard and the fenders, with several components replaced; seats, pedals, front handlebars. A PO had changed the shift cable and installed the lever backward, guy I bought bike from couldn't get it adjusted and was scheduled for his third knee operation. Anyway, got that lined out and rode it around a bit. Still hate the long, ponderous, heavy feel, so I robbed the wheelset off and put them on a straight bar Spitfire with just the least bit of effort. From what I understand the Spitfire was Schwinn built for department/hardware store sales. It had a skiptooth sweetheart sprocket, looks like the crank was forged in '57. It had been hanging in the machine shed for years, and without wheels I thought it was a smaller frame. Wanted front brakes on my thrift store imitation so swapped on a chrome Akisu fork from a '77 ladies Continental. Got to love interchangeable parts. Somewhat fond of FF front freewheel cranks, put some of those on for the mock-up, along with changing the AG rear derailleur to a Suntour Honor. Sort of a middle weight cross between Alan Bond's green clunker bike, and Ian Stewart's bomber. Anyway here are some pictures.

Some thumb shifters, red dot levers, and some truss bars from a ladies Monark Rocket.

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

I was looking at Alan Bond's Green Hybrid again and noticed the "dot" brake levers were thicker with ball ends.

I thought maybe it was a red/gold thing, probably more of an early/late safety thing. Turns out I have some on my tall boy road bike. I had also installed some Dia Compe bullet cable adjusters previously. Looks like I am swapping the eye stabbers with the ball end versions. This has probably been covered, or others may have a better way to get grips off, I use a long small screwdriver and rubbing alcohol with a squeeze top from a dish soap bottle. Pry up the edge a little, squirt in some juice, works for me.

 

[Araya51]

I use parts cleaner with the long red spray tube and its off.. Oh I also use the screwdriver pry method too..

 

[ADVHOG]

I use the airwand to blow grips off.

Nice build BTW.

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

Thanks, more than one way to skin a cat.
I like one piece cranks. Here is a "Varsity" edged version with a Tioga spider OT-1 and some chain rings under consideration. A 52, 38, & a 24, 14 tooth spread between them may be too much.

Still need to get some chainring bolts.

 

[Araya51]

#38 chain ring and some bmx bolts and that should do the job..Or you can cut down the multi gear chain ring bolts down..
Cool spider.!!

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

The nice thing about this spider (other than it looks cool) is it will take all three chainrings shown, two 110mm bcd, and one 74 mm bcd. But not trying to fool anyone, even myself. Won't be scaling the fire roads of Marin County or bombing Larkspur, so tightened up the spread to 11 teeth per (52,41,& 30). Old enough that if can't climb a hill around here with a 30/34 gear, not embarrassed to get off and push. Just annoyed maybe.

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

I like center-pull brakes. Here is a rear set with a longer reach, still not quite enough. Going to have to make a tube extension like for my Run-A-Bout imitation. Which is another reason to go with the Akisu fork over a Ashtabula blade type.

There are some drain holes top and bottom on the inside. Wonder if it would stiffen them much by filling with spray foam? Might not be worth the mess. Only fork I ever broke was down at the axle end.

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

Well two forward, one back. Was looking for some KKT MX 1/2" pedals, kept getting beat on the bid. Found these HTI pedals that appear to be Taiwan composites of the MKS wrap around outer with the KKT concave footbed with cross bracing and riveted reflectors. Much cheaper and still almost a fourth of actual money tied up in this bike so far.

Got all the bolts to install my chainrings. May have to change back to the AG rear derailleur. Even though it seems slicker shifting, the short cage Suntour Honor does not have enough reach to take up the slack in the smallest chainring/sprocket combinations. If I take out the necessary links, then the largest will not fit. 15 speeds possible, but could only use the middle 11.

 

[horsefarmer]

Very Cool! I'm gonna build a klunker yet!

 

[user 135]

Nice work on fitting those chain rings....I think that is the first that I have seen like that!

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

Thank you, turns out in my haste to get a 74 bcd chain ring somewhat cheaply, didn't notice the one I bought was black. Not really the look I wanted, turns out it also has a different style of centering, so that was enough excuse to get a 32 tooth in silver/alloy. It has the counter bores to keep it square.
The Alpine Gear rear derailleur is a poor design with an odd jockey wheel that is flat wore out without a handy replacement. In trying to figure out what I had, found it did not come out until 1975. What gives, the tandem was a '68. Since I get most of my bikes at the thrift store, not used to PO even doing routine maintence, let alone updating parts. Switched back to the Honor(again) until I snag a standard long cage. Also the rear cluster was a 14-32 Suntour Alpha without a spoke guard. Since I have to get a long cage derailleur anyway, bought an NOS Suntour Perfect 5-speed 14-34 cluster to replace. Parts plus shipping is starting to kill my budget. While the absent spoke guard has the stripped-down-to-race-weight look, it seemed a bit like a missing tooth. Not that I wanted a big half Moon disc one, something small diameter to balance the size of the drum. In the past I have had the chain get out of adjustment and go over the high side, more of an annoyance than anything.

I used one similar to the one in the picture, took tin snips and cut the outer windows part off(piece behind). Filed and sanded down the ragged edges, just about right to me. While I had the rear cluster off, saw why they call it a spoke protecter. Looks like the PO ran the chain between the cluster and spokes and rode it home that way, for quite a ways. If the spokes weren't heavy guage they would have been literally chain sawed asunder. Great, something else to check. Rode it up the hill on my street, in center front and low rear (41/34). Walked downhill home since I don't have the brakes hooked up yet. The rear is easy, the front is turning into a challenge. Remain hopeful that low/low (32/34) will allow me to climb from the river to the ridge without walking.

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

Well my search for a Union front drum brake has been nonproductive like most. Wasn't liking the brake caliper adaptor I was trying to make for the chrome fork, also it being taller for a 27" wheel made the head tube angle raked back. Looking at Alan Bond's green bike above, started watching for the Schwinn MAFAC style add-on cantilever front brakes like his. Figure if you are going to copy, follow a successful pioneer. Got lucky and found an unused set from a guy that used to race track bikes back in the '50s. Guess they would put them on their race bikes when they were training on the road.
Paid more than I wanted, but am now able to use the original fork with the bar, star, circle, decals. Had to bend the end of my truss rods to match the angle of the stays.
Otherwise I have not done much on it, weather is getting nice enough for a slacker like me to ride.

 

[Mr. Gangrene Genes]

Well got the brake and shifter cables lined out. Rides pretty smooth, took the wrong bus home the other night and got to ride 17 miles instead of 7. Even with the HD seat post off an excercycle, it was bent pretty badly. Straightened it and hammered a 9/16" hardwood dowel inside the post. Hopefully that will shore it up enough. Still have a problem shifting gears. Since it is front and back, starting to suspect the thriftstore bike chain. Never had this issue previously. Doesn't look much different other than changing the 41 chainring for a 38.