Cotter Pin Misadventure

 I was fixing up a Peugeot UO-8 with super stuck cotter pins. My usual method of using a C clamp and a socket as a spacer didn't work this time. I added penetrating oil and let it sit for a few hours, then used a propane torch on the crank:

 

 

This still didn't work, unfortunately. Even after tightening the clamp and hitting it with a hammer, the pin refused to move. I left the nut loose, sitting slightly past the end of the pin. The pushing force from the clamp ended up stripping the threads off the threaded end of the cotter pin:

 I'll update this when I finally figure this one out, but it will likely involve a drill.

Schwinn Prelude Restoration

Ever since I was in college I really wanted a Schwinn Prelude. I thought it was a really high-end bike at the time, but much more realistically affordable than a Paramount. I finally found an inexpensive 1987 model for sale, but it needed a lot of work. I took the wheels and the busted saddle saddle off (and thankfully the aluminum SR Laprade seatpost didn't fight me too much. They're often rust welded in place).

Next I took the brakes off for cleaning and repairs (don't mind the reflector, it's not going back on):

The cables came out of the brake levers without issue:

Next I removed the handlebars:

 Then the fork:

The headset bearings were in good shape. The only caveat was the corrosion on the outside of the lower bearing race. This bike might have either sat outside or in a damp basement for way too long. I removed it to try cleaning it up:

 Next I removed the drivetrain for cleaning. The rusty chain needed to go:

 Then I removed the derailleurs:

 

 Next the cranks:

 

 And then the bottom bracket:

  

 The bearing cups had a retaining ring holding the ball bearings in place. I pried it out in order to properly clean the bearings underneath:

  

 The hub bearings were next. I removed the freewheel:

 Then I unscrewed the bearing cones and removed the ball bearings for cleaning:

The quick release skewers were very rusty, but I was able to clean them up with Naval Jelly:

The axles and bearings also cleaned up nicely with mineral spirits:

 Time for reassembly. I repacked the hub bearings with automotive grease:

 Same with the bottom bracket cups. I omitted the retainer rings because they were bent up from removal, and aren't really necessary anyway.

 I repacked the headset bearings with marine bearing grease, in case I ever get caught in the rain.

 I also pressed the lower headset cup back into the frame. The rust dissolver removed the surface rust, but it's still pitted. Oh well.

 Now the fork can be reinstalled:

 I had to do something about the rim strips. The original soft rubber ones that came with the bike are too narrow to fully cover the spoke holes in the rim, and I have no idea how the inner tubes ever held pressure. 

 That's better: 

 Now I can start hanging parts on the frame. I grabbed a white saddle and a pair of period-correct MKS AR-8 pedals from my local bike co-op. I reinstalled the original drivetrain, which looks quite nice when it's all cleaned up: 

 I wrapped the handlebars in white:

 Before re-installing the cables, I like to take a file and round off any sharp corners on the ends of the cable housings:

 Finally, here's the finished bike:

 This bike looks the same as a more common Schwinn LeTour, but there are a couple differences. The tire clearances are narrow, and a 32mm tire will not fit. The Colombus steel tubing on the Prelude was more expensive than the True Temper frame on a LeTour from the same era, but the weight difference is insignificant. As for how it rides, I think the Prelude is one of my best handling road bikes. It's agile, but stable at higher speeds. It also feels very fast on the skinny 23mm wide tires. My college self would have been thrilled to have it.

Waterproof Grease

For years, I have preferred to use water resistant grease in places like bottom bracket bearings or wheel bearings. Bike components usually aren't well sealed against water intrusion, so marine bearing or automotive wheel bearing grease will do a better job protecting bearings from corrosion.

Below is an example of poorly sealed front hub bearings that were ridden in wet conditions. They were not lubricated with marine bearing grease:

Obviously these won't roll very well anymore, so new ball bearings were necessary. 

Additionally, I would avoid using white lithium grease. I've seen plenty of pitted and worn out bearing surfaces that were packed full of plain white lithium grease. It has no anti-wear or extreme pressure additives, so it's not suitable for the impacts that bike wheels experience on the road.

Discount Velox Tape

Back to bike stuff! In the past, I preferred to use Velox cloth rim tape to cover the spokes on the inside of a rim, especially for double walled rims. My local bike shop doesn't carry it anymore, and they want a bit too much money for their plastic rim strips. As an alternative, I found a 25' roll of this 5/8" wide woven cloth at Menards for $3:

I cut a length off the roll after wrapping it around the rim, then sprayed one side with contact adhesive:

Now this cloth tape should work similarly to Velox, although it will probably be more difficult to remove later on if needed. That can be a problem for future me. Also, it's slightly thicker, making it harder to mount a tire. So it's not an ideal replacement, but it's good enough for me. Cheers!

Saab 9000 Head Gasket

I got to work on another obscure European car, this time a Saab 9000. For a long time, this was leaking oil from the area between the timing cover and the cylinder head. As the leak got worse it started leaving small puddles of oil everywhere it was parked, so I finally had to do something about it.

The disassembly process was mostly straightforward - remove the exhaust manifold, remove the accessory drive belt, unmount the AC compressor and remove its bracket, drain the coolant, disassemble the intake manifold, unscrew the timing chain tensioner, and then remove the head bolts. With the cylinder head off, there doesn't seem to be anything amiss with the original gasket.

However, underneath the head gasket, the timing cover was not flush with the surface of the engine block. This was causing the oil leak. I should have taken a picture but oh well.

There were some additional things I wanted to do while the cylinder head was on my bench. It was fairly dirty inside, and I wanted to disassemble and clean it before putting it back on the engine.

I put the valves, springs, and lifters together on a sheet of paper to keep everything organized:

 

The intake valves were nice and clean, but the exhaust valves were a little bit dirty and pitted. I cleaned them in a wire wheel mounted in a drill, then hand lapped them in their seats:

After lapping:

 

 

I used a deep socket to push the new valve seals into place:

Reassembling the head was a bit tricky, since the valves and springs are pretty well recessed. I compressed the valves and fed the spring retainers into their grooves with a pocket screwdriver with a dab of thick grease on the end. The grease held the retainer on the tip of the screwdriver as I maneuvered the retainer onto the grooves on the valve. It was a surgical operation.

After scraping the head and block mating surfaces with a razor blade, I added a small amount of RTV silicone around the timing cover and installed the new head gasket:

After maneuvering the cylinder head around the timing chain guides, here it is back on the engine:

There are always some more "while you're in there" items to do on an old car with lots of miles on it. This heater hose looked pretty worse for wear, so it needed replacement. 

 

Saab, being the weirdos that they are, made a hose that's 5/8" on one end, and 1" diameter where it joins the head. This specific hose wasn't available, but Gates 19663 for a 1987 Ford Aerostar has the correct inner dimensions and just needed to be cut to length.

Several hours of reassembly later, everything is back together:

The worst part was dealing with the 3 piece intake manifold, since the bolts needed to line up exactly with their support brackets and many of them weren't in line of sight. The timing chain tensioner also has a rubber o-ring inside that needed replacement. I happened to have a viton 9mm inner diameter, 2.5mm thickness o-ring that fit perfectly.

Fingers were crossed, and after idling the engine for several minutes there is no longer an oil leak under the head:

Cheers!