Author Topic: What have you fettled today? (Read 2164026 times)

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #15600 on:** 20 February, 2021, 10:20:12 pm »

Fixed a cheapo battery tailight which makes up for ditching another cheapo taillight a couple of days ago where a battery contact was cracking through.

The Keo pedals on HK’s Kinesis are rattling like mad things. Time to investigate Look bearing replacement options or to swap back to SPDs.

Gattopardo · « **Reply #15601 on:** 21 February, 2021, 05:49:10 pm »

50inch plasma tv has a bit of sparkling, so took back off and clipped and unclipped everything and put it back together. Sparkles gone but now have a dark strip across the top.

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #15602 on:** 21 February, 2021, 07:19:52 pm »

Quote from: asterix on 30 December, 2020, 04:26:04 pm

Fixed a flat.

The presta valve widget broke somehow, maybe when I disconnected the pump. All was ok until I needed to put more air in and then the valve seized its chance and let all the air out again very fast.

So I just had to ditch an otherwise good inner tube and replace.

I am going to look at going tubeless.

Having put in a new tube, ridden it once, it was flat again next time I looked..

Due to lockdown and crappy weather I left it flat till today. The new tube was definitely punctured and when I checked inside the tyre found a tiny bit of wire sticking out that had pierced the tube. I guess it had been there a long time. All fixed now ready for post-lockdown use.

MattH · « **Reply #15603 on:** 21 February, 2021, 07:36:41 pm »

Continuing the slow time fettling on the Pan European big bike to get it ready for MOT and (hopefully) resumption of BC racing. It'd probably pass an MOT anyway, but I want to get anything that is likely to need replacing this season done now rather than stress about fixing it at a time when I need it to be running, and I'd rather everything be 100% when riding hard amongst the cyclists.

Cleaned up the front brake calipers before temporarily refitting them with the front wheel, which has just had a new tyre fitted.
Pulled the back wheel off (bit of a pain on these as you need to remove the rear mudguard to be able to get the wheel out and displace one of the exhaust pipes to be able to pull the axle out - a bit of a rubbish design as it's only a few mm it needs to move - I know some people just put a dent in the bottom of the end can to give enough room).
Gave the rear caliper a good clean, then replaced the brake disk and reassembled with new pads.

It's always a worry replacing brake disks, especially on an older bike. Sometimes it's fine (like this was), sometimes you can end up shearing off bolts - heat and an impact gun help there. This time I was lucky and it all came apart easily without resorting to power tools and flames. Still had some aluminium corrosion to deal with and general clean up of bits that are awkward to get to when there is a disk in place, then retap all the threads to be sure they are good before reassembly. That should be the back end sorted now.

Got the two front disks and pads to do still.

I had been intending to redo the brake disks as the pads wore out, but 2020 happened and I didn't do much mileage before the MOT expired, and at that point I couldn't sort it out or get it to the MOT station (irritatingly my MOT expired two days after the 6 month extension thing stopped).

The size of the disks on this machine are impressive; even the rear is much bigger and heavier than some car ones I've had.

Hot Flatus · « **Reply #15604 on:** 21 February, 2021, 07:38:22 pm »

Retaped tubeless rim and refitted valve, after 5.5 years of use. Once finished, and remounted tyre with new sealant, and inflated noticed a really loose spoke.

Arse.

citoyen · « **Reply #15605 on:** 21 February, 2021, 07:56:34 pm »

Seem to have spent most of my weekend bleeding the rear brake of the nice bike. Despite following the official Shimano procedure carefully, and being 100% convinced there is no air in the hose, I just couldn't get the brake performing noticeably any better. It's so frustrating. Checked the pads and disc for wear and they're all fine.

Did the front brake while I was at it and as a vindication of my technique, that is now performing very nicely indeed. Beginning to suspect a fault somewhere in the rear brake.

I wonder if it might be related to the bleed port screw on the brake lever - the 2.5mm hex fitting was rounded off so I hacksawed a notch in the top so I could use a screwdriver to get it out.

Anyway, got it to a point where I was happy it was working well enough to go out for a ride, which I did, and my brakes were put to the test when I rounded a sharp bend on a descent to find a parked van on my side of the road and a ruddy great agricultural vehicle coming the other way...

rafletcher · « **Reply #15606 on:** 21 February, 2021, 08:05:52 pm »

Rears never get as good a feel as fronts, it’s the length of hose involved.

citoyen · « **Reply #15607 on:** 21 February, 2021, 08:12:17 pm »

Quote from: rafletcher on 21 February, 2021, 08:05:52 pm

Rears never get as good a feel as fronts, it’s the length of hose involved.

Sure, but it has in the past been better than it is right now.

It's working well enough though, so I've decided to just stop mucking around with it.

Gattopardo · « **Reply #15608 on:** 21 February, 2021, 08:49:46 pm »

Quote from: Gattopardo on 21 February, 2021, 05:49:10 pm

50inch plasma tv has a bit of sparkling, so took back off and clipped and unclipped everything and put it back together. Sparkles gone but now have a dark strip across the top.

Right, I left a ribbon the screen unclip, re clipped and fine.

Sparkle free.

citoyen · « **Reply #15609 on:** 21 February, 2021, 08:57:06 pm »

Forgot to add, while I was working my bike this morning, a robin came down and sat on the handlebars. Didn’t manage to get my phone out in time to take a pic though.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #15610 on:** 22 February, 2021, 09:01:41 am »

Sprayed the inside of the Merckx frame with Dynax S50 rustproofing wax (except the seatstays, which are inaccessible). One of the many nice things about these frames is that the internal rear brake cable routing is through a guide tube, so no rustproofer drips out in hot weather weeks later and there is no faffage when installing the cable.

Later today: headset, forks, bar/stem and BB. The BB is a traditional Dura-Ace cup and cone job (I have a UN55 of the same length but apparently DA tapers were a bit odd and 7402 cranks may give the wrong chainline except on a BB-7400). These BBs are time-consuming to install as the RH cup needs to go in with threadlock (Italian thread) and the seals can be rather tight, making adjustment tricky. The best technique is to fit the RH crank for leverage and go just beyond the point where it is impossible to produce any rocking in the bearing.

De Sisti · « **Reply #15611 on:** 22 February, 2021, 12:34:53 pm »

Tilted the front of the Selle San Marco Classic Rolls Saddle down ever so slightly. I now feel more locked
into my riding position. I think I'll do the same on my other two bikes.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #15612 on:** 24 February, 2021, 10:04:06 am »

The Merckx is built up and just needs some polish and bar tape. Curiously, it weighs only half a pound more than Olaf Ludwig's Titane team bike of the same vintage, although his frame was half an inch bigger. And mine has wired-on tyres, conventional wheels and a Nitto steel stem (necessary to get oversize bars, which I find noticeably stiffer when climbing).

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #15613 on:** 24 February, 2021, 11:17:27 am »

Ripped up the kitchen floor.

Wobbly John · « **Reply #15614 on:** 26 February, 2021, 02:13:02 pm »

Hopefully fettled the commuter bike's Alfine 8-gears-in-a-can, and a new chain.

I've just come in for a spot of lunch, after wrestling with the 'Snap-ring from Helllll'

, before taking it for a test ride...

The drive-train had been making grinding noises under power, and felt very 'draggy', but the hub looked good inside, so I'm hoping a regrease, new chain and cleaned sprockets and jockey wheels (It has a chain tensioner) will improve matters.

Edit - I hadn't quite got the brake-side cones adjusted right, which are a pain - you can't get to the cones with the centre-lock brake retainer on, and you can't use the tool to tighten or loosen the centre-lock with the cone lock-nut in place (or maybe they make a tool with deeper recess?).

Asterix, the former Gaul. · « **Reply #15615 on:** 26 February, 2021, 04:50:25 pm »

Re-routed the electrics. When we had the consumer unit put in the electrician took the cable out through the back wall into the garage, up to the ceiling along over the back door down to work surface height, through the wall into a plug socket. All in black trunking with lots of 90 degree bends. It looked dreadful and was very in the way.

The cable now leads down under the floor then back up behind the unit to the plug socket, quite invisible and safe from knocks. I have saved at least 3m of cable too. When they put the new cooker supply in they can use my floor access hatches for that as well.

rafletcher · « **Reply #15616 on:** 26 February, 2021, 05:36:54 pm »

Removed the front wheel of my Domane, and Peeled off the two flimsy strips of not-very-sticky sticky tape that Bontrager see fit to “stick” over the bridge rivets on the inside of their mudguards, which rapidly come loose and continuously rub on the tyre like a stuck leaf making a VERY irritating noise.

robgul · « **Reply #15617 on:** 26 February, 2021, 08:51:03 pm »

The men fitted new kitchen worktops this morning and I followed along after them to plumb in the new tap/ sink waste pipes etc - all looks pretty neat having found a very clever "waste-pipe manifold" that accommodates 2 sink wastes (it'll actually do 3) + dishwasher (and if necessary a washing machine - ours is in a separate room so that was blanked off). Isolating valves all round to make life simple.

Next task is to make some slide-out drawer/trays for all the bottles and stuff that are kept under the sink (the idea cribbed from Brad at Fix This Build That on YouTube).

Tim Hall · « **Reply #15618 on:** 28 February, 2021, 09:54:21 pm »

Dug over the upper 50 acres in preparation for a bit of bean, spud and tomato growing later in the year. Found an itinerant beetroot still growing, so I scoffed that with my dinner.

Cleaned many inches of grime, skog and associated crud off the Shopping Bike.

Swapped the spiky tyres off said Shopping Bike in favour of normil ones. I did get one go of snowy fun on them a couple of weeks back, so my optimism wasn't entirely misplaced.

hatler · « **Reply #15619 on:** 28 February, 2021, 10:13:57 pm »

Today. Fixed local Dr's slow puncture and adjusted the rear mudguard so it didn't rub.

Yesterday. Recabled Mrs h's front and rear shifters and aligned the rear mech hanger following our unplanned coming together last Sunday (which is still preventing me taking part in all coughing, sneezing and laughing duties).

Removed very bent spoke from my front wheel (where it caught Mrs h's rear mech).

trundle · « **Reply #15620 on:** 03 March, 2021, 09:41:48 pm »

I put Marathon Supreme's 32mm on the Triban: I love those tyres.

I set about this task with trepidation, as the Triban reviews are covered in the rabid spittle of people who find the tyre change impossible and the bike brilliant, but tragically flawed by its tyres.

In the end it was MUCH easier than changing Marathon Plus tyres off, well, anything: Not easy, but with lots of patient bead working - it took a single plastic tyre lever to pop it over.

I also fit 35mm SKS long boards - in truth, these are a tad tight - but I love mudguards and I plan a longer ride this weekend.

The Triban is meant to be a stop gap bike - but I am rather smitten: It is an awesome bike.

trundle · « **Reply #15621 on:** 04 March, 2021, 08:21:40 pm »

Lots of little jobs today:

Changed the seat to a Charge Spoon
Removed the ill-fitting rack
Hung the Carradice bag from the bagman QR support
Changed back to flat/SPD dual pedals

The Triban is ready for longer rides - hurrah.

campagman · « **Reply #15622 on:** 04 March, 2021, 09:01:13 pm »

I changed the saddle on my old work bike. I was expecting quite a lot of messing about to get the new saddle in a similar position to the old saddle but no. Took one off, bolted the new one on and didn't need to do much at all. Just lined the saddle nose up with the mark I'd made on the crossbar and checked it was level and jobs a good 'un. Rode it today and very pleased. Took off a B17N and replaced it with an old Fizik Arione.

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #15623 on:** 04 March, 2021, 09:59:36 pm »

The inlet hose of the new washing machine was leaking slightly where it joins the house plumbing. Took it off again and gave the stoptap it was going on a good scrub with scotchbrite and reattached doing it as fingertight as possible. The instructions say no using of pliers.

It was weeping slightly still though not quite enough to drip into the handily placed plastic tub. My Googling indicates this can be a sign of either under or overtightening, because of course it is

Decided to give it another 1/8 turn with the pliers reasoning that I'm a weedy weakling wiv smol hands. A few hours later and it looks like we're ok. I'll give it overnight and another load through the machine before I take the towels out of the cupboard and put all the assorted under the kitchen cupboard stuff back.

I note that the instructions for the washing machine reckon you should turn the water feed off after every use - does anyone actually do that?

robgul · « **Reply #15624 on:** 05 March, 2021, 07:34:19 am »

Quote from: Ashaman42 on 04 March, 2021, 09:59:36 pm

The inlet hose of the new washing machine was leaking slightly where it joins the house plumbing. Took it off again and gave the stoptap it was going on a good scrub with scotchbrite and reattached doing it as fingertight as possible. The instructions say no using of pliers.

It was weeping slightly still though not quite enough to drip into the handily placed plastic tub. My Googling indicates this can be a sign of either under or overtightening, because of course it is

Decided to give it another 1/8 turn with the pliers reasoning that I'm a weedy weakling wiv smol hands. A few hours later and it looks like we're ok. I'll give it overnight and another load through the machine before I take the towels out of the cupboard and put all the assorted under the kitchen cupboard stuff back.

I note that the instructions for the washing machine reckon you should turn the water feed off after every use - does anyone actually do that?

The feed hose will have a rubber washer* inside the plastic "nut" - replace that, it may have hardened and not compress to make a good seal on the isolating valve . . . and I can't imagine anyone scrabbling under the sink to switch off the water after each wash!

* it may be a washer with a gauze filter too - in my view the gauze isn't necessary, just a good rubber washer.