Author Topic: What have you fettled today? (Read 2171375 times)

tiermat · « **Reply #13675 on:** 22 March, 2019, 04:17:06 pm »

Tidied the garage to make the bikes fit better.

Took a metric tonne of rubbish to the tip.

Converted a piece of oak 960*500 into 3 pieces 320*500, then sanded and oiled them. These are to be used as chopping boards, one for us, one for our good friends and one to give away on my Facebook page.

Now thinking of going for a shower before taking TLD and friend to party.

andytheflyer · « **Reply #13676 on:** 22 March, 2019, 05:10:48 pm »

Quote from: andytheflyer on 21 March, 2019, 08:09:56 am

Found the little lump of gunge that was blocking the 0.4mm dia pilot jet on my 73 Triumph Tiger. Flushed it all through and carb cleaner and air now comes out of the holes that it should do. I could get the bike to cough and run for a couple of seconds, but no more, and kicking over an old 750 is something that has to be approached in short bursts. Hopeful it'll now run long enough for me to fettle the carb settings, check the alternator output etc.

Got it to run. Need to fettle the carb settings, but it runs. Relief all around. Alternator bungs out 14.5V and the oil pump works strongly.

Might have to break out the Ardbeg Uigeadail tonight.

Next hurdle is getting an age-related reg plate from DVLA as the bike was re-patriated from Toronto in January.

Adam · « **Reply #13677 on:** 22 March, 2019, 08:32:47 pm »

Yet another one for my collection of Halfords Horrors.

I'd been asked to look at the brakes on a customer's bike. Normally it would be labelled as an Apollo, but it make it edgy, they call it X-Rated. It was still assembled by useless spanner monkeys, but presumably it's called X-Rated, as it should be banned.

Actually, scrub that. Monkeys could build a better bike. Their "technician" hadn't bothered aligning the front brake caliper properly, so it wasn't in line with the rotor, meaning uneven wear and starting to grind on one edge.

Perhaps I should simply set up a stall outside the local Halfords store, to save all the travelling?

rafletcher · « **Reply #13678 on:** 23 March, 2019, 06:43:25 pm »

My car, which had its biannual deep clean, polish and wheel change. Winter alloys definitely need a refurb this year.

Feanor · « **Reply #13679 on:** 23 March, 2019, 07:30:16 pm »

Being too lurgified to do anything useful with the first weekend of nice weather this year, I fettled the TT bike I acquired recently.

Main thing was that the headset was stupidly loose.
The cap bolt could not be tightened any more, because it was bottomed out on the steerer tube!
It seems the previous owner had replaced the stem with one with a shorter stack height, and the steerer tube was now barely 1mm below the top of the stem.
The cap profile made it impossible for the cap to contact the stem before it bottomed out on the top of the steerer tube.

A 2.5mm spacer under the stem gave enough clearance for everything to work properly.

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #13680 on:** 24 March, 2019, 01:02:04 pm »

Got HK's Moulton's Etap gears working well after fitting one-and-a-bit chains. Now to tackle the Nokon brake cables. After that, she can test-ride it.

Cleaned and lubricated the chain on my fixed. Contemplating getting my GT LTS-1 offroad-ready for the Wayfarer weekend.

Danu · « **Reply #13681 on:** 24 March, 2019, 02:04:58 pm »

An HK test ride, guess by the time HK has finished all the bits will want replacing again

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #13682 on:** 24 March, 2019, 03:20:10 pm »

Given it is being fettled for about 1000 miles in a week, you might not be too far wrong.

Those Nokon brake cables work quite nicely, at least when new and hopefully continue to do so after a few miles in poor weather. Just need to put on new handlebar tape and the Moulton is good to go to Florida.

ElyDave · « **Reply #13683 on:** 24 March, 2019, 03:30:55 pm »

Fettled the lawnmower into it's first cut of the season. Top up of oil, prime, not even a hint of a splutter into life. Prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull. Hmm.

Spark plug gap OK
A bit of fresh unleaded and voila!

Didn't take it all the way down, just enought to dry out down to the floor, and then will have another go when I get back from Gatwick.

In bike fettling, finally found and solved the mudguard rub that has been plaguing me. Now I can hear a chain rattle/rub I didn't know existed.

Kim · « **Reply #13684 on:** 24 March, 2019, 03:54:37 pm »

I've just removed the Ice Spikers from my mountain bike. So it's my fault if it snows.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #13685 on:** 24 March, 2019, 04:35:39 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 24 March, 2019, 03:54:37 pm

I've just removed the Ice Spikers from my mountain bike. So it's my fault if it snows.

I had considered doing that this week but I've had the lurgy and today it's frikkin freezing. So I haven't.

Kim · « **Reply #13686 on:** 24 March, 2019, 05:04:21 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 24 March, 2019, 04:35:39 pm

Quote from: Kim on 24 March, 2019, 03:54:37 pm
I've just removed the Ice Spikers from my mountain bike. So it's my fault if it snows.
I had considered doing that this week but I've had the lurgy and today it's frikkin freezing. So I haven't.

It was part of a last ditch effort to see if I could get that 28-559 Pro One to seat properly on anything. Spoiler: It didn't.

I've sent a pleading email to SJS to see if they feel like replacing it on the grounds of a manufacturing defect.

rafletcher · « **Reply #13687 on:** 24 March, 2019, 05:30:43 pm »

Defrosted the “shed” freezer. Then sat in the garden for the afternoon, reading in the sunshine.

ElyDave · « **Reply #13688 on:** 24 March, 2019, 06:56:09 pm »

Quote from: Mrs Pingu on 24 March, 2019, 04:35:39 pm

Quote from: Kim on 24 March, 2019, 03:54:37 pm
I've just removed the Ice Spikers from my mountain bike. So it's my fault if it snows.
I had considered doing that this week but I've had the lurgy and today it's frikkin freezing. So I haven't.

I went out in shorts and short sleeve jersey this afternoon. It was borderline, due to the bracing westerly, but abmient temp and sunshine were great. I've been outside most of the day

andytheflyer · « **Reply #13689 on:** 24 March, 2019, 07:26:29 pm »

Quote from: ElyDave on 24 March, 2019, 03:30:55 pm

Fettled the lawnmower into it's first cut of the season. Top up of oil, prime, not even a hint of a splutter into life. Prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull, prime, pull. Hmm.

Spark plug gap OK
A bit of fresh unleaded and voila!

FWIW, I've used a dollop of an additive to my last petrol buy of the season over the past few years, to stop the petrol going 'off' - which it does in only a few weeks. Seems to work as I've fired up my mower this week on last autumn's petrol.

ElyDave · « **Reply #13690 on:** 24 March, 2019, 08:13:03 pm »

I've run it dry in the past when I think I'm putting it away for the winter, that way you always start on fresh, just forgot this year

LittleWheelsandBig · « **Reply #13691 on:** 28 March, 2019, 01:49:25 pm »

Tonight I will hopefully be fitting a new 8sp cassette and chain to my long-dormant MTB, ready for the Wayfarer weekend. There are enough cables, tyres and other consumables if they are required but I'd like to get some sleep before heading into work tomorrow.

EDIT: It turns out the freehub has a significant problem that I couldn't quickly sort out. Accordingly, it was a new chain and a smaller 42t chainring fitted onto the fixed and the wheel turned for the 17t cog. Hopefully I'll not be walking too far.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #13692 on:** 28 March, 2019, 09:10:14 pm »

Respaced a Miche track hub for a 45mm chainline using some old Shimano locknuts and spacers. Then tried to build a wheel but the Sapim spokes (or nipples) are faulty - half the nipples won't thread on at all - so am sending the whole lot back and buying DT Competition, which I should have done to start with. eBay is a total crapshoot - this is the third bike thing I've sent back in a fortnight, along with some hubs which I was assured were smooth but were as rough as frack and a KMC K710SL chain that was only a K710.

SoreTween · « **Reply #13693 on:** 30 March, 2019, 02:14:42 pm »

Lightened my road bike by about 100 grams by cleaning the drive train. Yuk.

ElyDave · « **Reply #13694 on:** 30 March, 2019, 04:43:33 pm »

New saddle on daughter's bike, retightened lh crank bolt on my runabout

orienteer · « **Reply #13695 on:** 30 March, 2019, 05:07:49 pm »

Annual spring clean of the patio with the pressure washer. After 35 years it's not exactly immaculate but at least the two colours of slabs are now distinguishable.

Also put the pump back in the fountain. Took it out for the winter this year as some vermin chewed through the mains cable in two places the year before. A small toad appears to be in residence. The previous large one was found shrivelled up on the lawn last summer.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #13696 on:** 01 April, 2019, 12:06:24 pm »

Fettled the time on the kitchen clock (in the cooker), my watch and one bike comp. Later fettled the same bike comp so that it contacts better – being half on and half off the bar tape made it lose contact with its reader bits – and then my back light, which has developed the B&M loose connection problem. It responded to a sharp tap.

T42 · « **Reply #13697 on:** 01 April, 2019, 01:15:09 pm »

My Zefal Cyclops mirror, which was flopping about like an empty sock on Saturday's ride. Roughened pivoting surfaces and shortened a sleeve nut so that it grips better.

andytheflyer · « **Reply #13698 on:** 03 April, 2019, 08:19:47 pm »

Hopefully the last item on the once very long list of jobs-to-do to get my new to me 1973 Triumph Tiger 750, re-homed from Toronto, into a condition commensurate with running it on the road this summer. The last item was sealing up the exhaust pipe to cylinder head joints. The pipes just push in, but were blowing a bit. A bit of research discovered high temperature silicone made for the job, so that was today's, and the last job.

Hopefully, DVLA will give me an age-related reg no shortly and I can get a plate made up. The old black and chome one, natch.

Fettling finished then, for now. Next winter will be a full strip, vapour blast all the ally bits then a polish, and powder coat the black bits. Engine re-furb as required - but probably involving new con-rods as I don't want a pair of 46 yo crankcase halves destroying, thank you very much.

Torslanda · « **Reply #13699 on:** 04 April, 2019, 11:39:56 am »

'As required'? You know you want Morgo barrels & pistons, a big valve conversion and twin Amal slides. Not foolin' anybody...