Hey Fedi Friends!

[catsofarrakis@mastodon.social]

@szakib A headset spacer is needed.

[wav3ydave@mas.to]

@CatsofArrakis @szakib yeah just a 5mm spacer should do it. But in other news the headset (the grey bit) doesn't really look right, it should be sitting flush with the head tube of the frame but there's a gap. It might need setting (you use a headset press for that) but that would increase the gap, and that would mean a bigger spacer. Probably not a big deal, but if you add a spacer and tighten it down it might push the headset down into the frame and you're back to square one

[szakib@freeradical.zone]

@CatsofArrakis This bike is rather old and I am fairly sure that this gap or a spacer were not present before.

[tkalvas@mastodontti.fi]

@szakib You will just destroy the bearings (or already did) like that. The bearing cup needs to be inserted into the frame with a bearing press, with the fork and stem assembly removed. Also, if it used to be and no longer is, some kind of investigation into why it has backed out would be prudent. There might be deformation somewhere which prevents it from staying put anymore.

[szakib@freeradical.zone]

@tkalvas I'm not sure I'm up for heart surgery on this bike. It's decades old, I bought it used and cheap, I have used it, my older kid has used it, now the younger one is using it. The fork is also beyond repair, but still functional.
I'm inclined to leave things like this as long as they function, and either do a complete overhaul (which will need to involve a bike shop) later or give the bike away to kierratyskeskus and make it someone else's problem.

Thank you for the advice.

[tkalvas@mastodontti.fi]

@szakib You can cobble up a bearing press from two pieces of wood (sufficiently thick), a sufficiently thick threaded rod, two nuts, and two spanners. It's not perfectly square, but it will work. If the cup is loose, but only slightly, you could attach it with red locktite (warning: it will never come out).

[mikehaber@social.coop]

@szakib

If the steering is generally OK and not loose and juddery, it's possible that all that is missing is a shield/cover for the bearings. Ie everything is adjusted tight, but there was a plastic/rubber cover to keep the crud out. This bit is now missing. It's not a mechanical part, it just keeps the dirt out.

I've had headsets with this bit, that I've lost somehow.

[szakib@freeradical.zone]

@mikehaber Hey, this is really helpful! I might be in this situation. I honestly have no idea what it looked like earlier, I just noticed the gap after changing the order of the stem + spacers. Nothing is actually loose.

[mikehaber@social.coop]

@szakib

There is zero chance it went from being adjusted to being like this, without being really loose.

If you've loosened it, it could be that it's not sitting right.

If you've just taken the stem off it may be worth taking it off again and visually checking it all looks OK, and there isn't something not sat right.

It's gonna be something like

[szakib@freeradical.zone]

@mikehaber I will check everything again later when I have time. Thanks for the diagram!

[mikehaber@social.coop]

@szakib

Good luck, there is not a lot going on in headsets, the most complicated bit is the bearings, which may be cartridge, balls in a metal retainer clip, or loose. It should all sit together with zero force.

[pws@social.coop]

@mikehaber @szakib I agree, and it seems like something I would want to take apart to understand what is not fitting correctly. It looks like the upper bearing races are sitting together properly if I understand the picture. But if it's not loose and the pinch bolts are tight then it's probably OK to ride.

[szakib@freeradical.zone]

@pws @mikehaber It is OK to ride, but we are in Finland and there will be further water ingress combined with cold. Even if everything stays in place the way it is now, I still need to seal the hole.

[mikehaber@social.coop]

@szakib @pws If you don't need it to look great, I'd create a gaffer tape 'skirt' that's stuck to the top race (and folded over to not stick to the bottom race. It should stop most dirt. If you have grease, first make sure there is some on all the metal (edit- the internal metal and the bearings )

[szakib@freeradical.zone]

@mikehaber @pws Yep, that's the plan if it stays like this.

[pws@social.coop]

@szakib @mikehaber A bike like that may have been assembled with completely inadequate grease inside the headset for a wet climate so there's yet another reason to take it apart. Even if it was greased it probably needs more now.