Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Gray Fisher "Mt Jam" Overhaul / Detail

Hello and Welcome,
My P.C. and I are awaiting the arrival of some new card of some sort. I think it is the wireless or internet card. I mistakenly referred to it as a "video card" but have since been corrected. I am not what you would call "computer savvy".
So today I am updating from my lap-top for the very first time.
Above: Here is the Boys or Girls Gary Fisher "Mt Jam". I say boys or girls because it has 24in wheels. I am very pleased with this purchase, having paid a mere 7 dollars and 9 cents US. I looked it up and I believe it sold for about 329.00 US originally. It has been banged up a bit during transport or storage but shows very little if any wear at all . That seems to be typical around here anymore. I guess it is just a "Sign of the Times" (If you now have that song in you head, your either English or Old or both) LTMS More fun to surf the net than ride the dirt I guess.
Above: I won`t call this a restoration as the bike is mostly just dirty and scratched up. I guess an overhaul and detail-job should be an accurate enough description. By the way, "as I sometimes do in the winter" I have cleaned the entire frame and wheels and hubs and spokes etc. etc. with Armor-All Cleaning wipes. It`s a little cold for the bucket of soapy water bit right now. However I am using Clean-Streak on the free-wheel and both derailleurs. And will use it on other parts as well.
Above: The Armor-All cleaning wipes did a bang-up job on the inner and outer hub, spokes, rim and pie-plate. I did go over it twice to get it looking really clean and shiny.
Above: The Free-Wheel cleaned up wonderfully with a little spray of Clean-Streak and a little brushing. I touched up the axle nuts and outer spacers with a brass detail brush. Keep in mind, This bike was not filthy like many of the ones I have done in the past. However it is in need of some clean-up and tuning, especially if I expect to get a good price for it.
Above: Although it was already within an acceptable range, I went ahead and trued the wheel. I like to use the truing stand for cleaning up the wheels as well. I had to remove the tire from the rim anyway. As the tire had over rotated on the rim just enough to make the stem crooked. Usually I can let the air out of the tire, then brake the seal and slide the tire by hand till the stem is straight. In this case that was not happening.
Above: There it is with the stem nice and straight. I have gone-over the side walls with the Armor-All cleaning wipes as well. These are "better quality" tires in excellent condition, showing no wear. There is no way I am going replace these tires, they are fantastic! I may try some Armor-All Tire Cleaning Wipes on the side-walls to bring out the black a little more. I think that might be worth the extra effort.
Above: The Shimano SIS rear derailleur received the usual basket cleaning with Clean-Streak. This time I wedged the derailleur open using the post part of my little chain tool. This allowed me to be able to spray the hard to reach areas of the derailleur. I also used a typical parts cleaning brush on the derailleur. I use much less Clean-Streak when I combine it with a good brushing while the part is still wet. I regret I did not get a picture of the wedge, but I`m sure you can figure that one out on your own. But I will try to get a pic next time.
Above: I have not removed the front derailleur for cleaning yet. I did give it a quick wipe-off. But as you can see, it needs to be removed for a proper cleaning.
I just wanted to show this, so you can compare the difference after it is cleaned properly. That is where I will pick up this overhaul on the next post.
Above: Here is the original chain. I could probably soak it and dry it off and lube it up. But I think for the cost I will just replace it. It`s not like I will be spending much on parts for this bike anyway.
Above: Here I have put one coat of enamel paint on a very bad scrape on the left seat stay. As you can see the scrape is still showing through. I will let this dry for a day or two (longer than usual because it is cold here now) And then I will add another coat. I know the color is a good match, so I just need to be patient. After the second coat I might have to lightly wet sand and then apply a third coat. But if I take my time and stick to the program, I know it will come out fine.

Above: Update on the "Parliament Custom Built Made in England". This is the finished project. However, having never been satisfied with the touch-up paint on the fork blade. I have decided to store it for the winter. And in the late spring I will remove the fork and paint it white, possibly leaving the crown green. I had the idea after painting the fork white on the fixed gear bike. So this is the last you are going to see of the Parliament this year.
Until Next Time. Please RIDE SAFE and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers, Hugh

8 comments:

  1. Coming along nicely,hub looks like new.

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  2. Thanks John,
    I don`t think this bike spent much time, (if any time at all) on the trail. The paint touch-up will probably be the most "time consuming" work on this bike. Although I will most likely break down the crank as well. It`s really the only way to get them looking like new.
    Cheers

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  3. Hugh that is an interesting looking RD hanger, does it mount to the axle? Looks like some lucky kid is going to get a nice "like new" Mt Jam for Christmas. I will be interested to see your results on the Parliament, I have long been a fan of the cream head tube panel so reversing that by painting the fork blades is intriguing. Your Fixed Gear bike certainly turned out beautifully with the painted fork.

    Stay warm!

    Ryan

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  4. Hey Ryan,
    About the rear derailleur hanger, it attaches to the rear drop-out flange directly. The thing I thought was different was. It has no adjuster screw only a notch to make sure it is mounted at the correct angle. But wait till you see the front derailleur mount. It is very different. In fact it is the only one I have ever seen that mounts the way it does.
    I am hoping to have the Gary Fisher finished sometime this weekend. Because I bought it so cheap, I will be able to sell it at a very reasonable price. And still make a tidy profit.
    Which is good because I need to get a tire order in. And I`m going to be needing some shop supplies and propane and kero as well.
    Regarding the Parliament, I was hoping to paint the fork right away. But it is just to cold here for painting right now. It was very frustrating trying to match the green paint. I`m glad I waited for the answer to come to me. I think the white fork is going to be the best solution.
    I think I`ll post a pic of the front derailleur mount (Gary Fisher) on the face book page. Let me know if you have ever seen anything like it.
    Cheers, Hugh

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  5. Interesting note on the tires. Mine tend to go two years or 6000 miles; whichever comes first...

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  6. Hey Steve,
    I understand and that truly is "all well and good". But these tires are near perfect. There is not even a hint of the slightest crack. And the rubber is very (like new) pliable. And not even the slightest of bulges, even at maximum pressure. When I removed the rear tire even the beads were perfect, no torn or excess rubber or flaking or even dryness.
    And being the specified inflation on theses tires is aprox. 45 to 65 psi. It`s not like (at 55 lbs psi) "failure" due to pressure is going to be an issue. I think it would be an unnecessary waste to replace these tires.
    I don`t have the luxury of knowing when and if these tires were ever replaced. I can only judge them by what I see and feel. And every thing I see tells me that, These tires have many, many miles of good and safe riding ahead.
    I only wish these were 26" tires. I would swap them with the new tires on the Giant in a heartbeat. If I have learned anything from overhauling this bike it is this. If you can afford to purchase a high quality set of tires for your bike, do it.
    Cheers, Hugh

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  7. Awesome work, as usual, Hugh. One phrase from your post caught my attention:

    "...if I take my time and stick to the program, I know it will come out fine."

    Funny how bicycle riding and repair can lead to apt metaphors for Life itself...

    May I ask what wheelstand you are using?

    Tim Joe

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  8. Hey Tim Joe,
    First Thanks, I only wish I could finish it. I threw my back-out Christmas day. I am just starting to walk a very little bit. But, "If I take my time and stick to the program, I know it will come out fine." I could not resist using that metaphor again :) But it does fit!
    The truing stand I use is an older Minoura Jr. It is very basic, but gets the job done. I do not know if Minoura still makes the same one I have. But I do know they still offer an entry level model (Minoura Workman about 90.00 to 95.00) Thanks again, I hope to be back at it real soon. Cheers,Hugh

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