Oh dear!!, headset/headtube problem

I have just put my recently purchased fsa headset into the frame but seems rather loose, as I didn't need to use any force what so ever to put it in the headtube, now will this be ok once it is all tightened up with a stem fitted ect (aheadset by the way) or have I got problems which I'm assuming I have. My old headset was fine so wondering if its the headset thats the problem or if my frame as got some kind of funny hedtube size, old cannondale m500 if thats any use just wondering if they had some funny size or something. If not I guess its time to get the callipers out and measure both to find out whats wrong Doh!

My Pace RC200 is like this, the bottom head set cup drops straight out. It does it with three different headsets.
As there are no cracks and no witness marks to anything untoward I can only assume that the frame has streached as a result of having headsets swapped too often or a oversized (think poor tolerance, not Tioga Avenger ) headset cup being fitted. The tolerance involved is miniscule, a single wrap of PFTE tape makes the cup too big to fit, no tape and it is too loose. I just put some thick grease on the cup to A: hold the cup in while I assembled the bike. B: to help the cup sit evenly in the frame when all is done up, kind of like a floating bearing surface on a roller bearing headset.

I may be wrong but I am a sturdy chap and there has been no sign of any further problem since. My headset does up fine and there is no play.

Whats pfte tape?, how thick is it? are we talking like masking tape thickness?, think that solves the problem though at least I know it'll run ok once tightened up or should od in theory. Did you get my message abou the red seat clamp?

PFTE tape is that stuff that plumbers / engineers use to gas tight a threaded joint, the white stuff you can wrap over threads and then still do the union up. Masking tape is at a guess as thick again, but it should not be a problem all the same.

Thinking on about this I would not use any shimming material and allow the headset to find it's own axial centre when clamped up as shimmin it could put the top and bottom race out of alignment; at best promoting quicker/uneven bearing wear, at worst giving a tight spot when turning the bars. One thing I do when fitting the headset is to spin the forks around quite quickly when the head set is clamped up, this is mainly to ensure the grease has got into everwhere it should, but it also should allow the head set to 'center' itself if one cup is slightly loose in the frame.

Did not get the message RE: the red clamp. It's still here if you want it. PM me.
Cheers, Pete.

I had this problem with the Explosif - got myself some JB Weld, ran a thin skim over the area inside the head tube where the cups sit, left it a week to harden, then took it to the LBS to have the head tube reamed out to the correct dimension. Job done...

Cool sounds like a good solution, I'll try the grease idea and see what it is like then once I've managed to buy a new stem for the bike and see how it works all fastened up and failing that will try the jb weld option, where do you get jb weld from though?. I'll send you a pm sticklegs about the clamp cheers for all the help.

I'ts most probably just different tolerances in the headsets. I did once have this problem on the SM1000 and ended up making a shim out of a bit of coke can, worked perfectly.

Mad Cow":zoaglomg said:

ended up making a shim out of a bit of coke can, worked perfectly.

Click to expand...

was MC Graham involved in that engineering masterclass?

How ironic, a cannondale and a shim made out of a coke can.

The shim must have felt like it was returning to the mother ship!