Holdsworth Special - Frame Rescue

dwscrimshaw

Retro Guru
Picked up this Special frame #031363 that was being passed on due to damage and stuck BB & Seat Stem. All lugs and brackets have been removed to make a single speed bike, marks can be seen under paint for the original locations. There is a dent in the down tube near bottle holders, but not too serious, just does't look good. The stem has been cut off and seat tube distorted at top.

I recon this to be around 1981 due to the top tube cable eyes and the lack of boss for the rear caliper mount. The BB seems to be installed correctly, but so seized up I can't move it even when the protruding end of the cup is held in vice and frame turned, It just slips off and chews up the cup. To get the cartridge out I cut around the shoulder of the cup so I could punch out the cartridge unit. Still got the remains of the cups to get out, but at least I can get to the bottom of the seat tube. Next job is to try extracting the stem with some studding, nuts and large washers.

Manage to locate a rear Campag 1010A drop out and the BB cable guides. If I can get the remains of the stuck components I may use it for a while before destroying what seems to be half decent paint work. Not my choice of color, but looks like its got some life left in it.

Few pictures attached of progress so far, any comments or suggestions welcome.
 

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Re: Holdsworth Special - Frame Rescure

Give it a good soaking with Plus-Gas, a dose every day and keep it up for a week. It's amazing how that stuff loosens things. It works far better than WD40.

If you spray it into the seat tube from the BB (upside down of course!) it will help loosen from the bottom too.
 
Re: Holdsworth Special - Frame Rescure

Thanks, yes going to get that going and try at the w/e. If no luck will keep soaking it. Also seen some tricks for the remainder of BB cups. I think a bit of patience will pay off.
 
Re: Holdsworth Special - Frame Rescure

Next job, get the remains of the stem out. Having removed the tang to gain more access, this is what I am left with. Relatively clean now, just some burrs in the aluminium stem which I hope will not cause too much of a problem. I hope to draw it up the seat tube a bit to get it moving then see where to go from there. Currently soaking in preparation.
 

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Re: Holdsworth Special - Frame Rescure

Not got the studding yet so had a go at the BB Cups. Tried a bolt and washer method seen on U tube and started by Sheldon Brown. As the is a cup each end I am a bit limited as to what I can use and can't turn it with a socket in the direction I want to. Clamped it up as tight as I could and ended up trashing the bolt, the thread was too fine perhaps.

Put a couple of cut in to it with hack saw, still didn't budge so filed a rough Hex into it and used the bolt as a wrench. With the bolt held int he vice I tried turning the frame until I thought I was going to do it some damage. Put frame on the floor and try to get a spanner on the head of the bolt, spanner slipped off as there is not enough of the head protruding.

Frame soaking on penetrating oil again, will try and get a 24mm hex wrench next week.
 

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Re: Holdsworth Special - Frame Rescure

Used studding and washers to pull on the bottom of the seat stem. Difficult to get it sitting on the top of the seat tube and have installed bolt and washer to support the clamp side of the tube.

No movement yet, but not really put that much load on it. Left it soaking as best I can with load on it. As I cant soak everything at the same time will concentrate on BB first. Will nee to check the washers are not going to get pulled into the bottom of the stem then maybe fill the seat tube from the bottom with penetrating oil as this is now sealed off.
 

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Re:

recon this to be around 1981 due to the top tube cable eyes and the lack of boss for the rear caliper mount.
Fwiw my Special 033*** , likely also '81 or '82, does have both top tube cable eyes and a rear brake bridge with a 'boss' in the middle.

Good luck with the recalcitrant bits! I was lucky- the only such problem on mine were the adjusters in the rear ends, which remain stuck and broken, even after Plus Gas soaking and drilling right through one of them from one end to the other.

I will say that the BB threads on my frame are, although still functioning, pretty sketchy- many 'voids' in the thread as if the BB shell's internal diameter is too big in places. I hope it didn't leave the factory like that, but it might have. Then it occurred to me that someone might have had to remove some stuck cups from it, just as you are doing, and the threads got damaged in the process. I hope for you it doesn't reach the point where have to file/hacksaw the cups across the threads to get them out.

Btw, there is a typo- or a Freudian slip(?) in your thread title! :?
 
Thanks, yes will try working with the penetrating oil, if all else fails I will have to resort to cutting it out in some way. Yes, been trying to work out when the rear brake boss came in as most pictures I have seen so far are latter than mine, 82+. bosses did not seem to be used so much in 70's. Interesting yours has them.

I have been collecting frame numbers to build up a picture on numbers v's dates, you may have seen my other threads and cloud site. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... TNKZkN4TmM Would you be willing to add your full number to the list? Happy for you to contact me direct if you would rather not divulge it on a forum.

Thanks for pointing out the typo, have corrected that.
 
Re:

Would you be willing to add your full number to the list?
You already got it. I contributed to both your frame number threads, which threads helped me to date my frame a bit more accurately!

Thanks for pointing out the typo, have corrected that.
I don't think you have corrected it... not on my monitor anyway.. but it is your thread.. call it what you want.. :)
 
Ok, thanks I did wonder if I had it already, that's good to know. I thought I had corrected the typo when I replied, but as you say seems not. I'll try again.
 
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