Campagnolo First Generation Crankset & Pedals Updated 8-15

Campagnolo crankset from 1958, the first generation of the aluminum Record crank and a rare bird particularly with the correct pedals. Took these in on trade for my labor this past month and needless to say I was pretty happy about the trade. However on further inspection there are a couple of issues. First one of the crank caps is missing, bummer;second one of the pedal caps is a newer Nuovo Record type, double bummer; Lastly one of the pedal cages is bent inward a few millimeters.

With time and money I can probably source the missing caps but my question is would you attempt to straighten the cage? and if so how?


Thoughts?

Re: Campagnolo First Generation Crankset and Pedals but...

Blimey, they were rare even BITD

Best way to straighten would be two metal plates and a clamp, even then they won't be perfectly straight as there will be some elastic recoil of the steel......... Could try pushing out with a nut / bolt again with protection of the cage and body.

I think even to have one pedal cap is a blessing, don't they just push in and out without a thread?

Shaun

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There was a special spanner with serations to screw in the pedal caps. The crank caps would be difficult to find. The earliest pedals had oll seals.

Keith

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I would gently tap the cage out with a pin hammer and a flat punch, I have done it before takes courage and a lot of patience, but you can get it looking much better

Re: Campagnolo First Generation Crankset and Pedals but...

Steven,

Whatever you do - do it gently!

The crank cap spanner is available (although i suspect you have one) from ojn (Olavi) here.

Very nice trade BTW,

Richard

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Just noticed, the toe clip screws were very short, and had chrome washers.

These pedals were £4.00 a pair. Seeing them reminded me of the time I bought 60 pairs one week in the early 1960s.
Dave Russell had left Ron Kitching, where he was Southern area representative, and was trying to supply a small range to retailers. I asked him to get me 30 pairs, being the quantity for a 40% discount. He told me he could not supply, so I ordered 30 pairs from Holdsworthy, the importers. A couple of days later Dave arrives with 30 pairs, pleased to have got them. What could I do, to save him from any financial embarrassment I took them.

Keith

Re: Campagnolo First Generation Crankset and Pedals but...

Keith,

Any left in a box somewhere? Like a nest egg perhaps...

Dreaming on....

Richard

Re: Campagnolo First Generation Crankset and Pedals but...

Greetings gents,

I do have the spanner for the pedal caps, but will leave it be until I can source the correct cap.

Nice suggestions on straightening the cage, I particularly like Shaun's ideas because you could proceed slowly. I am still unsure though due to the risk that the cage will snap or the rivets will pull out which Frankly it it were a more common pedal I would already be at it in some way or another.


Keith any chance you have some spares lying about?

Steven

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My 2 cents: It looks pretty clear where the force was applied to bend it in the first place, so I would want to do the opposite. I would slide a wide flat plate between the cage and the body 1/2 - 2/3rds of the width between the rivets and support it either side on two blocks. Then perhaps cut a notch out of a lump of nylon or hard timber so it would bridge the rivets but not touch the central area of the cage. Get it on a small hand press and gently give it a push. The metal has already gone beyond its elastic limit, so it is probably a tiny bit longer. You will more than likely have to go slightly over centre and allow it to spring back to where you want it. If it was badly bent and stretched like a stick of gum, then you would run the risk of breaking the rivets as the hole centres in the cage would have grown. It does not look that bad. Whatever you decide - just go slowly but with a bit of purpose. You don't want to squeeze it 15 or 20 times and not actually bend the cage back - that would probably just loosen or break the rivets. The cage is a thin strip of metal, so it won't take much.
If you are going to actually use these, by the time they are on a bike with clips, straps etc. Will you really notice it? If not, then don't worry about it.

Hope this helps: Chris.

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Couple of newby questions...sorry...

What is the difference between the 58 Record and the post 67 Nuovo record crankset, I can't see any difference? I know they only came with 44+ teeth.

What is the difference with Record and Nuovo record pedals? (I can see there is a difference of type position on the pedal dust caps)

I have read that the campagnolo logo added a shield in 83, what does this mean as the logo on the cranks already have a shield?

I would leave the 'character' in that pedal