Removing an 1890s two piece crank.

[Nabeaquam]

There are a lot of variation on this theme but the common thing is that they are hard to get apart. Here is how I got mine apart.

The crank arm compression bolt with the scredriver slot was still rust frozen stuck after a two week submersion in penetrant. I used a filed and ground down drag link extractor that was carefully tightly fitted to the bolt slot and used an impact wrench to remove it.
The crank arm is pressed on to the spindle and gear puller legs would’t fit under the crank arm as the space is very tight. Heat and a pickle fork and pry bars wouldn’t budge it. I used a small bearing splitter and two legged puller with extreme tension applied by using a 2 foot wrench extension. While as much tension as I could apply without destroying the tool was applied I heated the head of the crank yellow hot heat from my MAPP torch. It suddenly popped off. You can only use one retaining bolt on the splitter as the crank arm is in the way. I used a big clamp to keep the spreader in place. My vice grips don’t open wide enough but vice grips would be less cumbersome than a giant clamp.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Well saved is the crank arm to crank a tapered set up or is it purely just a "fit" ?

 

[greencat]

Impact wrench ftw. It's become my new favourite BB tool.

 

[legrandefromage]

XTR replacment?

 

[Nabeaquam]

Well saved is the crank arm to crank a tapered set up or is it purely just a "fit" ?

Not tapered just pressed on fit. It was so tight that I’m wondering if the factory heated the arm and pressed it on. It was unbelievably tight.

XTR replacment?

the bicycle industry keeps reinventing the wheel

 

[greencat]

Not tapered just pressed on fit. It was so tight that I’m wondering if the factory heated the arm and pressed it on. It was unbelievably tight.

Wouldn't be that much of a stretch. That kind of approach was common to victorian and earlier engineering.

Any pics of the rest of the bike. The pitch of the chain looks interesting!

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Not tapered just pressed on fit. It was so tight that I’m wondering if the factory heated the arm and pressed it on. It was unbelievably tight.

the bicycle industry keeps reinventing the wheel

As I thought,I doubt it was heat shrunk on probably just a good proper engineering tolerance fit.we really don't give that generation enough respect for the wizadry of their work,no digital readouts to work from just hand eye coordination and skill don't forget going by the looks of the condition of the bike which looks great its quite possibly not been off in 130 years! Top work getting off ....now tell me you managed to save that lovely slotted machine screw?

 

[Nabeaquam]

Wouldn't be that much of a stretch. That kind of approach was common to victorian and earlier engineering.

Any pics of the rest of the bike. The pitch of the chain looks interesting!

Block chain, one inch pitch no rollers. Apparently 1896 was the last year for these in general manufacturing in the USA. However block chains were still used on track bicycles into the 60s. You probably know this already. The bike is currently a basket case but here is an image of it from 1890s advertisement. Fixed gear no brakes, safety bicycle, ha, ha.

As I thought,I doubt it was heat shrunk on probably just a good proper engineering tolerance fit.we really don't give that generation enough respect for the wizadry of their work,no digital readouts to work from just hand eye coordination and skill don't forget going by the looks of the condition of the bike which looks great its quite possibly not been off in 130 years! Top work getting off ....now tell me you managed to save that lovely slotted machine screw?

Yes, I’m impresses that I didn’t ruin it. It was very stuck so I had to rock the impact wrench between tight and loose before it came off. There is a little damage to the slot but not bad considering how stuck it was. I spent a lot of time carefully filing the drag link extractor for a tight fit. I used my upper body weight to keep it in place.

 

[Nabeaquam]

By the way, M.C. manufacturing was originally a sewing machine factory in Chicago. The first year they had 50 bicycle employees but by 1893 had several thousand. For the short time they were in business (1892-1899) they were one of the largest bicycle manufacturers in the world making 500,000 a year. This must be true, it’s on the net. I don’t think this is true, it was actually no a huge company. They were widely exported and had offices in Chicago, New York City and London. There must be some Chicago Monarch bicycles surviving in the UK? There was a glut of bicycles and the fad was over so there was a big bicycle bust that put all but a few USA manufacturers out of business by 1900. I’m interested if anyone is aware of any survivors in the UK.

 

[Mickeyspinn]

Look forward to more progress
This is an eye opener...

I wonder pound per dollar how that shapes up to a modern single speed ?