Fixing a Victorian

The first skim coat of automotive acrylic part way sanded down.



The second skim coat of whatever rattle can color I have remaining from other projects in the shop. This will be sanded down to mostly bare metal. Next a coat of 2 part automotive paint. I’m not doing anymore skim coats. Good enough, perfect. This isn’t anything like the color I’ll use.

Well people, I’m trying an insert in the bigger pedal race. An old road bike crank chainring retainer fastener was a pounded in for a press fit in the newer race. It’s aluminum so I don’t know how well that will hold up to pedaling pressure but there is a nut on one side and bearings on the other that I hope will take enough pressure off. I have two good sets of tap and dies and a bucket of bolts and nothing fits the original pedal spindle threads. I think it’s rolled. The closest is 1/4 SAE but it will only go on a few twists before binding. Since the insert is aluminum I’m hoping the hardened pedal spindle will rethread the insert once it’s forced on. I put JB Weld on the insert and pounded it into the race. I’m waiting for it to dry before applying Torque’s Law. Tighten it until it strips and then back off a little, it will be close to perfect.

Small chipped original and oversized jury rigged replacement.

It protrudes so a fabricated dust cover is needed. The dust cover was gone, the pedal was full of dirt, which probably had something to do with the pedal being shot.


It might work.

First picture above with the two races on the vice the one on the left is the original?
Is it cracked all the way through ?

Mickeyspinn said:

First picture above with the two races on the vice the one on the left is the original?
Is it cracked all the way through ?

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Left is the original. I’s not cracked through, it still threads on, it’s deeply chipped so the ball bearings hang up.

Nice one. That looks like it will hold.

Nabeaquam said:

Left is the original. I’s not cracked through, it still threads on, it’s deeply chipped so the ball bearings hang up. View attachment 641097

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Ok...yes as a ball bearing type of race over the pond in old blighty we'd say it's had it's chips!
But.....bare with me...
I have a plan!
As it's not cracked all the way through it threads on ok
Now if you pop the bonnet on a car you'll find loads of rubber tubing....I'd imagine the size you'd be after would be the type used for the windscreen washer jets....kinda soft and squidgy?...borrow a bit !
Wind that inside the the thread of the chipped bearing cone.... it wants to be a real tight fit!
Then using your preferred metal filler you used on the frame fill that chipped bit in as smooth and close to the original profile of the race.
Doesn't have to be absolute perfection just ...good enough perfect
Return rubber hose to wife's car once the metal bondo has cured.
Now this is bit that you'll have to get cunning with on your drill press....that vertical lathe thing
You need some nylon because your gonna make a solid bearing! No balls just a hoop of nylon.
So instead of point contact like a ball bearing this nylon bearing is gonna touch the hole surface of the bearing cone and the bearing cup.
Plasticine will give you an impression of the cup inside the pedal ....the cones in your hand so thats fairly straight forward to copy.
Now we've just got to find you some nylon material....
Wander into the kitchen...make sure the wife's elsewhere.....and grab that plastic chopping board...they're usually green ,red,yellow or white!
It's the type that when a sharp knife runs over it it leaves a mark but doesn't really cut it!
It's strange stuff to cut ok it's not metal it's not wood it's weird stuff...tools must be very sharp!
Wood chisels will do it hopefully you might have a bunch of holesaws? Find the one that's nearest to the size you need IE ... the plug.
Nut and bolt through the hole and pop it into your drill press...
Clamp something on the drill press bed to rest the chisel on up right close to the chuck and use that as your steady/rest for the chisel and get turning! Be careful it's grabby stuff ...you might have a few attempts but it does work I've done it exactly like this a few times!

When you measure up for it allow a couple of full threads on the pedal spindle inboard....this means as and when the bearing settles/squidges you can tighten it up.
I'm 99% confident this will work and work well !

If I wasn't 10000 miles away I'd do it for you especially now I have a little lathe! Be nice to do a little bit on this bike

Actually thinking about it....if I had some measurements I could just pop it in the post!?

Good idea on the bearing - even better use Nylacast Oilon which is nylon with oil in it and so self lubricating.
https://www.directplastics.co.uk/oilon-rod

I once thought of using a short offcut of strimmer cable in this application- it comes in a range of diameters, between about 1mm & 3mm, probably runs to yet fatter diameters in the US? Obviously it'd be a "broken hoop" though.. probably wouldn't work. It's probably not called 'strimmer cable' over there either.

Wow, brilliant. I’ll go to my rubbish bin and retrieve the crap plastic pedal, it’s already got the nylon bearing molded in. I might be able to salvage it, cut it out. I’s a group project, thanks.

Nabeaquam said:

Wow, brilliant. I’ll go to my rubbish bin and retrieve the crap plastic pedal, it’s already got the nylon bearing molded in. I might be able to salvage it, cut it out. I’s a group project, thanks.

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We're just standing around watching you do all the work..