Hey thanks for the info. What scared me is reading about these old sears being Austrian made and cranks arent interchangable. That old 5 speed cassette is working like new BUT I hate that 40t sprocket and short kiddie arms. As for a one speed keeping chain adjusted properly I see these cheap pocket bike tension arm rollers on Ebay. As for keeping the 3 piece crank there is no such thing as a 36t sprocket with long arms. Most single speed trykes are 36/22 and thats really my goal. Lord knows where you could get shifter parts for this dinosaur. I wouldnt even know where to look for a cable.
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The bb axle and crank may or might not be interchangeable with other cottered axles/cranks. But the cups are fine to use with any 3 piece crank so you can change the axle AND arms to a cottered set or a cotterless set. A minor issue to watch for is bb shell width. They vary from 68 mm to 73 mm. If you use a 68mm width axle in a 72mm shell, you run out of threads for the lock ring.
Cables are pretty standard. Local bike shops have them in extra long lengths for tandems or you can get a $10 repair set at wallymart that includes 2 brake & 2 gear cables and all the housings any bike might need. The trike should take a standard rear gear cable length, it's not a stretchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeddddd trike.
That freewheel is a standard freewheel threaded on to that block that is pinned to the axle. You could change that out if it is too rusty. Spray some wd-40 on it and try to get some in the bearings too. Turn the trike on its side so gravity can help the wd-40 get in to the bearings.
The main axle bearings are the same type that wheel barrels or washing machines use. Cheap, cheap, cheap. Shielded, not sealed. Drip some oil in those too.
I sure agree about too-short crank arms. I changed them out on one of my trikes from 5.5" to 6.5" and that really helped get going from a dead stop. You can't run along side a trike, pushing to get up momentum, then jump on. You run yourself over every time trying that.
Post some more pictures of the underside if you can.
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