I haven't been able to find PB Blaster locally for awhile. I went to Tractor Supply with my buddy yesterday to get hydraulic fluid for his tractor for our yearly wood cutting and I noticed they have it. I will have to go and get some. I put Liquid Wrench on the front axle and managed to force them tight enough to hold the wheel in place. I now have it hanging in my shed. The seat post turns and I was able to raise it without loosening anything so thats not stuck. It has a cool looking stem but I don't know if that is frozen or not. I haven't decided what to do with it yet. I would like to find out what make it is before I do anything. It's too bad the skip tooth chain is so throughly rusted, it feels like a rod. I was going to just give up on it but PB Blaster might at least get it to where I can drive a pin out.
I'll give that a try, I have nothing to loose. I once did this and the chain broke when I tried to ride it. I looked at it and it had fine cracks on every link but only on one side, weird. I have been gun shy to try this ever since then. How long do you leave chains in vinegar? I think I left it in for several weeks, came very clean. I suspect it could have had other problems before I soaked it. I think it will all come apart, based on the seat post (hope hope). I wish I knew what brand t is. There was a Columbia Westfield suggestion and the sprocket is the same as some of the other older Colunmbias I see pictures of on the net, but the frame is different. I think it might be from the 50s, not the 40s as I originally thought. There is no dog leg crank and no peaked fenders. It does have a 5/8 inch steel rod for a seat post. I wonder if it is a Frankenbike? I have seen Early AMFs, just after they bought Roadmaster in 1950 that had skip tooth chains and round fenders.
No O'reilly's here but we have Auto Zone and NAPA. I never thought to check the auto parts store for PB Blaster. Good Idea.
I have used red hot heat and wet rags wrapped around the red hot piece. The steam blasts it apart. One of my hot rod buddies unfroze some lever action shocks for me like this once. He overdid it and the mounting holes for the bolts on one shock were melted away.
I will get it working but I don't know what form it will take. Seems like a bike made out of parts and with some missing stuff so it won't be restored. I guess you could restore this Frakenbike with existing parts. Haven't decided. I'll probably play musical bike parts and strip it and use the parts on some of my other bikes and then build the frame into something.
Got the rear wheel off and it rolls like a potato chip and has missing and twisted spokes. The inside of both rims are very rusty anyway. The chain is still in the same shape, it thinks it still has a chain wheel and cog attached. It's toast, some of the rollers are rusted right through and there are gaping holes. I might try an oxalic acid dip but it will probably end up in pieces. It looks like I'll have to ditch the skip tooth components. I can't get the wedge out for the stem but the seat came off. Stem wedges seem to always be stuck. I had to saw or break off all the small fender nuts and bolts as well as the one on the coaster brake arm. The coaster brake arm strap was made from plumbers tape. I still have not tried to loosen the head set, pedals or crank. I will saw of the crank if I can't get the right pedal off. I think you are right, frame, fork seat, bars and stem are all that is salvageable. I put more PB Blaster on it and will try it again tomorrow. The easiest and cheapest thing for me to do would be to make a Klunker out of it but I already have one and have 2 other frames I want to use for Klunkers. I have a ton of klunker parts, 2 sets of Shimano friction thumb shifters, front derailleurs that fit the small tubing, a set of old Araya rims, Bendix manual 2 speed hub, front and rear old drum brakes, 3 forks, 3 sets of bars, cool stems, etc. How many Klunkers does a guy need before people start to wonder about him? I might just hang it up for a later project?Well if the wheels and chain don't make it, you still have a very cool frame/fork.
