# 1952 Hawthorne bike questions and parts needed.



## wercmcbecker (Nov 23, 2009)

Hi all,
I have a ?1952 AMF Cleveland Welding built Montgomery Ward?s Hawthorne Junior Unequipped (Or Tank) Model Bicycle? so it is a 24 inch.






I am in the process of restoring this bike to make it motorized with a Whizzer motor but I am having some restoration problems and will be in need of some parts.

I took my bike to a friend of mine that has been working on bikes for many years and he tried to help me get the goose neck off but told me that it would probably be better to just leave it alone.  We have a new bearing set for it but the bolt is now warped.  Should I leave it alone? If not how do I get it loose?  What about the screw holding the fender underneath, that is stuck too?  My friend said that the rust is acting like a weld.  We have tried penetrating oil but to no avail.  

I have some new 24 inch Worksman rims that I will be putting new heavy duty spokes onto.  I would like keep the "Flying Heart" skiptooth large sprocket but be able to put it on a new coaster brake hub as the old one is rusted solid.  How do I go about doing that?  Along these lines I would like an old vintage drum brake (from any old bike) with a dynamo if possible as I will need lights.   

I would like to remove the pedal assembly too but we are unsure whether or not it is reverse (left handed) thread.   

Parts needed:
Chain guard (similar to orange bike pic)
Bolt for goose neck
Truss Rod for left side (rod that goes from handle bars to forks)
Screw for front fender
Skiptooth chain (new or used)
Head and tail lights (similar to orange bike pic)
Old vintage drum brake (from any old bike) with a dynamo
Tank that would have come with the bike not a Whizzer tank (can be rusty crusty as we will be restoring and welding it to turn it into a fuel tank)(look at orange bike)


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## wercmcbecker (Nov 23, 2009)

Sorry forgot to say thank you.
Melissa Becker


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## greenephantom (Nov 24, 2009)

Lots of big questions there.  

To remove the stem you might try heating with a torch, as this will often break up the rust bonds.

Skiptooth chains are no longer made and are very expensive ($70 or so) and you'd also have to use a vintage skiptooth rear hub.  Easier to switch the sprocket to a modern one.

Spoking up (and truing and tensioning) wheels is best left to a bike shop, especially if you're looking to use them with a motor.  There's short books on the subject, but it can't be adequately explained here.

Drive side pedal has normal threads, non-drive side pedal has reverse theads.

All that info is somewhat beside the point, as I'm rather doubtful you'll be able to mount an actual Whizzer motor onto that frame.  Pretty sure the opening is going to be too small.  You can probably get one of those Chinese motor kits mounted, but not a Whizzer.  From the looks of it, this project would be expensive and time consuming and the likelyhood of success isn't great.  I'm not trying to be a jerk about it, just telling it like I see it.  A project like this adds up really quick, easily more than the end product is worth.

Just for some perspective, I've been in the process of building up a 24" Schwinn HW with a Russian motor kit (a touch bigger than the China kits), front drum hub, Nexus 7 rear, new alloy hoops, new spokes, shift kit, moto style banana seat, etc, and I'm up to $600+ in parts (for which I could have purchased a used motorcyle instead), and I'm doing all my own work (wheel building, etc).  

Start with a 26" wheel frame that's in better shape, preferably Schwinn (I'm biased like that), and you'll boost your chances of success.  Or track down one of the modern Whizzers (with telescopic fork) and retrofit it with vintage stuff.  

Cheers, Geoff


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## wercmcbecker (Nov 24, 2009)

*1952 Hawthorne*

Geoff,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.  Just to let you know our family has a full do-it-yourself auto restoration shop that includes a paint booth, welding equipment, and machine shop (with a lathe and mill).  Modifying is not a problem as long as we have some suggestions on it.  My husband already has a 2006 NE5 Whizzer that has been highly modified with the help of Bill Green in Washington State.  Bill is building my motor to fit my frame and taking any steps to make it fit properly.  I already have new rims that I will have respoked with heavy stainless steel spokes.  I also have a replacement seat, an Elgin speedometer, and a vintage bike rack.  


The idea on the heating torch is great.  What part do I heat, the tube that the bearings are in, or the goose neck itself up, or the whole assembly at once?

We like the look of the skiptooth chain especially the "Flying Heart" sprocket that is matches up to.  We do have a line on a chain for around $50 but we were looking for anything cheaper but it sounds like it is already a steal.  Can you take the sprocket off of the rear wheel hub and putting it on a new one with coaster brakes?  Does it screw off or is it a pressed fit?  Could we find another one that is not rusted together and modify it?


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## JLarkin (Nov 24, 2009)

Since you have a machine shop at your disposal, here is a cheap way to accomplish your task.  Buy the hub below.  Bendix hubs have good brakes.  The cog pops off easily and installs easily with a circlip. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/VTG-BENDIX-BICY...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2c51cd8632

Buy this below cog.  It is a skiptooth. 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-NOS-Ben...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1c0c67176b

Once you have both pieces, put the cogs in your lathe.  Machine out the center of the cog that came with the Bendix hub.  Then machine out a same sized hole in the skiptooth cog.  Then simply insert the center of the hub's cog into the skiptooth cog and weld.  Now the skiptooth cog will fit onto the hub just like original.  Cool eh?  As long as you are a good machinist it will work out well.


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## RMS37 (Nov 24, 2009)

The challenge in using an original tank for your gas tank is that it is not a hanging tank so the two sides of the tank are larger than the opening and clamp together on either side of the frame leaving a void in the middle. 

The options would be to weld the two halves of the tank to the frame, seal the seams and have a non-removable fuel tank, use the factory tank to conceal a fuel cell internally, or fabricate a hanging tank that will pass through the frame and be removable.

There have been a couple of bikes recently listed on eBay similar to yours that were complete with tanks. On its own the junior tank is a bit hard to find. With the resources you have available to you fabricating a fuel cell from scratch that fits the frame aperture would perhaps be the least expensive and most functional approach.


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## Adamtinkerer (Nov 24, 2009)

"Can you take the sprocket off of the rear wheel hub and putting it on a new one with coaster brakes? Does it screw off or is it a pressed fit? Could we find another one that is not rusted together and modify it?"

     You could take any coaster hub that has an even number of teeth on the cog, and grind every other tooth off. It's been done over at ratrodbikes.


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## hotrod62 (Nov 24, 2009)

*my original 24" hawthorne*

looks like the same bike as your 52 but with paint..


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## BWbiker (Nov 24, 2009)

*Local help....*



wercmcbecker said:


> Hi all,
> I have a ?1952 AMF Cleveland Welding built Montgomery Ward?s Hawthorne Junior Unequipped (Or Tank) Model Bicycle? so it is a 24 inch.
> 
> 
> ...



 Hi, I live very near you in Beaverton - off Murry. I would be more than happy to help you guys get the stem free and give you some suggestions on your project. PM or e-mail me. I have four days off at T'sgiving and I am sure I can find a moment. I have an NE5 project too. Brad


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## greenephantom (Nov 25, 2009)

Heat the stem itself, dull cherry red should do it.  Let it cool.  Try a wrench / hammer.  Repeat.

Both Bendix and New Departure made skiptooth hubs in the 1950s, and there's lots of them still out there.  I'd recommend Bendix over the ND hubs.  And yeah, you can totally use a more modern coaster hub (like a 1960s Bendix Red Band that uses the common 3 tab cogs) and just shave off every other tooth.

Cheers, Geoff


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## wercmcbecker (Dec 1, 2009)

*Update*

BWBiker aka Brad, came out last Saturday to help me with the1952  Hawthorne.  We have been trying to get the goose neck out but it is stuck, stuck, stuck even with heat and penetrating oil.  We will keep trying.  Thanks for your help Brad.

On Friday we took the Hawthorne frame to Bill Green to see if the motor would fit and found that it was a no go.  I would still like to motorize it with some other motor.  I want the motor to be old from the era of the bike if possible.  The engine has to be less that 11 inches tall and can be a 2 or 4 stroke (4 preferred).  Any ideas.  

I am also looking for a 26 inch similar styled bike with a tank (not a Whizzer tank).


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## BWbiker (Dec 6, 2009)

*Stuck goose neck...*



wercmcbecker said:


> BWBiker aka Brad, came out last Saturday to help me with the1952  Hawthorne.  We have been trying to get the goose neck out but it is stuck, stuck, stuck even with heat and penetrating oil.  We will keep trying.  Thanks for your help Brad.
> 
> On Friday we took the Hawthorne frame to Bill Green to see if the motor would fit and found that it was a no go.  I would still like to motorize it with some other motor.  I want the motor to be old from the era of the bike if possible.  The engine has to be less that 11 inches tall and can be a 2 or 4 stroke (4 preferred).  Any ideas.
> 
> I am also looking for a 26 inch similar styled bike with a tank (not a Whizzer tank).



Hey Mellisa, try wacking that goose neck from the underside with a dead blow hammer again. I left a broken off stem soaking in PB Blaster, the same oil we used on yours and wa la it came out with one tap after threading the bolt into the remains and hitting the crown of the fork. Don't give up! Brad


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