# How?



## Coaster Brake (May 19, 2012)

So, I'm attempting to pull my 1901 chainless Crescent apart, and have hit an obstacle.




I cannot get the left crank arm off, but then again, I am unsure of how it really attaches either. I unscrewed the nut that appeared to hold it on, only to find that it appears to be attached in a much different fashion than the other side, which just simply slipped off.





I guess what I'm trying to ask is: How in the wide, wide world of sports do I take this old thing apart so I can paint it?


----------



## sam (May 19, 2012)

my guess is it has a key way in the axel. take off the nut and use a gear puller to take off the gear.
If this has a ball clutch,please show photos.It would be very interesting to see.


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 19, 2012)

sam said:


> my guess is it has a key way in the axel. take off the nut and use a gear puller to take off the gear.
> If this has a ball clutch,please show photos.It would be very interesting to see.




It's fixed gear, so it has no clutch as far as I know.
But then again, I know nothing.


----------



## lobsterboyx (May 19, 2012)

My guess is that its pressed on, it looks like some sort of puller has been used on it before because of the indent in the shaft. 

either that or you un-do some bolts from the other side and the whole assy. comes out with the arm still attached.


----------



## twowheelfan (May 19, 2012)

*see that hole on the side with the arm still attached?*

could that be a retaining ring? it might unscrew. if, you see a clear line between the outer shell and the "ring" then maybe you can use a drift and tap that ring. try gently in either direction. the best thing i can advise is to go to the wheelman site and ask there.
someone has done it before.
Walter Branche here or Pelletman might be good people to reach out to it wouldn't hurt to PM them.
They are very knowledgable in all things T.O.C. and before.


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 19, 2012)

Supposedly the whole assemble comes apart if I can get that one crank arm off.
But nothing appears to be holding it on, and the manual just says to "remove crank arm"
It's gonna be awful hard to paint like that.


----------



## okozzy (May 19, 2012)

*Try this..................*

Grab a couple of 2x4's and place them on the ground.

With the crank-arm facing upward, place your frame on top of the 2x4's. 

Now, If you notice there should be an indentation in the center of the bolt that is holding the crank-arm in place.

Take a center punch and hit it a couple of times with a hammer.

The crank-arm should slip right off.

Good luck.

p.s. make sure you got some penetrating oil in there before trying this method.


----------



## Old-Bikes (May 19, 2012)

it's installed press-fit on the tapered axle, just like the good old square tapered cranks found on about any bike. I'd worry more about the one which came off without puller.
also note, DO NOT PUT GREASE ON SPINDLE/CRANK INTERFACE IN THE REBUILD PROCESS. the crank will go deeper on the shaft and the hole will get bigger (damaging).
again, there should NEVER be grease there, EVER! undersood?

look at this to get an idea of how it should be removed:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/47703245@N02/6256180550/in/set-72157624240186627

have fun with your bike


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 19, 2012)

Old-Bikes said:


> it's installed press-fit on the tapered axle, just like the good old square tapered cranks found on about any bike. I'd worry more about the one which came off without puller.
> also note, DO NOT PUT GREASE ON SPINDLE/CRANK INTERFACE IN THE REBUILD PROCESS. the crank will go deeper on the shaft and the hole will get bigger (damaging).
> again, there should NEVER be grease there, EVER! undersood?
> 
> ...




How would I get the puller under it though?
It sets flush against the bushing thing.


----------



## okozzy (May 19, 2012)

*Dude!*

Dude, try this method.



okozzy said:


> Grab a couple of 2x4's and place them on the ground.
> 
> With the crank-arm facing upward, place your frame on top of the 2x4's.
> 
> ...


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 19, 2012)

I'll give that a shot tomorrow, hopefully it will come apart and I won't break anything....


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 19, 2012)

Here's a shot of the standard Crescent bottom bracket, which might help:
http://books.google.com/books?id=4h...scent chainless"&pg=PA639#v=onepage&q&f=false
it "differs in design and construction from the adult chain model, only where necessary to accommodate its special driving mechanism".
Best I could come up with, but I'd try to find a Crescent chainless owner at the Wheelmen before I did anything rash. Knowledge is Power.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 19, 2012)

From the chain drive picture, it looks like the left hand crank is  a press fit on the crank axle and the lockring and adjuster are for the bearings, but I'd still "ask the man who owns one".


----------



## sam (May 20, 2012)

If it's press fit how about trying a battery cable puller ---cheep tool at the auto parts---sam


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 20, 2012)

Well, I tried using a punch, but got nowhere with that.




It would be great if I could get a puller on there, but that would appear to be impossible.


----------



## twowheelfan (May 20, 2012)

there is patent date on the bottom bracket. can you search the patent data base for the drawings?
have some patience, you'll figure it out, don't do any heavy hitting yet. those pieces are the only ones you have and i'm thinking hens teeth to find.


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 20, 2012)

twowheelfan said:


> there is patent date on the bottom bracket. can you search the patent data base for the drawings?
> have some patience, you'll figure it out, don't do any heavy hitting yet. those pieces are the only ones you have and i'm thinking hens teeth to find.




I've got all the info on how it comes apart, but it just won't.
I wouldn't worry about it if I wasn't trying to paint it.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 20, 2012)

Try loosening the lockring and bottom bracket bearing adjusters- these MAY lever the crankarm out enough to get a puller underneath, or make your own puller jaws from thin scrap and bolts.  Steering wheel pullers usually have a lot of options and are easy to modify.


----------



## okozzy (May 20, 2012)

*I hope this helps*

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I went and pulled mine apart........so to show you what I was talking about with the center punch and all.

This sprocket is from my (chain driven) _*1900 Crescent model 31. 
*_
I would think is the same basic idea. As you can see from the pictures, you'll never be able to get a puller in there....... it's locked on the under side. In your case you may need to hold the crank arm in a vise while the frame is suspended in the air, then try punching it out, just make sure you are using some type of penetrating oil, etc.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 21, 2012)

"A judicious application of heat" from a blowtorch could help free things up.  You really can't get better information than what okozzy gave you!


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 21, 2012)

It's not going to come loose as it is, so I guess I'm going to have to heat it.
But won't that trash the nickel?


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 21, 2012)

Just get it HOT, hot enough to expand the crankarm, not enough get it red hot.  The grease will be smoking, but the nickel should be fine.  Get the bottom bracket very well braced, find a blunt drift punch that will hit the crank axle only and not the crankarm, and smite it a mighty blow.  Don't be timid, hit it hard with a big hammer, like a 5 pound drill hammer. A good smack should move something.  I'd use a brass punch, and an arbor press might be a better way to force the axle out if you have access to one.  Is everything that could be  holding the axle in place on the driver side been removed?  Make sure that there is nothing left holding it in place.
And an edit-
Your cranks look slightly different than okozzy's.  Just to be safe, take off any parts that you can with the crankarm in place before  taking the hammer to it.  Do the same thing on the drive side too.


----------



## rustyspoke66 (May 21, 2012)

Looks to me like maybe a crank arm puller might work?
http://www.unicycle.com/park-ccp-4-isis-crank-removal-tool.html/


----------



## rustyspoke66 (May 21, 2012)

On second thought, if you want to paypal me 5.00 I will send you a used crank puller just in case it doesn't work your not out much.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 21, 2012)

Rusty, I think you are on to something!  BUT I'm not sure the threads on the Crescent will be the same as a modern crank.  Coaster brake, try the locknut you removed on a modern bike with cotterless cranks. Not a French bike... If it threads right in you are golden.  If not, you could fabricate a similar tool with the correct threads.  Center drill a short matching bolt, thread the hole, hold the drilled bolt head in a wrench, spin in a smaller bolt and the arm should pop off.


----------



## okozzy (May 21, 2012)

*not compatible*

I own that same crank remover tool Rusty is talking about, but is no where compatible with threads on the crank in question.





Andrew Gorman said:


> Rusty, I think you are on to something!  BUT I'm not sure the threads on the Crescent will be the same as a modern crank.  Coaster brake, try the locknut you removed on a modern bike with cotterless cranks. Not a French bike... If it threads right in you are golden.  If not, you could fabricate a similar tool with the correct threads.  Center drill a short matching bolt, thread the hole, hold the drilled bolt head in a wrench, spin in a smaller bolt and the arm should pop off.


----------



## okozzy (May 21, 2012)

*Hold it!*

More pictures so that you can see that what I have is the same as what you got................... 

*Maybe we are missing the point,* given that he is got a *shaft drive;* have you made sure that something *"is not" *engaged and causing your bottom bracket not to slip out?
Take a look at the mechanism on the rear wheel/sprocket side, maybe you are supposed to start there; disengage or back off / pull something out on that side of the shaft before moving to disassemble the front?


----------



## sam (May 22, 2012)

I see now!
Take a two large ball peen hammers---hold one against the arm side and hit the other side with the other hammer. try not to hit so hard as to ding up the arm. 
these come off like taking ball joints apart.


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 22, 2012)

Ok, I got the crank and ring gear off, but now I find the gears on the ends of the driveshaft are attached in the same manner.
LOL this is almost comical. There is no way I can get anything inside that housing to hit it with.


----------



## okozzy (May 22, 2012)

*Yes it is*

Yes, too comical........ I'm done with this thread!
Peace.




Coaster Brake said:


> Ok, I got the crank and ring gear off, but now I find the gears on the ends of the driveshaft are attached in the same manner.
> LOL this is almost comical. There is no way I can get anything inside that housing to hit it with.


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 22, 2012)

We have tried...


----------



## Coaster Brake (May 22, 2012)

okozzy said:


> Yes, too comical........ I'm done with this thread!
> Peace.






Andrew Gorman said:


> We have tried...




Haha, Thanks for your help guys, the pictures from your bike were particularly helpful ozzy.
I just thought it was funny that it took me that long to get that crank arm off, only to run into the same scenario in a much tighter place moments later lol.
I'll tear it the rest of the way down tomorrow so I can sandblast the silly thing.
I'm thinking it will look good in the one optional color available in '01, olive green.
Thanks again for the advice on the crank arm.
-Zach


----------



## Andrew Gorman (May 22, 2012)

Zach:
Since you got it apart, please show us how you did it!


----------

