# 39-41 Sears Collegiate: My First Project!



## alecburns (May 5, 2018)

[tl;dr: I got an old bicycle and intend on fixing it up. This will be proof.]

I am very excited to get started on this one. If anyone has seen my threads looking for a wartime/prewar bike, you'll know that I have been looking for a bike like this for a long time. In Colorado, these bikes seldom come up on Craigslist, and when they do, they're usually priced up the wazoo. My need for an older bike like this came from a want to have a bicycle I could ride from class to class at my University. I needed the bike to look crusty so the layman wouldn't see it as a valuable bike, but had the old age, rustic, bada$$ aesthetic I have come to love. This bicycle, usually made for Sears by Elgin, Murray, or Westfield, were sold as an entry level, cheaper bicycle (if my research was correct). They commonly were sold with put all of the "bells and whistles". However, I can see that mine has strap-marks on the top tube, indicating that at one point it had the tank. I paid $150, which I believe was a fair price. I usually only go for good deals like the '41 Westfield I got for $175, but the looming summer class with the envy of other bicyclists around campus, I stepped up to the plate. The fact that the bicycle is dubbed the "Collegiate", also seems serendipitous. I had to have it.

The owner was kind enough to throw in a Mesinger saddle along with the original, because there was a braze spot on the bar of the original. I personally like the crash tabs and style of the Mesinger, so for riding-sake, I plan on keeping it on. The bike is not without it's blemishes. There is some cheap red primer someone sprayed the rims and spokes of the wheels with and someone, I suspect, tried to repaint the darts on the frame. Aside from this, the bike seems to be just fine. There are no dents to the frame, the fork and seat stay are straight, and the wheels spin true-enough.




 


 


 


 


 


 

I intend on keeping this bicycle's character, removing the rust and amateur layers of paint over it. With any hope, there will still be some of the original paint on the rims. If not, I do like the maroon color and will probably choose to paint them in a similar fashion. I'll go through the internals and clean out the old grease and repack it with the good stuff. I'll reupholster the saddle with some scrap leather and foam. After I throw some NOS grips on it, it should be a great fenderless rider until I can get some period correct parts like the fenders, a rack, dropstand, etc. As always, help will be greatly appreciated.

Does anyone know the year?

Here's the thread for the parts I'm on the lookout for...
https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/l...lgin-collegiate-parts-or-suitable-fit.130467/


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## Scribble (May 5, 2018)

Sweet project, I'll stay tuned into this one.


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## STRADALITE (May 5, 2018)

The lower seat is a Persons. 
The upper is a Troxel.


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## alecburns (May 5, 2018)

STRADALITE said:


> The lower seat is a Persons.
> The upper is a Troxel.




Cheers!!


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## alecburns (May 10, 2018)

Schwalbe 26" x 2.30" Fat Franks showed up in the mail today. I got repro grips on the way and the correct chainguard thanks to @THEGOLDENGREEK . I got some Bontrager 26 x 2.00-2.40 Standard Tubes as replacements for the old tubes. Hopefully I can start getting this thing disassembled tonight so I can strip the primer off the rims tomorrow and see what I'm dealing with...

Any tips for a first timer in taking apart the bike?

Also, the front tire spins fairly true, while the back is slightly off. Some spokes are bent/loose. Can I simply tighten those awnry spokes and periodically spin the wheel to make sure its trued? Or do I have to replace those spokes?

Any help is appreciated...


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## alecburns (May 11, 2018)

Got it disassembled tonight in preparation for cleaning up the frame tomorrow. Got the bearings, washers and chain soaking in cab cleaner to remove the oils and grease before soaking it in rust remover. Can someone tell me the proper (or recommended) oil and grease people use in these older bikes? Cheers! Expect an update soon.


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## Scribble (May 11, 2018)

alecburns said:


> View attachment 804954
> 
> Got it disassembled tonight in preparation for cleaning up the frame tomorrow. Got the bearings, washers and chain soaking in cab cleaner to remove the oils and grease before soaking it in rust remover. Can someone tell me the proper (or recommended) oil and grease people use in these older bikes? Cheers! Expect an update soon.




If you want to use oil to preserve the Finish, putting a coat of boiled linseed oil on the paint will sure brighten it up a little bit and protect it from further corrosion.

As for repacking the bearings. I'd recommend going with a dedicated bearing Grease, Park Tool makes a specific bicycle grease which isn't as thick as the stuff you can get from an auto parts store. But any ball bearing grease will work, I wouldn't recommend using anything lighter than ball bearing Grease when rebuilding these old bikes.


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## 3-speeder (May 11, 2018)

Cool looking bike man. Glad you found something you like. Should be a lot of fun. Enjoy the rebuild and then ride the hell out of it!


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## alecburns (May 11, 2018)

On the back rim there are a few spokes that are loose/ slightly bent. I think it's what's making the back wheel not real true. Can it help if I tighten those to straighten them and put just a little but of tension? I was thinking of tightening and testing its effect by spinning it while installed and see if it trues. If that makes sense?


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## 3-speeder (May 11, 2018)

alecburns said:


> On the back rim there are a few spokes that are loose/ slightly bent. I think it's what's making the back wheel not real true. Can it help if I tighten those to straighten them and put just a little but of tension? I was thinking of tightening and testing its effect by spinning it while installed and see if it trues. If that makes sense?



Tightening the loose spokes is a good idea. It might only start to get it true though. Use the "Search Forums" tab at the top of the page here for helpful links, etc. Basically tightening will pull the rim the direction you want it to go but sometimes you'll want to loosen the opposite side for the same effect.

I've been told that this is a good video on wheel trueing:


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## alecburns (May 12, 2018)

I soaked all of the rusty parts in rust remover to put some more live into them, then soaked them in WD-40 to prevent flash rusting. I was taking apart the hub at the crank set the other day only to find new, clean bearing grease. Probably within the last 10 years. Figured I'd just close her back up than give myself the heartache. I soaked shop towels in rust remover, wrapped the assembly, and covered in cellophane to keep it from evaporating. This is a great technique for parts you don't want to remove...


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## alecburns (May 16, 2018)

Got the chainguard in the mail the other day. After 5 min of elbow grease and Acetone, I was pleasantly surprised to find a chrome finish in pretty good shape underneath. I've had to put the project on hold because of school activities, but got it "mocked up" in a sense. I ended up taking apart the downtube hub, giving it a thorough cleaning, and filling it with clean, fresh grease. I got nearly all of the rust off of the crankset, although sadly about 98% of the plating is gone. Should I put a clear coat on the bare metal parts, or leave it be?

I'm a little nervous about working on the rims. The front rim spins about as true as it'll get (no truing stand, just me 'eyeing the rims as they spin, lol'). I intend on stripping some of the primer off to see if any of the deep red finish is still there. If not, I think I'll strip it all, sand down the rusted areas, then repaint with a rattle can primer and color that matches the deep red as much as possible. As for the spokes, some of them I can feel some corrosion under the primer... I was going to tighten the loose spokes and gauge if that trues the rim because right now the rear rim is spinning too OFF for my comfort level. But I think I may ultimately want to buy new steel spokes and redo the entire back rim, though that might be too time consuming and advance for a first timer. Decisions, decisions...

I'm also nervous on taking apart the Musselmann hub for a full cleaning. Might ultimately be easier with the rim taken apart completely, I don't know...


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## Scribble (May 16, 2018)

Musselmann hubs are straight forward rebuilds, plus it will improve the ride quality.


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## alecburns (May 16, 2018)

Well I decided to tension some of the loose spokes on the rear rim to see if it would improve the spin. Made it worse. Luckily, I found the nipples tighten and loosened relatively easily. I'm leaning more towards removing all of the spokes, stripping the paint, removing the rust, repainting them red, then reinstalling them. I'd have to learn how to spoke but I think if I can control the level at which the spokes are tightened equally will allow for a truer spin. Front rim is good enough, so I want to leave that one alone. It might make the stripping harder though. Decisions...decisions...


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## alecburns (May 19, 2018)

Time for the 'daily' update. I got the musselman hub disassembled and the old oils cleaned out. What should I lubricate it with once it's back together? I'm guessing the multipurpose valvoline grease will work fine with the bearing races, but what about the shoe/coaster break part???

In lieu of this, I decided to remove all of the spokes. Most came out no problem, while a few had to be cut. This revealed a slight bend in the rims and a very very slight oblong-ness to the rim. Luckily, with my muscles and some new inventive yoga poses, the rim was bent back fairly straight, and the oblong-ness eradicated to within a 1/16th in. I think this is as good as it'll get.

My question for y'all is whether I can just replace the broken ones with replacement spokes, or do I have to do all or nothing? I'm probably going to have to find a way to build a hillbilly truing stand. It seems as though this bike is getting a full check-up whether it deserves it or not...


Also with some fine steel wool and acetone I found only bare metal under the primer. I'll strip the rest of the primer, re-prime, and find a close match to the original red. might try hand-pinstriping an acrylic white line when I'm done if I feel crazy enough...


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## GTs58 (May 19, 2018)

Hmmm, I'm thinking if I went as far as tearing down the wheels and rebuilding, I'd probably replace those old spokes for safety if it's going to be a rider. But then again, I'm an idiot and thought no big deal about driving my car on the freeway with 16 year old tires.


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## alecburns (May 22, 2018)

GTs58 said:


> Hmmm, I'm thinking if I went as far as tearing down the wheels and rebuilding, I'd probably replace those old spokes for safety if it's going to be a rider. But then again, I'm an idiot and thought no big deal about driving my car on the freeway with 16 year old tires.




Where can I get new spokes? Any good sources you all use?


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## alecburns (May 23, 2018)

Will these spokes do?

The original spokes length was 266.7 mm and 16 ga, these are Wheelsmith 267mm 14/15ga stainless steel spokes. Thanks again!

Also, will the original nipples work on these new spokes? or do I have to get new ones?

https://www.niagaracycle.com/catego...MI19CG2tWc2wIVEcJkCh2hzwmFEAQYASABEgJT2_D_BwE


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## ThegoodThebad&Therusty (May 23, 2018)

alecburns said:


> Will these spokes do?
> 
> The original spokes length was 266.7 mm and 16 ga, these are Wheelsmith 267mm 14/15ga stainless steel spokes. Thanks again!
> 
> ...




Son, you are what is called 'committed' or ba**s deep as they say at this point in the build ! Don't fiddle-fart around with painted old spokes and nipples. You need 72 spokes, not a bag of 50 or two bags that make 100.
Here - https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...eDesc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=vintage+spoke+nipples. There are multiple choices and the price is right. Marcus will cut and thread them for you any length you need. 
Here's a link for the nipples you will need - https://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Torrin...m=331829349545&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

You will also need an appropriate size spoke wrench to do the job and youtube is your friend regarding wheel lacing tutorials. It would help if you didn't break down the front wheel so you could use it for reference. It ain't no big deal and it's a good investment in pride when the job is done. Remember, 'key spoke' on the right, twist the hub counter clockwise, 'key spoke on the left, twist the hub clockwise.

If you have any questions just ask the tinker here on the CABE 

Go for it !


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## alecburns (Jun 14, 2018)

I've got the rear wheel stripped, sanded, primed, and painted with a near-original red. If there's one thing I've learned, its that surface prep is the difference between a great and horrible paint job. It's definitely crucial when you can only afford to do rattle can. I got the musselman hub thoroughly cleaned. Thankfully, there was little minimal wear. For lubricating the hub, will general wheel bearing grease suffice for the bearings? And, can I use that same grease for the shoe of the hub?

Lastly, I tried to tense up one single, loose spoke on the front wheel, and it snapped. Looks like I'm going to deconstruct and respoke the front rim after all...

Just gotta tell myself it will all be worth it in the end! Haha


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## alecburns (Jun 19, 2018)

Well, I spent some time learning to lace up the rear wheel last night and was happy to figure out that I was able to do it correctly! The only problem(s) is that even though the spokes I got are the exact same length as the originals, they seemed to be too long. I was able to tighten them down properly, but the threaded ends now protrude up into where the tube goes. Is this okay? I don't imagine the original rubber nipple band will be able to adequately cover those protrusions.

Lastly, the rim was a little bent when I got the bike. I'm not using a truing stand, but I want to ask you all if this looks true enough?? Just for a daily rider?

Thanks guys and gals...


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## Scribble (Jun 19, 2018)

Ballbearing grease is fine for these old bikes, as for trueing a wheel. I'm a little obsessive so I try to get side to side moment as close as I can to the width of a nickel.


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## 3-speeder (Jun 26, 2018)

Well it sure spins nice. I would like to see it a little less wobbly if it were mine but.....


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## JimRoy (Jun 26, 2018)

O


alecburns said:


> Well, I spent some time learning to lace up the rear wheel last night and was happy to figure out that I was able to do it correctly! The only problem(s) is that even though the spokes I got are the exact same length as the originals, they seemed to be too long. I was able to tighten them down properly, but the threaded ends now protrude up into where the tube goes. Is this okay? I don't imagine the original rubber nipple band will be able to adequately cover those protrusions.
> 
> Lastly, the rim was a little bent when I got the bike. I'm not using a truing stand, but I want to ask you all if this looks true enough?? Just for a daily rider?
> 
> Thanks guys and gals...



Did you notice if the spoke pattern was 3 cross or 4 cross?  If the spokes are too long It could be a 4 cross.  Make sure you get the rear wheel dished properly.


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## alecburns (Jul 2, 2018)

Hello everyone,

Sorry for the delay but I have been busy with work. The last couple weeks, however, I have been spending some time on the bike. There were some hiccups like a toasted front bearing and a musselman hub sleeve literally snapping in my hands, but thanks to @Gordon , I was able to get the necessary replacements. The most time consuming part of this venture was the front wheel. Since I wanted to use the original maroon primed spokes and brass nipples, it was a long and arduous process of inspecting the 72 og spokes to find 36 with the least corrosion, strip, polish, and clear coat them to match them to the new stainless steel spokes on the rear rim and help reduce further corrosion. Truing the rims proved tricky as well without a truing stand, but as my first crack at it I think I did pretty good. There is slight wobble in the wheels but I heard from a few that these wartime bikes never get truly true. I was able to assemble the pieces, throw the pedal pegs on it, and give it a quick ride outside. As far as I know the bike rides well. It coasts smooth and has a good braking action. I am definitely loving the look so far. All I have left to do is recover the saddle, rebuild the pedals, and install the chainguard. I have some other slight aesthetic customizations I plan on doing like a vintage style bike crate and magna flashlight holder. I'm still looking for a period correct rack and a dropstand and/or kickstand. Cheers!


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## alecburns (Jul 2, 2018)

I have some additional questions...

What's a good padding material for the saddle? And what thickness of leather is correct?

Would this bike originally had a dropstand, kickstand, or either? Also, is there a way of having a dropstand without a rear fender?

And what would the correct chainguard look like?


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## stezell (Jul 2, 2018)

alecburns said:


> I have some additional questions...
> 
> What's a good padding material for the saddle? And what thickness of leather is correct?
> 
> ...




It would have had a dropstand without ears due to the fact that the rear dropouts have the stops. I know someone on here had a dropstand without the rear fender, just can't remember which member it was.
Sean


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## JimRoy (Jul 2, 2018)

alecburns said:


> I have some additional questions...
> 
> What's a good padding material for the saddle? And what thickness of leather is correct?
> 
> ...



Caber Stradalite can tell you about the correct padding, sanding with 80 grit and Veg leather. Or he will cover a seat for you at a fair price. JimRoy 
PS: Your bike is equipped for a rear drop stand. Or a side kick stand will work as well.


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## JimRoy (Jul 2, 2018)

You could install a rear half fender (nice look), and install the spring clip. You would pull the drop stand up to 12 o’clock position and secure it to the fender spring clip. It’s a nice look. JimRoy


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## alecburns (Jul 14, 2018)

Took the bike out for its maiden voyage yesterday. A 5 mile trek along the Poudre River here in Fort Collins. Happy to report that the bike didn't disintegrate underneath me. It rode smooth, though I think my tire pressure was a little low, making it a little harder to pedal on the pavement. I love the look of this bike, and all I have left is to get a period rack and install a correct kickstand/seatpost bolt. Thanks to everyone for there help, this bike was a great learning project...


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## GTs58 (Jul 14, 2018)

BAD A looking ride!


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## Scribble (Jul 20, 2018)

Looks great man


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## vincev (Jul 20, 2018)

ok for a rider but a few minutes of truing would make it much better.


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## alecburns (Sep 23, 2018)

In keeping with the theme of a crusty, refurbished rider, I decided to add a vintage headlight to the mix. Was able to get it cheaper than usual since someone in the past crudely hacked it up and made it a handlebar-mount. Cleaned off the rust, tried to soften the dents in the lens as much as possible and added a power source (2 AA's) and a toggle switch from HD. No more riding home in the dark! Thanks to @Krakatoa for having the necessary parts to help complete this bike!


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## Balloonoob (Jan 28, 2019)

Super jealous man. You gonna have a great ride when finished.


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## alecburns (Jan 30, 2019)

Thank you @Balloonoob .

For about 6 months now, barring a few 0 - 15 degree snowy weather days, I have been riding this bike to and from campus, about 3 - 5 miles a day. It has saved my skin on multiple occasions and besides a pesky tire pressure being too low, it has ridden like a well oiled machine. I definitely recommend the Schwalbe Fat Franks as well as nice tubes. Biggest complaint is that the rear rim has a slight warp and I think it isn't riding as smooth as it should. Second complaint is on account of my behind. I think I'm going to make a simple seat cushion pad to save my rear. I've been lazy but I got some old saddle bags to attach to the rear carrier, and I need to give it a thorough cleaning and lubrication next chance I get. Here's to old bikes! Cheers! - All I need now is a 1946 Willy's Jeep and I will be complete.


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## Balloonoob (Jan 30, 2019)

That is all you need to be complete..... Lucky guy.


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## Scribble (Feb 8, 2019)

Nice job, good lookin bike.


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