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Still having trouble with a 1899 Columbia Chainless.

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Ed Minas

Wore out three sets of tires already!
Good evening fellow Cabers. A while back I posted about problems with my wife's 1899 Columbia Chainless. It lost the drive between pedals and the rear wheel. After some suggestions by folks here I took the rear assembly apart. What I discovered is that the bevel gear on the hub backs off and unthreads itself. Does anyone here know how to keep the gear from unthreading itself?
Thanks in advance.

Us a side note I am amazed how different the 1899 Chainless is from the 1897 and 1899
 
From memory, there should be a reverse thread lock ring on the bevel gear. Can you see a threaded area past the bevel gear?If it is missing, you could secure the gear with some 21st century Loctite product. I suspect that Columbia used the same threads for all of their lockrings, but I don't know what the specs were. Pretty much nothing was the same in the 1898,1899, 1900, and 1901 models as I found out when i bought a bunch of parts bikes from someone else's abandoned project. this was not planned obsolescence, there were some fragile parts that needed to be fixed. Unfortunately as time went on the quality of the bikes and parts declined too.
 
From memory, there should be a reverse thread lock ring on the bevel gear. Can you see a threaded area past the bevel gear?If it is missing, you could secure the gear with some 21st century Loctite product. I suspect that Columbia used the same threads for all of their lockrings, but I don't know what the specs were. Pretty much nothing was the same in the 1898,1899, 1900, and 1901 models as I found out when i bought a bunch of parts bikes from someone else's abandoned project. this was not planned obsolescence, there were some fragile parts that needed to be fixed. Unfortunately as time went on the quality of the bikes and parts declined too.
I
 
I took a look at the Columbia manual- not the bike parts since they are 3000 miles away and in Fibber McGee's closet- and it looks like there is no lock ring on at least the post 1906 models- take a look at p, 14, but the tight engagement of the bevel gears and the "case check nut" (p. 10 and 11)might have done the same thing. I'd take the hub apart and see if it does take a lock ring. If not it is 118 years old and is entitled to some wear. Loctite Bearing Mount or "retaining product" should help if the threads have worn loose. These will break down if you play a torch over them, so you are not doing something irreversible.
 
IMG_4137.JPG


Crap. If I had known, I would have taken a better picture of this on Wednesday...

-Lester
 
View attachment 651551

Crap. If I had known, I would have taken a better picture of this on Wednesday...

-Lester

Dear Lester, Any chance you could photocopy the brochure you posted this pic of July 28, 2017 (maybe 2 separate photocopies of the pic itself so I'm able to read the labeling)? I'm stuck trying to re-assemble my 1899 model 59. Certainly I will pay for postage. Thanks in advance, Marty Potts. 1113 Oakwood Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611.
 
Dear Lester, Any chance you could photocopy the brochure you posted this pic of July 28, 2017 (maybe 2 separate photocopies of the pic itself so I'm able to read the labeling)? I'm stuck trying to re-assemble my 1899 model 59. Certainly I will pay for postage. Thanks in advance, Marty Potts. 1113 Oakwood Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611.

Marty, According to the Wheelmen directory it appears that you are already a member of the Wheelmen. I have a suggestion for you. Contact The Wheelmen Librarian/Resource Coordinator https://www.thewheelmen.com/sections/officers/officers.php?s=c01 and if you don't have one already, request a copy of Columbia Bevel Gear Chainless Care and Adjustment booklet. It is approximately 16 pages of helpful information published by Columbia on how to service Columbia bevel gear bicycles.

For anyone that is not a Wheelmen member and would like a copy of the booklet, there is no better time to join the Wheelmen then right now! https://www.thewheelmen.com/sections/membership/membership.php
 
As a Wheelmen member myself, I couldn’t agree more about the benefits of joining for those who have yet to do so. In the event you run into trouble Marty, I can get you some high resolution images of the posted illustration (the booklet in question is a couple hours away at my parents house though, so I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do it).

-Lester
 
Marty, According to the Wheelmen directory it appears that you are already a member of the Wheelmen. I have a suggestion for you. Contact The Wheelmen Librarian/Resource Coordinator https://www.thewheelmen.com/sections/officers/officers.php?s=c01 and if you don't have one already, request a copy of Columbia Bevel Gear Chainless Care and Adjustment booklet. It is approximately 16 pages of helpful information published by Columbia on how to service Columbia bevel gear bicycles.

For anyone that is not a Wheelmen member and would like a copy of the booklet, there is no better time to join the Wheelmen then right now! https://www.thewheelmen.com/sections/membership/membership.php

Yes, I've already contacted Bill Smith (librarian) and he said the club does not have the 1899 booklet. That's when I thot I'd try CABE. lgrinnings said it might take time because his booklet is at his parents house several hrs away, but he could provide me w/a copy.
 
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