OldSkipTooth
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
Here is a nice set of Torringtons that need a refreshing as the English say.
First, I have one original that has been cad painted and neglected for decades. These are worth saving as the shafts are straight and the bearings are present and smooth.
Here is the other I have taken apart. I like to wire brush all the cad and rust off, especially the block rods so the blocks work smoothly again.
You can gently wire brush the blocks and clean them up, just be careful as the blocks may be brittle and can crack or break when off the steel rod.
Check the plates that hold the pedal together and make sure they are not bent inward or outward, you want them flat, perpendicular to the shaft. You can gently bend them back with a crescent wrench, pliers tend to scratch the surface of the metal.
When you reassemble, remember to put the beveled end of the block to the outside of the pedal, here you can see the beveled end on the left, and flat end on the right. The beveled end fits the pedal rod where it s cone shaped.
If you need to tighten the bearings do that by loosening the nut at the end of the shaft and tighten the cone nut a bit, leave a little play so the pedal rotates smoothly. Here I add a few drops of oil at each end.
NOTE: lock washers must be present between the bearing cone nut and the end nut to keep accurate adjustment, no lock washer=failure down the road.
This is also true for the pedal blocks: lock washer then nut!
Here is a finished pedal, the shafts are straight, it rolls smoothly, and the blocks turn
smoothly. The threads on the block rods are designed so the nut with a locking washer gets tightened to the end and holds the pedal together, while allowing the block to rotate smoothly.
If you want you can wipe on a thin coat of boiled linseed oil on the metal parts to stop rust and even the finished look.
Not all pedals are designed like this pair, but the basic function is similar in all pedals.
Enjoy the ride!
First, I have one original that has been cad painted and neglected for decades. These are worth saving as the shafts are straight and the bearings are present and smooth.
Here is the other I have taken apart. I like to wire brush all the cad and rust off, especially the block rods so the blocks work smoothly again.
You can gently wire brush the blocks and clean them up, just be careful as the blocks may be brittle and can crack or break when off the steel rod.
Check the plates that hold the pedal together and make sure they are not bent inward or outward, you want them flat, perpendicular to the shaft. You can gently bend them back with a crescent wrench, pliers tend to scratch the surface of the metal.
When you reassemble, remember to put the beveled end of the block to the outside of the pedal, here you can see the beveled end on the left, and flat end on the right. The beveled end fits the pedal rod where it s cone shaped.
If you need to tighten the bearings do that by loosening the nut at the end of the shaft and tighten the cone nut a bit, leave a little play so the pedal rotates smoothly. Here I add a few drops of oil at each end.
NOTE: lock washers must be present between the bearing cone nut and the end nut to keep accurate adjustment, no lock washer=failure down the road.
This is also true for the pedal blocks: lock washer then nut!
Here is a finished pedal, the shafts are straight, it rolls smoothly, and the blocks turn
If you want you can wipe on a thin coat of boiled linseed oil on the metal parts to stop rust and even the finished look.
Not all pedals are designed like this pair, but the basic function is similar in all pedals.
Enjoy the ride!
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