Schwinn Lightweights Speedometers, Drives, Cables And Rebuilding Too

[momo608]

I'm gathering parts to put a speedo on my accessory laden Varsity. You don't see many of these with speedo's. Hoping someone has some pics to share on how the dealer would have put it on. The straps and so forth. Also curious about cable lengths considering this bike is a 26". Surely a 22" does not take the same cable!

This springer saddle came on a very similar varsity and was wondering what the deal is with this type saddle. An accessory item?

 

[Metacortex]

The "Comfort Form" saddle in standard and coil spring versions was introduced in mid-'73. I believe the coil-spring version was used on the Ladies' Sierra/Continental in some model years after that (it shows in the dealer spec. books for '77 and later). A very similar Taihei coil spring saddle was used on earlier Ladies' Super Sport and Varsity models.

 

[momo608]

Anyone have the speedo installation instructions for 27" road bikes? Wanting to see where exactly they installed the cable straps. I think they used two for this application.

Thanks!

 

[GTs58]

I have a NOS Huret speedo in the box and the instructions are not for any specific model or size. The Schwinn SW speedo that came on my 65 had the cable stretched to the max with no straps.

 

[momo608]

Yeah, it's a bit sketchy on Schwinn speedos for 27" lightweights. It looks like the longest cable offered in the schwinn speedo sets are 24 1/2" which means they were for small frame bikes. I'm trying to get it to work on a 26" frame and the ideal cable length I came up with mocking it up is 29". I found a huret cable a little longer than that and it's on its way from the UK so the straps are the last thing I need.

Speedos on SL's are pretty rare, at least they seem to be now. Can't even find a decent photo to look at. I bid on a couple nos complete sets with instructions but fell short.

Thanks for the input.

 

[momo608]

Can't find much on this topic and what I'm finding I'm not liking.

After remove the 5mm screws, this is when I applied the heat to the input shaft threaded housing on the totally frozen input shaft. Heat then dab on penetrating oil and try to spin the round magnet with your fingers. Repeat the heating and oiling until you break it free. It took about a dozen times to get this one free. You don't want to over heat it and melt the nylon gears the butt up against it. You cannot get this assembly apart with a frozen input shaft so don't even try, it has to be completely loose and spinning smoothly . You can see I filed off the crimped pins to be able to lift this out. I used a utility knife blade after filing and gently pried it apart going from one side to the other until it both sides cleared the crimped pins.

Here is that stuck SOB. You have got to get that 40 year old grease out of there to do the job right. If you just free it up and leave that old grease in there, it will start sticking again if you let it sit or cause unnecessary drag on the rest of the drive. I used synthetic red grease for assembly.

This is the time to zero the odometer with the plastic gears out of the way. Takes a few minutes spinning the white tenths indicator wheel in reverse with you fingers to dial back a couple hundred miles. If you have thousands of mile to roll back, this will take some time, or you can grind the crimped shaft end with a dremel to slide pin out from the odometer wheels and zero it that. Put a dab of glue to hold it on place when you put it back. Carefully study how the gears work before you do this or you might loose your way back home.

This is the part I heated. Not fully assemble like this but I neglected to take a photo of this step. Careful with the heat! this heat gun can melt solder.

 

[momo608]

Drive.

You need to get the ring gear out before removing the pinion gear. A 1/8" drive punch from one side, doesn't matter which, will push the bushing out that holds the pinion gear in place.

Getting that plastic grease Shield/retainer out is the hardest part of this, at least without wrecking it. I used the heat gun to soften it plus soaked the whole thing minus the drive arms in mineral spirits over night. That old grease turns to glue in 40 years!

Done

 

[momo608]

They don't make a drive cable the right length, at least not one that I can find for a 26" frame, so I have got to make my own. Good info to repair old damaged cables as well.

Universal speedometer cable is within a couple thousandths on the OD. But only one end is formed in a square shape. It comes with a crimp on end but this will not work with the huret speedo/cable.

Formed my own with this homemade fixture

upper cable is original Huret

Soldered the tip for a more professional look and soldered on this homemade washer. Used plumbers solder and flux. Hard to tell the difference from the original.

This end is the speedo head end of the cable.

I removed one of the the crimped fitting end from the cable housing, cut the cable housing so I would end up with a 26" long cable housing with fittings installed. The inner cable sticks out the drive end 5/8" past the fitting when the head end is fully seated in the fitting. I took the fitting off the extra cable housing I have.

 

[momo608]

These came out in 1978 judging by when they showed up in the Schwinn catalogs. Another must have interesting accessory for the Schwinn lightweight fanatic. Works with quick release hubs.

I got one and didn't know what it was for when I bought, NOS to boot!

New Deluxe Universal ture drive speedometer with black finish case. Calibration for MPH and KMH on dial face

• - 08 455 fits 22" thru 27" frames .........$18.50
• - 08 456 fits 17" thru 21" frames .........$18.50

This is my unit. Notice the size difference of the inner drive cable OD with a regular Huret drive cable at the top. One end fits the standard huret Speedo, the other is smaller for the drive unit. This must be 08 455 because of the short drive cable. Think I found the longer cable and it's coming from Poland.

 

[momo608]

Nice clean installation if I say so myself. The tire drive Schwinn lightweight speedometer set is next. The specifics for the 6" axle I used for this can be found here.

http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/sc...qr-axles-cones-26-tpi-and-metric.86503/page-2