Pedal Clearance

GoldenMotor.com

YesImLDS

Member
Jun 29, 2013
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Columbia, Missouri
There are some vendors around that sell wide pedal crank sets that will definitely clear! Now I don't exactly know anything about pedal cranks as I have never taken one off or replaced one so I wouldn't know anything about sizes. You might just look around and see what you can find searching wide pedal cranks.
 

crassius

Well-Known Member
Sep 30, 2012
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if pedal sprocket & chain don't clear, you may have to change crank (or mount engine higher), but if it is just the back of the pedals themselves, you may want to just file that part down a bit
 

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
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Jacksonville, Florida
The three piece crank presents a problem- on the other hand it's your chance to get rid of the heavy steel cottered (never that good) crankset.

Sick Bikes used to sell longer crank spindles, except they are for four cornered splined and not cottered cranks (Cotter pins are a pain because the cotters wear and the arms start to slip on the spindle. There were about three sizes but they went gradually out of use by the end of the 1970's.

You may want an alloy fixie crank- you can get for about $50 on ebay= much lighter and better crank then

Diamond frames also present some clearance issues at the rear stay, so you'll probably have to have a good tensioner on the chain there. You may have to flip that motor sprocket the other way.

Years ago there was a nice tank that sat beneath the top bar , but they've been listed out of stock at gasbike for years now. The tear drop gets in the way of peddling more on a lightweight frame, so don't get an exceptionally large one!

Is that a "CITOH"? Looks like their paint and lugs. I had a frame like that once..
 
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Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
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Jacksonville, Florida
Looking closely at the bottokm bracket now- Not sure if that's a standard three piece diameter or a one piece converted (originally? never seen that done!)

So you need to see which diameter bearings fit in there- if it takes regular one piece crank sizes, you can get a wider one of those too, but you'll also need a standard one piece set of bearings and races
 

curtisfox

Well-Known Member
Dec 29, 2008
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minesota
Yes it does look like a old style one piece crank hub with some kind of conversion to a three piece crank. You ar just going to have to take it apart and find out what size the bearings are,and go from there................Curt
 

silverbear

The Boy Who Never Grew Up
Jul 9, 2009
8,325
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northeastern Minnesota
You didn't mention what engine is going into the frame. If it is a China girl and the clearance issue is that a little bit more room and the pedal would clear you may find that just switching the crank with one made in China or Japan will give you clearance. The bike looks like it may be a Schwinn. If so, then switching the crank (along with the donor crank's bearings and fittings) will save the day. I did this with a couple of 1960's Schwinns and didn't have to buy anything. Good luck.
SB
 

sboricic123

Member
Apr 15, 2013
172
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Bailieboro, Ontario
I will be putting a Skyhawk 66cc on it. The pedals are nut and bolt on to the crank. The make is Supercycle. I'm not sure what company manufactored them for Canadian Tire. Right now, the pedals won't clear the engine if mounted on. I'll try reversing the mounts first and go from there. Thanks.
 

Nashville Kat

Well-Known Member
Apr 20, 2009
1,501
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48
Jacksonville, Florida
Probably not much help, but a 50cc motor might fit between, just a smidge smaller.

You don't have the motor with the built in CDI do you? That's a smidge wider.

If your bottom bracket looked more standard 3 piece crank I'd suggest searching cotter pin spindles on e-bay because they come in different lengths too, but I'm not sure that;s good advice for your bike, because it looks as if the cups thread onto the spindle somehow like a one piece crank setup. You might be able to replace the crank with a wide one piece crank, but that's just a guess. IF you have any one piece steel astabula cranks around you could see it your bearing cups will screw down on that- and THEN get a wider one.
The tread spacing might still be a problem even then.
 
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Citi-sporter

Active Member
Jun 16, 2014
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North Bend, Or,
I know this is a Zombie thread from 2015..

But, as a bike mechanic, and for general knowledge base, the only way you'd be able to use a 3 piece, cottered crank of his type with a CG engine is to get the crank arms off the spindle, put the cranks in a big f#ing vise, get out a MAPP torch and heat the **** of the crank arms just an inch or so above the cotter holes and beat it outwards to about 10 or so degrees each side with a decent sized sledge hammer.

You'll then have to re-bend the section near the pedals to keep the pedals from wobbling. Rinse and repeat. It's what I had to do on my Steyr built J.C. Higgins 3 speed conversion, motorized bike. That particular bike in the OP's first post is a pretty rare beast. It's not your typical English threaded BB shell you can just slap an alloy crankset into.

It's a rare, European spec, 3 piece BB with one piece type cup shells pressed to the BB shell. These are smaller than American sized BMX and Schwinn type one piece cranksets and will not interchange. You're not going to find these BB's new anymore except maybe as NOS bits, or in used bike shops, or ordered from former Eastern European country's bike shops.