Reworking the lights, rewiring, top tube tank, etc

From what I have heard once you get the crank arm red hot they bend easily. I will also be bending up a set of cranks for my bike to clear the engine.
 
That's what I understand too. All I have on hand is a propane torch. Will that get me there or do I need to take it to a friend?
 
I didn't use heat, but cold bent mine. Put it in the vice, use a stout pipe and it will bend. I'm 68 now and not exactly Charles Atlas. Propane or a meps cylinder (burns hotter) on your propane torch should help without it having to get red hot.
SB
 
Using a MAPP gas cylinder on your torch will get the crank red hot, but it'll take a while.
MAPP gas burns considerably hotter than Propane.
 
Thanks Gents! Any suggestions on how to keep the spindle and pedal axis' parallel? The cross section of the crank arm looks like a house in the area that needs to bend.
 
Bend, check, twist, check, repeat as necessary.
I would use well fitting wooden dowels, maby 2 foot long each, through the pedal holes to use as a sight gauge.
Most folks would not though. they just bend and re-bend, twist and re-twist, until it feels good while pedaling.
 
GearNut said:
Using a MAPP gas cylinder on your torch will get the crank red hot, but it'll take a while.
MAPP gas burns considerably hotter than Propane.
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I have one of these Weed Burner Torches that seems to produce a hotter flame because of the type of burner tip and design that introduces more air into the gas to air burn ratio.

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Now I'm not 100% certain on if it does produce a hotter flame, but it sure seems like it does.
 

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I'm always game for a simple solution but I'm not clear how pedal extenders would work for me. The crank is hitting the engine.

It would be interesting to know if the weed burner is as hot as the MAPP since they run about the same price and I have a lot of landscaping.
 
Score. I talked to my associate (the electronics guru) about bending the crank and asked if he had a hotter torch. I'll be going out to his place between the holidays and we'll heat it up with his acetylene torch. That should do it. In the meantime I need to cut the heads off the bolts holding the cover on the Dana so that I can clean and lube the gears. One of the bolt heads is split and the others are not budging. Also need to free up the nylon pivot shaft that interfaces with the cable guide/anchor.
I had posted looking for info on making a suicide shifter from a gripshift and had been given some links by BigBlue and Chainmaker. Ordered a few parts today. That will be an after new year project but it will be used on the Dana.
 
Finally got the cover off the Dana transmission. The 1/4-20 bolts had seized in there and I needed to cut off the heads to get them out. Once the cover was off it was a matter of cleaning the 40 year old grease out of the gears and then putting in fresh.
 

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I was feeling pretty cocky pulling the gears out thinking if I can rebuild a Cosworth Twin Cam this will be a breeze. When I pushed the nylon shifter pivot out a spring and a pair of chrome balls that were not in the detail went flying. Found the spring on the floor next to me and one ball behind me but couldn't find the other ball for a few minutes. Pants cuff. Better to be lucky than good?
 

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Temporarily installed for fit. I'll need to reroute the exhaust a bit for the new chain path and I might replace the factory chain with the leftover #41 from the engine side. Still waiting for a few parts to arrive for the suicide shifter. Also need to bend the crank.
 

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Made my own suicide shifter knob. A wood finial ball, a Dremel tool, some Tester's paint, and my really shaky hand and I've got a shifter knob that suits me for now. Perhaps I'll change my mind later when the shifter is done but for today it's OK.
 

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Been out of commission for the last couple days so it was really nice to get back in the garage and get dirty again. I'm making a little progress on a suicide shifter for the Dana 3-speed transmission. So far, so good although it might need to be shorter or have a shift gate to keep the lever from smacking the top tube. Total travel is about 70 degrees though so a gate miht not be practical. Knob is just sitting on there for now so I can get an idea of fit. My plan is to take the lever off and give it a buff when done.
 

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If anyone is curious what the Dana I keep referring to is all about, here is a new equivalent 2-speed: http://www.utahtrikes.com/PRODINFO-FSA_Metropolis_Patterson Crankset.html
This is an ad for the Dana from '73 although I believe mine is a bit older: http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...vJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2115,4058179
Not much more and I can get back to the lighting. The sprocket I ordered is here and is a really nice press fit on the generator drive wheel. Next will be to get creative and figure out how to mount it. I am thinking that I will put it on the pedal side and then monitor the battery voltage with a gauge. When the voltage gets low I'll pedal. That way the generator won't over-heat quite so much.
 

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"Put a torch on it" they said. "Get it cherry red" they said. "It will bend like butter" they said.
Nope.
 

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I am sorry to see that you broke your Harbor Freight bench vice.
Bending steel is easy when it is glowing cherry red hot. I wonder what went wrong for you?
Ouch man!
 
Me too. The vice was a cheapie but a gift. I took off the base and bolted it directly to the bench. It'll do. Not sure what went wrong. I posted over at Ratrodbikes since there seems to be a few more people that are familiar with the Dana there and it was suggested that maybe the crank is forged. It's going nowhere! Either I notch it which might fracture if I try to bend it or it was suggested that I cut and weld it. Likely the later.
 
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