Stuck on my rupp project, answer what you can

[drenchedgremlin]

I have been getting my rupp ready to paint & derusting parts. This is one of my first projects so been taking my time but i am stuck at the moment.
1) i can not get the fork off. The bolt/nut wont budge, even after spraying with pb blast every day for a while. i dont have any socket wrenches or regular wrenches that size so i have been using crescent wrenches & they sometimes slip & strip the nut if i try.
2) When i do get the fork off finally, how would i go about disassembling the front suspension. I took those bolts out but they are stuck & dont work properly. Again, tried pb blast a lot. If i cant get them off should i just leave them as is and paint over them?
3)The wheels seem to have what is either rust or corrosion/ loss of the plating. Do any of you guys ever decide to spray paint your rims on certain projects,a metal color, if you are not neccessarily trying to restore?

anyways, thanks for reading

 

[Ding Ding]

1.) You kind of answered your own question. It would be wise to use the correct tools for the job. Invest in some, or barrow. You are not doing the bike or yourself any favors by using crescent wrenches. Remember, you are trying to disassemble a 45+ year old bike.
2.) I'm not familiar with this style Rupp suspension. Perhaps soak in some Evaporust or other penetrant to help break them free.
3.) On the 6" cast wheels (assuming that's what this bike has) you can lightly sandblast or media blast them to remove the corrosion. Once blasted, spray with cast coat aluminum or which ever color you are trying to achieve.

 

[joebiodiesel]

As Ding Ding says, invest in some tools. You'll have them the rest of your life if you invest wisely.
Joe

 

[FOMOGO]

Yes most definitely invest in some quality tools. You will never regret it as it is money well spent. Use Ebay to look for wrench sets and socket sets and save yourself lots of money. Just search and buy American made tools. You wont regret it.

As far as getting things loose throw the PB Blaster in the corner and order your self some Gibbs penetrant. I buy it by the case and split it up with all my friends. It is the best stuff I have ever used.

Here is the link to buy it.

Welcome to GIBBS Brand Lubricant

Doug

 

[cyclejunkie]

Hey there Drenched I think I can help. I have been working on a Rupp Banchi. The front end on yours looks just like mine. With the bolts taken out take a pin punch and carefully put it in the hole at an angle and hit sharply. Do this in both directions until the spool in the tube loosens then you should be able to pull out fork insert. The fork has a spring attached to the top of it and the spring has a spool type mechanism attached to it. On mine the one spool was stuck and I broke it loose by what I said above. I used a dremel bit to fit in the hole but as I mentioned a pin punch would work also.

As for the wheels, if you have turbine wheels as they are called they can polish up nicely with a dremel and brass brushes.
I hope to have pictures on soon so that you could see what they look like polished.

 

[drenchedgremlin]

Hey there Drenched I think I can help. I have been working on a Rupp Banchi. The front end on yours looks just like mine. With the bolts taken out take a pin punch and carefully put it in the hole at an angle and hit sharply. Do this in both directions until the spool in the tube loosens then you should be able to pull out fork insert. The fork has a spring attached to the top of it and the spring has a spool type mechanism attached to it. On mine the one spool was stuck and I broke it loose by what I said above. I used a dremel bit to fit in the hole but as I mentioned a pin punch would work also.

As for the wheels, if you have turbine wheels as they are called they can polish up nicely with a dremel and brass brushes.
I hope to have pictures on soon so that you could see what they look like polished.

The rupp forks are really stuck, tried what you mentioned and have spent at least a few hours trying . I feel defeated, The is one of the last things holding me back from the next step in the project. If anyone else has an idea or if you do let me know. I would like to try some evaporust but i have no idea how to soak something this big as i dont have a gigantic tub full of evaporust.
if i look into the bolt holes, i cant even see the ridge where the suspension slides into the fork tube, so its is probably really rusted

 

[creia]

The rupp forks are really stuck, tried what you mentioned and have spent at least a few hours trying . I feel defeated, The is one of the last things holding me back from the next step in the project. If anyone else has an idea or if you do let me know. I would like to try some evaporust but i have no idea how to soak something this big as i dont have a gigantic tub full of evaporust.
if i look into the bolt holes, i cant even see the ridge where the suspension slides into the fork tube, so its is probably really rusted

For using Evaporust (VERY good stuff by the way) on your rusted up forks you do not need "a gigantic tub"- you DO need to be creative! Make a submersion reservoir/tube out of length of plastic pvc pipe with a cap glued on the bottom end.
Michael

 

[drenchedgremlin]

For using Evaporust (VERY good stuff by the way) on your rusted up forks you do not need "a gigantic tub"- you DO need to be creative! Make a submersion reservoir/tube out of length of plastic pvc pipe with a cap glued on the bottom end.
Michael

thats what i was thinking. I will try it but im worried that the part that is rusted/stuck the worst is near the bolt holes, which i couldnt submerge due to a fork mounting plate being in the way. anyways i will try this and then I will follow up if it doesnt work

 

[jeep2003]

you can use vinegar

 

[creia]

thats what i was thinking. I will try it but im worried that the part that is rusted/stuck the worst is near the bolt holes, which i couldnt submerge due to a fork mounting plate being in the way. anyways i will try this and then I will follow up if it doesnt work

In that case seal off down below (tape?) where the upper and lower forks come together and also the bolt holes and pour Evaporust down the fork tubes from above and let it set in there at least 24 hours. Give it periodic tap-taps (good strong hits) with a hammer :hammer: hitting against a wood block (so you do not damage the fork tube):no: at the fork area(s) that you think are the worst rusted, which should help to break it loose
Michael

 

[cyclejunkie]

Hi Drenched (sorry haven't been on lately), creia has a good idea about pouring through the forks from above. That will get to the aluminum spools where the bolts go through and help loosen those up. Do the fork struts move at all. You may have to use that other idea with the pvc tubes and just keep working things until everything loosens up. I know its frustrating but don't give up.

By the way don't feel bad this Banchi project I have been working on has been driving me nuts at times. Every time I turn around I am running into another snag of some kind. The latest one in the clutch and rear sprockets do not line up and its looking like I will have to build a mounting plate of some sort to get things to line up.

 

[drenchedgremlin]

Hi Drenched (sorry haven't been on lately), creia has a good idea about pouring through the forks from above. That will get to the aluminum spools where the bolts go through and help loosen those up. Do the fork struts move at all. You may have to use that other idea with the pvc tubes and just keep working things until everything loosens up. I know its frustrating but don't give up.

By the way don't feel bad this Banchi project I have been working on has been driving me nuts at times. Every time I turn around I am running into another snag of some kind. The latest one in the clutch and rear sprockets do not line up and its looking like I will have to build a mounting plate of some sort to get things to line up.

Okay, i am keeping at it, have been soaking the fork tubes in evaporust for at least a week now. Next i will try what the other guy is saying, to pour evaporust down the fork tubes and seal off the cracks. Just concerned about whether or not tape will seal it fully without leaking . If anyone knows what kind of tape will stand up to evaporust, let me know & i will move onto the next step.
My idea to knock it loose after soaking is to get a wooden board and cut two holes in it to slide the fork tubes through, then put an axle through the forks (where it usually goes) and pound a hammer down against the axle. Not sure if this is a good idea, but i was thinking if i hit it straight down & in the middle it will be unlikely that i would bend anything outta shape.

 

[drenchedgremlin]

Update: fork tubes have been soaking in evaporust for over 2 weeks now. A week ago, i taped off the cracks and bolt holes, & poured evaporust down the handlebar tubes (as suggested). Not making much progress, if any. I drilled 2 holes in a large board, put the board up like a table, on bricks. Slid the fork tubes through the 2 holes. Put an axle through the forks. Spent about an hour pounding down on the axle with a hammer in attempt to knock the suspension loose. After a full hour of pounding, I feel absolutely defeated. Starting to wonder if it is even suspension or just looks like it. Im surprised nothing i have tried has gotten this thing to budge. Im not sure what else to do, except to keep trying.

 

[Alaskanrocket]

Do you have a propane torch? If not you should get one, even one of the old brass ones, they are super handy when trying to free stuck parts. So what you want to do is heat the part you want to get bigger, in this case it will be the outer fork section. Once its really hot the try a hammer again, you shouldn't be able to get it hot enough with propane to do any damage to it. Try not to take too long with this, as soon as the heat transfers to the inner part it too will expand. The idea is that the outer metal expands enough with heat to break the corrosion up.

 

[drenchedgremlin]

I haven't tried a torch & that will be my next try. An update though, I poured the evaporust out of the handlebar tubes & removed the tape from cracks between the fork & susp tubes, & the bolt holes. from the week of evaporust sitting in there, none of it saturated into the bolt holes, let alone to the lower suspension. Any ideas as to what is going on with these besides rust? I feel like even if these are rusted solid, then evapo-rust still sbhould've gotten through, at least to the bolt holes in over a weeks time. To be honest, I'm am starting to question if these are even fixable, but I still haven't tried using heat yet.

 

[Harquebus]

I'm not even sure Evapo-Rust is ideal for freeing stuck parts. Isn't it just a "de-rusting" agent?

Try the heat, as others have suggested.

I just freed two 7/8" ID wheel hubs off of a go kart axle that were rust-welded on. I don't think they've been off the kart since new. No amount of Liquid Wrench (the penetrating fluid I have on-hand) and beating with a ball peen hammer would budge them until I used the beautiful blue flame jet from a propane torch.