Mark:
IMO, it really depends on how much that lower stack has fretted (brinelled). If it's not much, you could certainly rotate it half the distance between two bearings to get out of the "indexing" mode at dead-center. (Try not to re-align the two surfaces that are brinelled, as you know...). However, you're doing a lot of somewhat tricky labor for something that you may pull apart again later if you're not happy with the results. I'm basically lazy and I prefer to replace sub-systems rather than just one part. On a bike that nice, as long as you've got the exact same parts to use (e.g. early crown race to replace an early crown race), I'd replace the whole lower stack, and both bearing sets....
I'm assuming it's a Record (steel) headset; if it's a Super Record, the new lower stack will fret almost overnight (!) anyways, so maybe go for the out-of-phase solution in that case....
Just my .03
Greg "with inflation" Parker A2 MI USA
In a message dated 10/29/02 12:50:12 PM Eastern Standard Time, classicrendezvous-request@bikelist.org writes:
> Message: 20
> From: "Mark Petry" <mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net>
> To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2002 09:44:30 -0800
> Subject: [CR]Opinion sought: Headset fix for Cinelli
>
> So, it's as much a philosophical question as a technical one - I have a
> beautiful restored Cinelli and the Campagnolo headset has a little bump
> in it, right on dead center. Now the headset lower cup and crown race
> are wear parts, they do have a hard life. My options are - either
> replace the cup and crown race with new parts (I have a set in stock) or
> ... Remove both and rotate them in such a way that the worn areas are
> out of phase.
>
> My question is really twofold - first, does simply rotating the worn
> areas really do the trick, and what are the group's thoughts on this
> type of repair - I'll probably ride this bike twice a year for the next
> 20 years and why put a brand new headset in it if just rotating the cups
> will work ? Or is that cheating? Sacriledge?
>
> =====================================================
> Mark Petry 206.618.9642
> Beautiful Bainbridge Island, WA
> mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net
> =====================================================
> "Nothing can match the simple pleasure of
> a bicycle ride"
>
> John F. Kennedy (Sr.)
> =====================================================