List,
I just looked at the Tange headset that I removed from one of my Japanese bikes many years ago to replace with a Dura Ace. The gap between crown race and cup was under a millimeter--nice snug fit. Typical Japanese attention to detail.
Galen Poole
Jackson, MS
> Hey Don, Are you sure you didn't demonstrate that the nominal diameter of
> that feature of the two headsets is ~1mm different? Try this:
>
> compare the gap of the tange race in the tange cup
>
> to the gap of the campi race in the campi cup.
>
> Based on the part tolerance stackups you described, I'd wager a cup of
> nuked morning coffee that the gaps are comparable with matched sets (as
> opposed to a tange race in a campi cup)
>
> Dale Phelps,
> Longmont CO
>
>
> Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2006 01:56:13 -0800 (PST)
> From: Donald Gillies <gillies@cs.ubc.ca>
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
> Subject: [CR]The Myth of the Tange Levin Headset
> Message-ID: <200602250956.BAA22323@cascade.cs.ubc.ca>
> Precedence: list
> Message: 10
>
> I remember hearing a lot of hype about what a great headset the Tange
> Levin was in the 1970's, and how it looked just like campagnolo, with
> a channel cut and the name "Tange Levin Japan" printed into the upper
> and lower channels, and on the top locknut.
>
> Well, I was working on a campy headset and found the bottom race was
> pitted. So, i took down a NOS tange levin i have for a japanese bike
> restoration and tried fitting the crown race into the campy cup, to
> see if a modern tange crown would work. oh, it fit all right, with
> about 2-3mm of gap between the race and the cup! same gap for the
> upper race!
>
> "This cannot be" i thought, so i tried putting my campagnolo crown
> race into the tange levin AND IT FIT LIKE A GLOVE.
>
> I think a better term would be "Tange Open-Air Headset", at least for
> these vintage models. I would think that water penetration would be
> quite likely with these headsets.
>
> Does anyone know if the modern models (Levin or Passage) are any
> better, or are modern Tange headsets using this "Open-Air" design? Is
> there another modern or recently extinct headset that can be used to
> replace the crown race on a campagnolo nuovo record with a better fit?
> I am aware that BC sells triomphe crown races but I was wondering
> about recent production?
>
> Even my OFMEGA headset puts the tange levin to shame.
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA
>
>
>
>
> Dale B. Phelps,
> 303 939 6967
>
> "Never be afraid to try something new. The Ark
> was designed by amateurs. The Titanic was
> designed by professionals." - R. Buckminister Fuller
>
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