Whenever I get a really old bike the first thing I do is go around and lubr icate exposed threaded junctions with some light oil. NOT miracle-lube-XYZ in it's infinite variants, but light electric-motor or multipurpose oil. Such oil will penetrate very well in a few hours, and the exposed end of a pedal spindle seems to take in oil to nearly the full depth of the t hreads given a day or so.
Conditions of storage will ultimately determine whether a given pedal spind le gets corroded in place, but galling and seizing can occur without any vi sible corrosion in the absence of lubrication, especially when the mating p arts are of same material. A small burr or chip can induce a cascade of gal ling mid-thread, but oil almost always prevents this. I worked in an industry where Stainless steel threadings and junctions we re used in a high-purity environment, with frequent seize-ups, but I found that a few drops of lab-grade alcohol (lubes were out of the question) wa s sufficient to eliminate almost all such expensive, process-interrupting occurrances.
David Snyder Auburn, CA usa
Devon Warner wrote:hi guys, i have a Sugino Mighty Tour crank set with Kyokuto quill pedals both bought new in january of 1981. i have NEVER ever removed those pedals (had them both continuously on a bike ever since, in rain or shine.) is it safe to take t hem off? i have been told if i do it will strip out the threads on my crank se t since after all this time we can expect some sort of chemical welding betwe en the steel and aluminum. no, i don't want to ruin the crank set, but i do want to move the pedals to another bike, if possible. Any advice about how i might safely do that?
in rainy san francisco, USA