Ask the Idiots

[muted reborn]

Just remember there is a reason most people pay others to do things.

I don't want to go to my bike shop and ask them to put cable caps on for me though. I go there plenty for other dumb shit already.

You-Tube makes it look EZ.

yeah, i've fallen for that before too! Just watched one two days ago. Step 3 of 12: "Then it just slides off!"

OK, it does not slide off for me. WTF. I'm not even at a step that is suppose to be hard.

it sure did break off though. Ordered a new part. I hope it "Just slides on!"

[Eluder]

I don't want to go to my bike shop and ask them to put cable caps on for me though. I go there plenty for other dumb shit already.

Agreed this is the part that you embrace the suck... which is seems like you are doing

[skaredshtles]

I don't want to go to my bike shop and ask them to put cable caps on for me though.

Pehaps you just don't have the right tool?

[XXX-er]

I remember being kind of baffled that my Ford was all metric. It's 'murican, so I just assumed it'd be imperial. But apparently Ford's been metric since before I was born.

Thats un american you should have called in an air-strike

[XXX-er]

There are few things on a bike I am reluctant to attempt to fix/maintain.

Called a local shop about a lower leg service on a Fox 36 Fork. 4-6 weeks wait time.

About to learn how to do that. You-Tube makes it look EZ.

It looked simple so I was gona do it but the mechanic said here let me show ya and it cost me a 6 pack

he did sleep in my guest room

[XXX-er]

Every good mechanic was once a clueless idiot.

no some guys really just have no mechanical apptitude

[rideit]

Recently I used a metal Pedro’s tire lever to try and push in a stuck piston (brake pads removed) while waiting for a friend in Colorado Springs. JFC, what in the doo-diddly was I thinking?
Cracked piston, oil everywhere, no ride that day that I had driven a day to do.
Shit happens.

[El Chupacabra]

I remember being kind of baffled that my Ford was all metric. It's 'murican, so I just assumed it'd be imperial. But apparently Ford's been metric since before I was born.

My Jeep owner phase taught me that AMC would use whatever parts were laying around. I ended up with a fine collection of metric and SAE tools as a result.

[nickwm21]

Recently I spent 20 min meticulously pushing and pulling mineral oil through a set of maguras. Finally getting every last air bubble out….. ….Then I proceed to put a greasy ass thumb print on one of the pads….


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[El Chupacabra]

^^^ I finally tried automotive brake cleaner on mtb disc pads - it works really well, much better than trying to burn off contaminants with a torch.

[muted reborn]

Agreed this is the part that you embrace the suck... which is seems like you are doing

I am, yes. But I've put on end caps dozens of times and it's easy - but not this time and I have no clue why. I wouldn't be shocked if the bike industry came up with new standards of cable housing sizes recently and each brand uses a different circumference housing and now you need specialized cable housing ends to work. Fack me.

Just put on a new grip shift (the thing I broke trying to 'slide off' in an above post) and new cable on my kids bike. It now shifts to 5 out of 6 gears. I'm calling that a win.

Let me know if anyone needs instructions on how to do this as shitty as I did.

[climberevan]

^^^ I finally tried automotive brake cleaner on mtb disc pads - it works really well, much better than trying to burn off contaminants with a torch.

Even better is a liberal application of brake cleaner, then the torch. It has the bonus potential of lighting your vise and floor on fire.

[climberevan]

I wouldn't be shocked if the bike industry came up with new standards of cable housing sizes recently and each brand uses a different circumference housing and now you need specialized cable housing ends to work. .

Yeah, that happened a while back

[BCMtnHound]

I helped a young neighbor replace some spark plugs after noticing how frustrated he was getting. He couldn't figure out why his imperial socket set had no matches on a metric car. He had zero knowledge of imperial vs metric standards.

I remember being kind of baffled that my Ford was all metric. It's 'murican, so I just assumed it'd be imperial. But apparently Ford's been metric since before I was born.

If you were talking just bikes I could forgive...

My Jeep owner phase taught me that AMC would use whatever parts were laying around. I ended up with a fine collection of metric and SAE tools as a result.

Thank you Mr Chup, you know your wrenching. Working on automotive vehicles that are spec’s to imperial measurements means you are using Society of Automotive Engineers spec wrenches in the US.

[toast2266]

"What kind of fasteners should we use on this car"

"Imperial?"

"Yeah, but let's rename imperial after ourselves for no apparent reason"

"Sounds good. I'm in."

[BCMtnHound]

"What kind of fasteners should we use on this car"

"Imperial?"

"Yeah, but let's rename imperial after ourselves for no apparent reason"

"Sounds good. I'm in."

Close to my argument when the crusty US draft dodger kootenay hippy corrected me as I was wrenching on my truck in his shop for a rate a young broke buck could afford. He lectured me for several minutes and then laid down the law - next time I mentioned ‘imperial’ to describe SAE tools, I would be banned from his shop.

I valued keeping my wheels turning more than my pride at the time.

[joetron]

I am, yes. But I've put on end caps dozens of times and it's easy - but not this time and I have no clue why. I wouldn't be shocked if the bike industry came up with new standards of cable housing sizes recently and each brand uses a different circumference housing and now you need specialized cable housing ends to work. Fack me.

Just put on a new grip shift (the thing I broke trying to 'slide off' in an above post) and new cable on my kids bike. It now shifts to 5 out of 6 gears. I'm calling that a win.

Let me know if anyone needs instructions on how to do this as shitty as I did.

Some cretin may have sold you 5mm shift housing


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[GeorgiaSnow]

I recently was excited to get a new build together so (late at night) while shortening the hose length down on my brand new code RSCs I remounted the hose with the olive in the wrong direction. Fully assembled the bike before noticing brake fluid dripping from the lever. Damn olive stuck in the lever when I removed the hose. Still trying to figure a way to get that little fucker out. Might be out two new levers. But the little rainbow bits look so good on my workbench.


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[EWG]

Anybody else play “how loose can you let your hub cones get and have the wheel still not quite blow up”?

Me neither.

[John_B]

Anybody else play “how loose can you let your hub cones get and have the wheel still not quite blow up”?

Me neither.

Hub cones? Maybe I'm already playing that game and I didn't even know.

[NW_SKIER]

I recently was excited to get a new build together so (late at night) while shortening the hose length down on my brand new code RSCs I remounted the hose with the olive in the wrong direction. Fully assembled the bike before noticing brake fluid dripping from the lever. Damn olive stuck in the lever when I removed the hose. Still trying to figure a way to get that little fucker out. Might be out two new levers. But the little rainbow bits look so good on my workbench.


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Carefully thread a self tapping screw into the olive, clamp a vise-grip onto the screw and pull.

[GeorgiaSnow]

Carefully thread a self tapping screw into the olive, clamp a vise-grip onto the screw and pull.

That’s what I was planning on trying next. But given my track record we’ll see how it turns out…


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[Dumbest Known Time]

Anyone have advice for what other kind of shit to litter the floor with so that any little bolt you drop in is more perfectly camouflaged? I've gotten the basics down pretty well. Floor hasn't been swept in a year, lots of open bins of parts it could potentially fall in and plenty of gaps underneath the workbench for it to roll under. Also open to thoughts on maximizing the number of stupid surfaces to set my 4mm allen key on.

[skinipenem]

After battling for a long time to mount a moto ice tire on the wrong direction.... faaack remount.

Ice tires have super stiff casings with a road carcass inside.

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[bagtagley]

I don’t think I’ve ever mounted a set of Race Face cranks without forgetting the drive-side bushing.

After reading multiple warnings about how easy it is to strip the bleed plug on MT-7 levers, I promptly stripped the bleed plug on a brand new MT-7 lever. This was after trying to do a no-bleed line shortening. I got the compression nut finger tight against the olive then walked away to do something. Came back an hour later and grabbed a handful of brake, making it a must-bleed line shortening, which sucked because it didn’t have a Magura bleed kit.