bike restoration steps?

C.J.Patten said:

Suggestions?

Don't throw away the Shimano 3 spd cable till you can find a replacement.

I believe they're unavailable.

I used a Sturmey Archer cable on a Shimano hub and it's doable, but you
have to make a cable-end stop yourself--I tied it into a knot. You'll see
what I mean when you take it apart

C.J.Patten said:

Hey folks.

Looking at restoring a bike - not even a particularly good one, but one
that's quite utilitarian.
It's a generic folding bike c.1975 (?). Pics of the basket case here:
http://www.ncf.ca/~af895/bikes/

I'd like to make a checklist for the disassembly and reassembly. Maybe
someone has one online for other bike restorations?

I've never dealt with an internally geared hub - it's a 3-speed Shimano. Any
special precautions I should follow? (not planning on opening the hub but
didn't know if removing the cable would cause it to go out of whack)

I think this should be pretty straight forward - take everything off, put it
in zip lock bags labelled for each section (head-set hardware, bottom
bracket etc)
remove rust, straighten any bent parts, prime/repaint, put everything back
together.

Suggestions?

Thanks,
Chris

No, you'll just need to get the hang of adjusting the 3 speed once you
reassemble it. It's not that tricky. There's a spot between 2nd and 3rd
gears where the hub allows you to pedal forward without engaging, i.e.
you can freewheel forwards. Knowing that can help you adjust.

Add some medium weight into the hub, and oil the cable and housing. That
might be all it needs.

How do you plan to use this bike?

If the Shimano hub doesn't work, you should be able to find a Sturmey
Archer hub to replace it. I like those better.

But before you do that, try taking the hub apart. They're really not
that complicated, and they're pretty interesting.

Tom