Caper cycle Brake/sprocket sizes??

markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
James A. is sending me a 1960-61 Caper cycle to play with. Not sure yet if the brakes are in working order but I know the sprocket teeth don't look too healthy on the drum. I saw it was listed somewhere on here as maybe being a comet unit but that really does not tell much, wondering if anyone knows what the drum size is and if something like say the Taco Drum sprockets that taco Joes makes and sells might be the saem brake diameter?? It is the earlier smaller bike so it's got the 5" wheels, I dont think a Bendix would fit in there.

Any Help appreciated :thumbsup:
 
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markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
All I hear in here is crickets chirping :laugh:

Bike came in on monday I yanked the rear hub right away and started to clean it and see what I am going to have to figure out. The drum and brake turns out to be 4", smaller than anything I see available anymore anyway. The brake shoes are stamped Comet, and it uses the large horseshoe type return spring. Loks like they cut the center of a spricket out and welded it to the backside of a drum, so If I can find someone to cut a sprocket out for me I think I can cut the old one right off at the welds and just do the same. Sounds easy at least....who's got mad skills and can cut a fat 4" hole centered in a sprocket? I have a gig for you!!!! :wink:

I do want to try and keep it like it was built but I guess worst case will be to simply weld a Taco drum/sprocket on and go with a larger azusa brake assembly.

Heres some photos of rear hub and brake for reference


 
minibikin'

minibikin'

Sho-nuff
#3
#3
Seems to me I remember Oldsalt talking about this as well on one of his Capers. He was trying to find the shoes but may have rebonded his own? I tried searching but no good. I haven't seen him on in a few years. I hope he is well and working on stuff!


Sent from my Texas Instruments Speak and Spell...[emoji2]
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#4
#4
Yea I shot a PM off to him (old salt) a couple of days ago in hopes he sees it, I read in one of his threads that he was doing something similar with the sprocket in one of his builds years ago, pics are not visible though in those threads anymore though. Brakes I think I may be able to cheat and use some Moped ones, or reline worst case.

I'm just a couple of years too late finding one, there was a few of the capers floating around with active members a couple of years ago.
 
V

VintageMoneyPit

Active Member
#5
#5
anyone with a large enough lathe can just chuck in a new sprocket and machine a hole in it. the hard part is what looks like the brake hub and sprocket are not a tight fit, so the hole in the sprocket is probably larger and the hub and sprocket was spun with a dial indicator to get it true to the hub then welded.
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#6
#6
VintageMoneyPit said:
anyone with a large enough lathe can just chuck in a new sprocket and machine a hole in it. the hard part is what looks like the brake hub and sprocket are not a tight fit, so the hole in the sprocket is probably larger and the hub and sprocket was spun with a dial indicator to get it true to the hub then welded.
Click to expand...
Do you think it would be easier to do it off a blank sprocket or cutting one off a hub on a lathe? I have NOS 4" wheel with welded on sprocket that run true when spun, don't know if it would be easier to to get that chucked into the lathe :shrug:

Here's the wheel, which could be cut up/shortened whatever to fit on the lathe, as it doesn't need to be saved. Thinking the hub might be helpful (I have only ever used old Ammco brake lathes so I have no experience with machinist lathes)


 
V

VintageMoneyPit

Active Member
#7
#7
The real deal vintage sprocket is heavier duty on that 4 inch rim than one you can buy new i would use it if you dont care about the rim. Just cut the hub with a sawsall behind the weld since the hub isnt being reused. When it goes in the lathe its going to be secured by the outside on the teeth then the center cut out to whatever size you need it to be.
Grind the old sprocket off your hub and measure exactly the size of the hole. dont try to measure with it still attached.
 
markus

markus

Well-Known Member
#8
#8
VintageMoneyPit said:
The real deal vintage sprocket is heavier duty on that 4 inch rim than one you can buy new i would use it if you dont care about the rim. Just cut the hub with a sawsall behind the weld since the hub isnt being reused. When it goes in the lathe its going to be secured by the outside on the teeth then the center cut out to whatever size you need it to be.
Grind the old sprocket off your hub and measure exactly the size of the hole. dont try to measure with it still attached.
Click to expand...
Yea I haven't had time or bench space to get that sprocket cut off the drum yet but the plan was to get that cut and cleaned up before I went hunting around town to find someone to cut a clean hole. Its actually more cost effective for me to just use that wheel as a donor......there's not enough money being made when I sell a set of those wheels to even cover the cost of a new blank, so the wheels themselves can get tossed in the pile for the scrapman if I can use the sprocket

thank you
 
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