Shimano FFS system - crankset

[ranchero]

Advice please on Shimano FFS system - crankset.

I got a 1977 Suburban with the FFS system. My normal refurbishment on an old Schwinn includes repacking grease in crankset. I have done this with normal Varsity/Suburban/Conti type cranks but never before with this FFS crankset.

Do I need to know or do anything different with the crankset for a FFS system? How about when taking off, taking apart, cleaning and reassembling the front derailleur?

I will tear into it next week but thought I would ask in advance if there is any advice for dealing with the FFS.

I believe those who know advise that the FFS is odd, challenging to ride and not desirable. That is fine but the bike is a Flamingo one and my wife would like to ride it. The color is great but if the FFS is so horrible I can change it out for regular Varsity/Heuret.

Thanks - ranchero -

[Schwinndemonium]

Wanna sell it? Flamingo is a hard color to find. Seriously, if it were my bike, I would not touch the crank, that is, if it's working right, and smoothly, currently. I have a 1979 "Burgundy Mist" ladies Suburban with the FFS, and it works fine, so I'm not going to mess with it right now, as it is a great running bike the way it is.

Where'd you find your Flamingo bike at? This color option was only produced for half a model year before it was discontinued. There is a whole thread on the Pacific forum about 1977 Schwinns that were painted this color.

Jim.

[JenniferG]

It's probably a good idea to clean and regrease your bottom bracket since you don't know when it was last done. According to everything I've read about it, the crankset comes apart just like a standard one piece and the freewheel is a unit with the chainwheels. One suggestion is to clean the front freewheel just like a standard rear freewheel by spraying degreaser/cleaner into it until dirt stops coming out and then fill it back up with your favorite freewheel oil. I take my freewheels to work and clean them at the saftey clean tank and blow dry them with my hair dryer (just kidding ) I blow them out with compressed air at a low setting then fill them with SAE 40W Heavy Duty (detergent oil of course ).

http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-202682.html

[ranchero]

Jim - Yup, I know the flamingo is hard to find and I prefer not to sell it. My wife likes the color and I am happy to have a bike in which she takes some interest; she wants to ride it and I love to refurbish them. If she hates it when it is done, I will let you know on this forum. For now, I wanna keep it.

Jim, I found the bike by simply being a frequent customer at a local bike/ski/skateboard shop. The owner has dozens of old bikes he took in but is simply too busy to deal with. He asked me if I wanted any and I told I will take all the Schwinns. This was four bikes out of about 40 or so. All are ladies' bikes. One was the Flamingo Suburban. I have not yet measured the frame size nor have I taken any photos. I would rather wait on posting photos until I get the bike road worthy.

Jennifer - thank you. I of course want the crankset/bottom bracket cleaned and repacked with grease and will do so. I am sure this bike was sitting outside for ten or more years and was idle for probably thirty years or more. It came from Boise and is now in Wyoming so there is some sun fading damage on the rear fender.

I have never cleanded a freewheel before and of course have never found one on a crankset. If it comes apart easily I will try to figure out what you say about degreasing and oiling the freewheel - that subject is all new to me as I generally prefer three speeds and have had the freewheel rear hubs on ten speeds restored by the same shop that gave me the four bikes. So what comes around goes around - four free bikes at the cost of never having learned how to work on the rear hub freewheel before.

Any other suggestons on the bottom bracket/FFS appreciated  - ranchero -

[Schwinndemonium]

Hey ranchero, I was being facetious, as far as selling it goes. In other words, I was kidding. I was pretty sure that you knew the rarity of the bike. If you have a FFS bike, that would be the first Flamingo 10 speed model that I know of, as all the other Flamingo Subs that I have seen or heard of were 5 speeders. The color was also ONLY available as a ladies model in the Suburban. Please post pictures of the bike , so we all, who love this color, can drool over it!! There is a pic of my '79 Burgundy Mist FFS Sub in the photo gallery. (It looks like a Flamingo wannabe!) It was very clean when I got it this past April.

Jim.

[ranchero]

Jim - I will post a photo or two of the bike after I work on it.

It is kind of sad now; the saddle has been damaged by sun (maybe I can find a proper Suburban replacement) and the rear fender is dented with the rectangular reflector missing.

This morning I put air in the tires. They held and I rode the bike around the block. All gears worked; it shifted properly. I now know how the FFS feels, looks and works. Mechanically it seems as if it will not be much of a challenge to get this bike to roadworthy condition. But it is not pristine at all; it is a used bike that sat outside in the sun, snow and rain for too many years.

I put the Suburban in storage for now; working on two Breezes (black and burgundy) first. I did not know that the ten speed version was, in comparison to the five, the more unusual. Wish it was a five though - no FFS to bother with then and also a chain guard to display more of the flamingo paint.

- ranchero -

[ranchero]

Well the Flamingo Suburban is as done as it is going to get, save for replacing one of those old tubes that blew out on the maiden ride this afternoon.

The FFS and crankset were no problem. There were many dozen ball bearings held in the freewheel ring; I just de-greased, cleaned and re-packed along with BB bearing races before re-assembly.

A few photos on lightweight section. - ranchero -