Specialized StumpJumper for Repair - Experiment

[StumpedJumper]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if you wanted to help me with a project that may be more than I can chew; I bought a specialized stumpjumper recently at auction blindly - that's to say I didn't take a look at the mofo before I bid. Suffice it to say I won it for around £125 and now I have it.

It's condition is..interesting. Interesting in the same way that an ancient temple is interesting - fascinating to look at but it's seen better days.

Over the next couple of months I want to get it looking spic and span but here's the thing... I don't know a spoke from a pig in a poke. So here'sthe challenge:

I will post pictures of the entire bike, from every angle, and you beautiful knowledgable people walk me through what I need to do. What part needs fixing first, what parts I'll need to fix it, how to lift rust (yeah it's that bad!) and so on. The first stage I think I got covered - clean the thing. That I can do. I can wield a sponge like nobody's business. But from there

But from there I'm a Stumped 'Beaten up Stump Jumper' owning muherfuher. I'll need a step by step idiots guide to what needs to be done and how I do it - so we can get this thing in a stump jumping condition.

So...who's in?

[Painkiller]

I am always "All in" as they say. Welcome and start snapping some pics!

[StumpedJumper]

Hi Paikiller,

As requested here are pictures of my new found pride and joy:

Side View



Reverse Side View



Front Wheel



Back Wheel



Pedal to the metal (or concrete)



Front View



Front View (Close up)



Gear Thing (Sprocket?)



Another Chain receptacle kind of dealie



Well now, I see rust, I see a wheel on back to front and I see a wheel on back to front.

If you could let me know what job number 2 is, what tools I might need and how I do it, then we can go from there! (Job number one has already been done, I have cleaned the thing after the photos were taken).

All the best to you,

Mark

(12-20-2014, 10:49 PM)painkiller Wrote:  I am always "All in" as they say. Welcome and start snapping some pics!

[Painkiller]

Looks like a complete frame off and rebuild (most timely/costly) or just replace some key components and ride (up to you). I do many bikes a year and am well tooled and have set processes in place for myself that I basically just repeat bike after bike with the goal of 95% plus perfect as a whole,(A Grade). Functional but cosmetically short of 95%+ perfect is B Grade as long as it is rust free. Anything else below this mark I do not use. Functional or not. Most used MTB frames fall into my B Grade But no reason they cannot function as new again if properly done. I always choose the frame off route, clean/inspect every part and replace as needed to suit my preset goals. Which takes me to my #2 process. The rule for replacing parts is simply this. Equal to or better than, of era a big plus. Following these set rules will help retain the most value to a bicycle possible. Either way you go I would replace the chain/cluster, cables/housing, brake pads, tubes/tires. Make sure the shock works as intended as that can be cost prohibitive and may need replaced. It looks as though your jumper is around a 2003 model. get a way to hang/hold the bike to make it easy to work on. take pics of cable routing so you do not get confused during re assembly. Check wheels for dish and tru and that they spin freely and axles are not loose. if not rebuild the hubs. Clean and lube all parts, headset bearing, derailleurs/jocky pully's. The rear derailleur hanger needs to be checked/aligned once the rear wheel has been inspected/trued This must be done no matter what anyone tells you, if you want a fine tuned finished steed. Check for side play in your crank, if so you will need to replace the bottom bracket.
tools needed to complete the task at hand are. metric hex set,misc metric wrenches,
cable cutters, cone wrenches if servicing hubs and Bottom bracket socket if having to service it, crank extractor to remove arms, I prefer the parktool CWP-7.
Wheel truing you may want a shop to perform as with the Hanger check and alignment as these to are more costly for a one time deal. If you are keeping your grips and want to take them off, just stick a plastic spoon handle in them and squirt soapy water or cleaner in and work the spoon and they will pull off. rinse and dry them for later. replace any rusty bolts you want and after all parts are cleaned rebuild the bike and tune. sounds easy enough right?

[cny-man]

I'm going to differ a little from the above. The OP is not looking to resell, but rather to get on the road. Given that and the fact that he's already in for almost $200 U.S. I would recommend the following:

Google chain wear, learn about it and how to use a ruler to measure for it. Don't replace the chain if wear is minor, and don't replace the freewheel unless a new chain skips on it. Leave any bearing overhauls till later. Do make sure the wheels are properly trued and tensioned to avoid future problems. Side play in bearings may just call for adjustment, unless the BB bearing is a cartridge.

[Painkiller]

(12-21-2014, 06:17 PM)cny-man Wrote:  I'm going to differ a little from the above. The OP is not looking to resell, but rather to get on the road. Given that and the fact that he's already in for almost $200 U.S. I would recommend the following:

Google chain wear, learn about it and how to use a ruler to measure for it. Don't replace the chain if wear is minor, and don't replace the freewheel unless a new chain skips on it. Leave any bearing overhauls till later. Do make sure the wheels are properly trued and tensioned to avoid future problems. Side play in bearings may just call for adjustment, unless the BB bearing is a cartridge.

Wow, you lost me there Cny. Nowhere did I say anything about selling the bike but rather how not to degrade the bike. I just explained what I would do with any used bike I bought for myself to make it sweet or " spic and span" and "stumpjumping" condition again as the OP requested. Also to do it to be ready, dependable, worry free, fresh out of the gate. It is a $1000 bike and should perform as such. He needs to become "intimate" with all aspects and functions of his new found bike and interest in being his own wrench. He will always be money ahead in the long run. It is an "All in" or get the the hell out of the kitchen game on this one!

[elmore leonard]

(12-20-2014, 10:37 PM)StumpedJumper Wrote:  Hello everyone,

I was wondering if you wanted to help me with a project that may be more than I can chew; I bought a specialized stumpjumper recently at auction blindly - that's to say I didn't take a look at the mofo before I bid. Suffice it to say I won it for around £125 and now I have it.

It's condition is..interesting. Interesting in the same way that an ancient temple is interesting - fascinating to look at but it's seen better days.

Over the next couple of months I want to get it looking spic and span but here's the thing... I don't know a spoke from a pig in a poke. So here'sthe challenge:

I will post pictures of the entire bike, from every angle, and you beautiful knowledgable people walk me through what I need to do. What part needs fixing first, what parts I'll need to fix it, how to lift rust (yeah it's that bad!) and so on. The first stage I think I got covered - clean the thing. That I can do. I can wield a sponge like nobody's business. But from there

But from there I'm a Stumped 'Beaten up Stump Jumper' owning muherfuher. I'll need a step by step idiots guide to what needs to be done and how I do it - so we can get this thing in a stump jumping condition.

So...who's in?

---

(12-23-2014, 11:10 PM)elmore leonard Wrote:  

(12-20-2014, 10:37 PM)StumpedJumper Wrote:  Hello everyone,

I was wondering if you wanted to help me with a project that may be more than I can chew; I bought a specialized stumpjumper recently at auction blindly - that's to say I didn't take a look at the mofo before I bid. Suffice it to say I won it for around £125 and now I have it.

It's condition is..interesting. Interesting in the same way that an ancient temple is interesting - fascinating to look at but it's seen better days.

Over the next couple of months I want to get it looking spic and span but here's the thing... I don't know a spoke from a pig in a poke. So here'sthe challenge:

I will post pictures of the entire bike, from every angle, and you beautiful knowledgable people walk me through what I need to do. What part needs fixing first, what parts I'll need to fix it, how to lift rust (yeah it's that bad!) and so on. The first stage I think I got covered - clean the thing. That I can do. I can wield a sponge like nobody's business. But from there

But from there I'm a Stumped 'Beaten up Stump Jumper' owning muherfuher. I'll need a step by step idiots guide to what needs to be done and how I do it - so we can get this thing in a stump jumping condition.

So...who's in?

---

I'm new to the board but my 2 cents, from reading your post, is take it to your bike repair shop and spend $50 or $60 and get the front and back deraileurs set up and the brakes adjusted and what ever else the repairman suggests. Then ride it for a while to see if it's the bike you want before you spend big money on it.

[cny-man]

TO THE OP:
As we know nothing of your budget I offered an option that is perfectly adequate, but I actually left out a couple things. First, in many years of reconditioning bikes at a bike co-op where we guaranteed to buy back the bikes, and therefore had an interest in reliability, we never replaced tubes that were holding air and were not patched. If tires were not dried out, worn, or bulging they also remained. Money is best spent on parts and labor that are related to safety and restoring proper operation, and it's also important to reserve some for things such as pump, helmet, lock, etc. Finally, if you have access to a bike co-op that would be an excellent resource for advise and support in his project.

---

Painkiller, my impression was that you were advising the OP according to your standards, which are oriented toward resale and the highest level of reconditioning. Nothing wrong with that but I have a different approach. I make my own choices as to the advice I give, so I'm in but don't feel the necessity to be "all in" by someone else's definition.

[Painkiller]

+1 to Cny, sound advice no doubt. I agree my game is geared differently than repair the minimum. His key word to me was "Project" vs. "repair". I do like to make em as nice as possible from the get go. All those used tubes/tires/pedals/various parts are all given away to help other people keep riding. I just know that if the bike is 100% gone thru it will have a much nicer ride quality, be more worry free, and have a bike that he will look forward to and enjoy riding for years to come. I also semi-gut new bikes out of the box. I cannot count the times the hanger's are out of alignment, brake posts with no lube, cables cut to short (for my taste) and so on. So when I see a bike like this in this condition, it needs a frame off inspect/lube. those rusty bolts do not come off easier as time goes by, they need replaced or at least broke loose and lubed. For the price of a chain and rear cluster, I replace them when they may work and still look good. For the mere fact those are wear items and if not now he will soon and his chain is looking pretty bad. Hard to tell from the pics but his derailleur pulleys look worn. Things like that he can find out after he thinks its ready to go and he has ridden it. The important thing with his bike first is to make sure the Shock is functional, the rims are not donked as these two things will skyrocket the $$$ for his project. Any improvement he can afford to do now is a big favor to himself and he will be glad he got it out of the way so he can ride on and stay out of the shop for awhile.