# MX Leader Headset Installation



## HigherGround (Mar 3, 2005)

I am having the local shop install a Campagnolo Record 1" threaded headset on a NOS MX Leader frame. I don't know the exact year the frame was made, but I believe it was from around 1992 or 1993. I received a call from the shop yesterday. The mechanic (who I trust) said that the fork crown was too big for the lower headset race. He said that it was an odd size, that would not fit any of the modern headsets. The recommended solution was to have the fork milled down approximately 1 mm by a frame builder. There are several builders near by who I could choose.

Has anyone else run in to this problem? Did you have the fork milled down, or did you find an alternate solution? Thanks for any input.


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

I have never heard of a Merckx threaded fork not fitting a 1 inch crown race. I have had several MXLs and other Merckx with 1" fork and never had this issue. Course some are tight and some are TIGHT, but it should fit. Sounds like maybe a defect in the build of the fork crown, if its really off that much. 

b21


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## Guest (May 20, 2009)

Crown may have Chrome spillover on it.

My experience is that they don't need "milling" but they might need a few minutes with a Mill Bastard file, or even a dremel tool.

It doesn't take much.


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## barry1021 (Nov 27, 2005)

toomanybikes said:


> Crown may have Chrome spillover on it.
> 
> My experience is that they don't need "milling" but they might need a few minutes with a Mill Bastard file, or even a dremel tool.
> 
> It doesn't take much.


A Dremel is a good plan


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## HigherGround (Mar 3, 2005)

The only chrome is on the fork tips. My frameset is the same as the red MX Leaders in the Merckx Gallery thread (page 7, posts #172 and 174).

Thanks for the feedback so far!


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

toomanybikes said:


> Crown may have Chrome spillover on it.
> 
> My experience is that they don't need "milling" but they might need a few minutes with a Mill Bastard file, or even a dremel tool.
> 
> It doesn't take much.


Had a similar thing happen on mine, or at least it was really, really tight. I took it to my LBS, they said it required more force to seat the race than they were willing to exert so I took it home and did it myself with a piece of pipe and a mallet. voila....it seated just fine and I've never had trouble since.

Good luck and keep us posted.


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## em3 (Dec 25, 2005)

This is not a frame defect. This is the reason that every quality bike shop must have a full Campy tool set that includes precision fork crown milling dies, BB thread cutters and fork thread cutters. Back in the day these were tools that were used on EVERY steel frame prior to being built (known as frame prep). Most of these tools are not used these days because the fork crown inserts on carbon forks are already pre-machined and the aluminum and titanium BB inserts common in today’s frames are also already cut with clean threads. The threading and cutting of the past was necessary to remove spilled over chrome, welding flux and/or imperfections that resulted from the heat of welding. I doubt that the fork crown on your MXL is an “odd size” but rather it simply needs to be milled by a precision tool. Also, don’t take a Dremel tool to it…..get it done correctly, yours is too beautiful a frame to ruin with a Dremel. If your shop does not have this simple tool in stock (fork crown race mill) I am not sure that I would trust them to even touch my MXL frame.

Good luck,
EM3


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## Guest (May 20, 2009)

HigherGround said:


> The only chrome is on the fork tips. My frameset is the same as the red MX Leaders in the Merckx Gallery thread (page 7, posts #172 and 174).
> 
> Thanks for the feedback so far!


Actually no.

The frame and fork are chromed before being painted.

The whole thing is chrome under the paint.


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## cannibal (Dec 3, 2004)

toomanybikes said:


> Actually no.
> 
> The frame and fork are chromed before being painted.
> 
> The whole thing is chrome under the paint.


Is every EM steel frame done as mentioned above?

The two I bought at the factory last Dec. (Corsa Extra & MXL) were not painted when I first saw them. They pipes were a general dark brown for lack of a better color description, not chrome. Perhaps, in my case, they were treated with some type of anti-corrision coating after they were chromed?
The LBS mechanic said the same thing you did in terms of the frameset was chromed before painted.


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

cannibal said:


> Is every EM steel frame done as mentioned above?
> 
> The two I bought at the factory last Dec. (Corsa Extra & MXL) were not painted when I first saw them. They pipes were a general dark brown for lack of a better color description, not chrome. Perhaps, in my case, they were treated with some type of anti-corrision coating after they were chromed?
> The LBS mechanic said the same thing you did in terms of the frameset was chromed before painted.



If they weren't chromed they would be rarities.

Merckx was a great believer in chroming the frame and fork. Some builders didn't do it for cost reasons ( later they claimed it was weight) but the ones who wanted their frames to last - chromed 'em.

I would be VERY surprised if you bought right from the farm and they weren't chromed.

To show that it is still done, by good framebuilders, the Pegoretti I took delivery of last fall is fully chromed, even the steer tube.


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## kjmunc (Sep 19, 2005)

*chrome*

i seem to recall that when merckx reissued the 7-11 and moto frames they didnt chrome the frames due to a new environmental law restricting the practice, so that may explain the recent frames being made without it, while other builders in other countries still chrome frames.


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## Guest (May 21, 2009)

kjmunc said:


> i seem to recall that when merckx reissued the 7-11 and moto frames they didnt chrome the frames due to a new environmental law restricting the practice, so that may explain the recent frames being made without it, while other builders in other countries still chrome frames.


You're right.

I forgot about that but now that you mention it I remember it.

Thx.


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## HigherGround (Mar 3, 2005)

toomanybikes said:


> Actually no.
> 
> The frame and fork are chromed before being painted.
> 
> The whole thing is chrome under the paint.


 You know, it's funny - when I had written that post, I had considered writing "...The chrome appears to be only on the fork tips..." I haven't had the urge to take the paint off to check it.  

I remember an issue of Bicycle Guide magazine where Merckx commented on having the entire frame chromed before painting. However, I thought that might have been for only genuine team issue bikes such as the ones for 7-Eleven, Panasonic, Hitachi, etc.

My frame had a few tiny paint scratches when I received it, which is not surprising considering the age. The areas under the paint nicks show the same dark brown color that cannibal describes; none of the areas were shiny. The steerer tube has some paint on the lower half, so it was hard to determine if the area around the fork crown had chrome underneath.

Regardless, I will have the fork prepared properly.

Thanks again to all for the feedback. I appreciate it!


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## Uncle Grumpy (Jul 25, 2005)

I've got a '92 Merckx TT frame. The fork takes a 27.0mm crown race, as opposed to 26.4mm.

I took a grinding stone on the Dremel and run it around the inside of the crown race (figuring it was easier to replace the crown race than the fork if I made a mess of it). Took me a while to get it milled out enough to fit with the right amount of force but I got there.

Grumps


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## Maverick (Apr 29, 2004)

HigherGround said:


> I am having the local shop install a Campagnolo Record 1" threaded headset on a NOS MX Leader frame. I don't know the exact year the frame was made, but I believe it was from around 1992 or 1993. I received a call from the shop yesterday. The mechanic (who I trust) said that the fork crown was too big for the lower headset race. He said that it was an odd size, that would not fit any of the modern headsets. The recommended solution was to have the fork milled down approximately 1 mm by a frame builder. There are several builders near by who I could choose.
> 
> Has anyone else run in to this problem? Did you have the fork milled down, or did you find an alternate solution? Thanks for any input.


HigherGround,

I'm facing the same issue here.
please share on how you got it fix finally.

cheers!


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*question on milling*

I've built up several bikes but I am missing something here. I don't understand what it is that you are "milling". I have a machinist background and for the life of me, can't think of anything that would require milling on the headset. 
I could see some lathe work, but nothing on a milling machine.
Are you saying that the diameter of the bearing race is to tight to fit on the machined surface area of the fork?


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## Maverick (Apr 29, 2004)

martinrjensen said:


> I've built up several bikes but I am missing something here. I don't understand what it is that you are "milling". I have a machinist background and for the life of me, can't think of anything that would require milling on the headset.
> I could see some lathe work, but nothing on a milling machine.
> Are you saying that the diameter of the bearing race is to tight to fit on the machined surface area of the fork?


Yes, that's right.
I'm using Campagnolo Record 1in threaded headset (HS7-RE) and the the diameter of the lower bearing race is unable to fit on the brand new MXL fork. 
Unless some milling is done..

not sure if it's okay to exert more force to get the lower bearing race to fit in..


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*Thanks for the clarification*

I would call that lathe work, but again that's coming from a machinist background. The 2 diameters need to be checked. You want what's called an interference fit, meaning that the race inside diameter is just a little smaller than the fork diameter. The difference is measured in thousands of an inch or in millimeters. I don't know what the figure is but someone should be able to figure it out. I sure wouldn't think it would be more than a thou (.02 mm) or so (just guessing). 
In order to measure it you would need a micrometer and an inside mic. These are standard tools of machinists but not of bike shops.
I think I'd keep asking around a couple different shops firsts. Make sure that they are familiar with building old steel bikes and probably Campy too.
If it was me, and I determined that the difference was too great, I would be tempted to chuck up the race in my lathe and take a little off the ID, probably with what's called a flapper wheel (sandpaper on a wheel), as I'm sure the material would be too hard to cut. 
As someone else mentioned, that way if something went wrong, you only messed up a bearing race, not your bike.


Maverick said:


> Yes, that's right.
> I'm using Campagnolo Record 1in threaded headset (HS7-RE) and the the diameter of the lower bearing race is unable to fit on the brand new MXL fork.
> Unless some milling is done..
> 
> not sure if it's okay to exert more force to get the lower bearing race to fit in..


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## HigherGround (Mar 3, 2005)

martinrjensen said:


> Are you saying that the diameter of the bearing race is to tight to fit on the machined surface area of the fork?


That is correct. The confusion was probably due to me using incorrect terminology, since my metal working experience stopped after building a pair of fireplace tongs in high school metal shop.  

I was able to remedy the problem by taking my fork to Spectrum Cycles in Breinigsville, PA. Jeff used a lathe to reduce the fork's steerer tube / fork crown junction to the appropriate diameter. Jeff and Tom were nice enough to let me look around, and to answer questions. They even had a Merckx that they repainted. It was a cool visit, and worth the hour or so drive. I was kicking myself for not having taken my camera with me.

If you're not fortunate enough to live near a frame builder with a lathe, this article from the Park Tool site explains possible ways to a shop to fix it. The article explains the diameter differences that are needed so that there's enough force to hold things in place, without damaging the parts.

Good luck!


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

*Thanks*

I looked at that article on the Park website and using that tool, I would have to call that milling also. I see it actually does 2 things. Cuts down the diameter so the race fits, and faces the base off so it fits square to the tube. Probably not a lot of money either but since I happen to have a lathe and also don't plan on doing a lot of head sets, I don't think I will buy one. I'm glad you got it all squared away.


HigherGround said:


> That is correct. The confusion was probably due to me using incorrect terminology, since my metal working experience stopped after building a pair of fireplace tongs in high school metal shop.
> 
> I was able to remedy the problem by taking my fork to Spectrum Cycles in Breinigsville, PA. Jeff used a lathe to reduce the fork's steerer tube / fork crown junction to the appropriate diameter. Jeff and Tom were nice enough to let me look around, and to answer questions. They even had a Merckx that they repainted. It was a cool visit, and worth the hour or so drive. I was kicking myself for not having taken my camera with me.
> 
> ...


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## Maverick (Apr 29, 2004)

@martinrjensen, HigherGround.

Thanks for sharing guys. 
Appreciated.

Cheers!


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