wrong headset?

[hendy]

just trying to fit a headset to the li125 special I'm building but have run into problems.

I have a chrome ring frame and this headset is brand new (in other words never on any frame before). I'm wondering if I've been supplied with the wrong headset and this is actually a non-chrome ring one. It is also a remade one, NOT an original Innocenti part.

Apparently you can tell the difference by the distance between the bottom of the steering lock hole and the bottom of the headset; this dimension is much smaller on the chrome ring one.

the problem is that i have nothing to compare it with and i have no idea what 'much smaller' means.

Could someone take a look at this picture and compare it with their own; preferably an Innocenti original please?

I've marked the dimension which differs with 2 red bars.

[PeteB]

The headset in your photo is a "chrome ring" one, as per Page 172 of Sticky's manual, 2nd edition

[roli-olo]

Should be about three mm from base to lock hole.so your headset looks like it is a chrome ring type.However the chrome ring was discontinued before the lis125 came into production.i.e.From October 1965 the chrome ring was not used,production of lis125 only began in Oct.65.

[hendy]

Should be about three mm from base to lock hole.so your headset looks like it is a chrome ring type.However the chrome ring was discontinued before the lis125 came into production.i.e.From October 1965 the chrome ring was not used,production of lis125 only began in Oct.65.

Well spotted, it's a pretend special made out of a 64 li125. To be honest I wish I'd just put it back together the way nature intended, but I'm too far down the road now.

[roli-olo]

Ah well hope you can make it work then.I have a innocenti c/r headset bottom only.I,d be prepared to sell if you feel you might need it.

[sydduckett]

Is it a tsr one? I think I read a post that said they are slightly smaller than the original and sit slightly high on the forks. Hope I'm not muddying waters.

[hendy]

Thanks, but no, I got it from Cambridge.

I now think this may be a tolerance stacking issue.

I had problems driving my chrome ring in and seem to remember that the grub screw was at the upper end of where it needs to be.

I didn't clean the paint of the forks before driving the lower race on.

I didn't clean the paint off the headset before fitting the clamping ring.

None of these would account for the 3mm or so that I need, but they add to the issue even if they won't completely resolve it.

[thebassmasta]

thats a chrome ring headset, looks just about right, that should fit with a chrome ring.If its not fitting correctly or too tight then something is wrong somewhere, have you got the correct forks in?

[hendy]

thats a chrome ring headset, looks just about right, that should fit with a chrome ring.If its not fitting correctly or too tight then something is wrong somewhere, have you got the correct forks in?

Thanks, I've been delving a little deeper and it turns out that series 2 forks are 2mm shorter which may just about do it.

However, I understood that series 2 forks had a continuous weld joining the two halves of the section that the fork links are fitted into; is this right or wrong? Maybe it was only true for series one or early series 2? Anyone know for sure?

If this is the cause, I'll be getting my THIRD set of forks before long!

[shocky]

I have some s1or 2 forks there continuously welded