BMX Bath Time! Oxalic Acid Rust Removal

With the stuck seat post removed, it was time for the Mongoose to have it's bath; an acid bath to remove the rust. I'd started spending a bit of time trawling the technical and restoration sections of a lot of BMX forums that are out there looking for ideas on how to restore our beloved BMX's. 

All these threads lead to the same conclusion; rust on chrome frames can be removed. There was talk of rubbing aluminium foil soaked cola or lemon juice against the frame, but this left scratches. One guy used a razor blade to gently scrape off all of the rust. Most said that the time-old method of using oxalic acid and patience was the best approach.

Oxalic acid found to be pretty tricky to track down. I went to a few Bunnings warehouses who have it advertised on their website as Diggers Rust and Stain Cleaner. This is 100% oxalic acid crystals.

Going to the store they would never be able to find it. Eventually I got them to look it up on their inventory using the Inventory Number (I/N: 0960276 if you do have head to Bunnings) and I had it in my hands. It's actually in the timber and wood painting section, not the cleaning section. The above tub is a Bell Roll-away Under-Bed Giant Storer with an 80 litre capacity and is the perfect size for a bike frame.

I filled the tub almost to the top. Wearing protective gloves, I mixed in 200 grams of oxalic acid crystals, then placed the frame, forks and the bars and seat post from my Haro Group 1b. I covered the container up and left it for 24 hours.

24 hours later you can see the rust being attacked by the oxalic acid turning it yellow in colour. A quick scrub with an old toothbrush freed the rust to fall off and left the metal showing rust free. 

I left the Mongoose soaking for three days, scrubbing the insides of all the tubing with a bristled brush to remove any rust and dirt build-up inside the tubing. I wanted to make sure that it was free from all rust before I continued on.

Here's one last photo of the inside of the bottom bracket showing the candy blue that used to coat the entire Team Mongoose.

That Damn Stuck Aluminium BMX Seat Post

When anodized aluminium and steel sit side-by-side, like they do when an anodized fluted seat post is stuck into a steel frame, corrosion can occur when other factors come into play. This causes one of the most common problems; stuck seat posts!

When I first came to own my Team Mongoose 25 years ago, I could barely touch the pedals while I was sitting on the seat. The first thing I tried to do was get the seat post out. I wiggled it, sprayed WD-40 and let that soak in, but it did nothing! 25 years on and the post was still stuck in there!

Back in the day, my mate told me his dad drilled his seat post out of his Mongoose because it was stuck. I was thinking that I was just a weak kid so I'd give it another crack. I thought with the internet on my side this time I was sure to find an answer.

The first thing I tried was some ammonia. I read a few blogs and forums saying that pouring ammonia in there and letting it settle over a few days loosened up all the crud and the post would come out with a little force. I left it in there for a week. The photo above shows the ammonia sitting in the seat post tube. A week went by and it did nothing!

A good mate of mine told me he got his stuck seat post out by soaking WD-40 in the post and between each crevice for 30 minutes, then sticking that into a vice tightly, so tight that you squashed the post. Then, using the frame as leverage, spin the post from side-to-side and you would hear a grind and it would be free. So, 30 minutes soaking with WD-40 and straight in the vice, tightened it up until the seat post was almost flat, started to turn and it completely snapped off! That trick was busted.

I decided to make a shim out of a hack saw blade and try to cut it out. I wanted to find out how far the seat post was jammed in before I started trying to cut it out. I grabbed a old coat hanger, bent one end and pushed it down until it was caught on the end of the post.

I chopped off most of the seat post and left about two inches to have something to grip onto when I squashed the post out of there.

I jimmied up a handle to the hacksaw blade using gaffer tape and went to cutting. About 3 hours in I was finally getting through the post, but only at the top.

I stuck the end of a post into a vice and begun using the frame as leverage to try to spin the post free. After a quarter of a turn I heard a crack and the top of the aluminium post snapped into pieces, but the rest was stuck inside. I had nothing left of the post to grip onto and I thought that the only thing left was to pay someone to drill the seat post out. Well, that's what I thought before I jumped onto YouTube!

I stumbled on a few videos that discussed using caustic soda to dissolve the post out of the tube. The chemistry behind this was that caustic soda has a chemical reaction that dissolves the aluminium and creates hydrogen gas, but it doesn't dissolve steal, what the Mongoose frame was made of. If you fill the seat post tube with caustic soda, the aluminium dissolves and you're left with a clean seat post tube.

I covered the bike frame in glad wrap and gaffer tape. I gaffer taped a plastic cup to the top of the seat post and tried to fill all the holes. I mixed half a tub of caustic soda into some warm water. I read somewhere that warm water helped speed the reaction, but to be careful because warm water went very volatile when you add caustic soda to it. I then poured the caustic soda solution into the cup, filling it almost to the top.

Instantly the water turned white, then brown and started bubbling. A white gas, the hydrogen gas, could be seen coming out of the brew. It hissed and spat all over the place! But, 45 minutes later, the seat post couldn't be seen any more. I let it sit for another hour, then poured what was left into a plastic container. Out came a lot of dirt, crud, rust and small shards of aluminium!

I rinsed the post tube out thoroughly with water and begun scraping the inside with a metal rod. It was completely clean and free of any of the aluminium seat post! This actually worked and it was amazing to watch!

My first big success! I've vowed never to use an aluminium fluted seat post in a bike again!

Haro Group 1b BMX... The Back End

This post is a continuation of my previous time capsule post running through the stock set-up of a 1990 Haro Group 1b Race Technique BMX and the changes that I made to it.

The Group 1b came with a Fusion TwinTorc seat post clamp. I kept the seat post clamp because that thing looked chunky and really looked cool. It's still in great shape, only the nuts and bolts are a little rusted.

The Group 1b came with an unbranded steel straight seat post and a black Fusion seat that was made by Velo. The first thing I did to my new Group 1b was to switch out the seat and seat post.

The seat was replaced with a generic BMX stamped seat as seen in the above photo. It was a lot wider than the Fusion seat. I spent a lot of time sitting while riding so I needed a little comfort. I'd even sit and ride during a race. I probably would have went a nice cushioned seat, if I didn't get laughed at! Good thing is I still have the original seat.

The seat post I switched out for a laid back seat post.  The reason why; my mate rode with a laid-back seat post so I needed one. The only difference was I was 5'11", he was 6'3". Still great to have a 1989 USA BMX laid back seat post. Sadly, I haven't been able to find the original seat post.

The drive train on the Group 1b consisted of generic 175mm cranks, an Anlun bottom bracket, a Haro Uni/Directional 43T chainring and a set of Victor plastic pedals. The cranks are pretty rusted up but the bottom bracket, spider and chainring are still in great order.

I had to get rid of the plastic pedals and throw on a set of Victor Bear Traps. These were the knock off of the Suntour XC-II, but these were the pedals that we rode back in the day. They were cheap and did the job. The pedals are pretty banged up after years of abuse. The photo above still shows some chewing gum stuck in the bear traps from back in the 90s!

Finally the wheels. These are dead-set stock. SUMO 36H 20 x 1.75 rims, exact replica's of the ARAYA rims, even down to the stamping, They were laced to Jou Yu 36H low flange hubs and had a Suntour 17T freewheel. The stock tyres on the Group 1b were Cheng Shin Comp 3-type 1.75's.

The rims are pretty thrashed. Lots of gutter rash and a few flat spots from slamming into the gutter. The tyres are complete thrashed. The skin walls are frayed and falling apart and the rear one is almost worn through in spots. There's no way they could hold air.

So that's my 1990 Haro Group 1b Race Technique. Let's get it back to a rider with some of the other parts I've always wanted!

My Haro Group 1b BMX Time Capsule

My 1990 Haro Group 1b Race Technique BMX was hanging from the rafters of my mums garage. It had not been ridden, let alone touched, in almost 15 years. It's still set up exactly how I raced it, even down to the tires. The next two posts will walk through explaining the Group 1b. I'll go through how it came off the shelf in 1990, the parts that I switched out and why. Let's go!

The Group 1b Frame was based on Mike King's frame geometry. It had a "monotrac" design. Monotrac is a trademark Haro design that combines the bent top tube towards the seat post tube and a "monostay" brake bridge.

The Group 1b came with a chromoly maintube and Haro Racing tapered forks. The condition of my frame and forks is still great for a 24 year old BMX. There are a few few scuffs and scratches, but nothing bad enough that requires a complete respray. It's a great survivor!

Starting at the front of the BMX, the Group 1b came with a Fusion stamped stem that combined a alloy top piece to a chromoly shaft. The headset was a standard black BMX headset manufactured by YST.

My headset is in great condition, except for the flaking black paint. It looks as though these were painted and not anodised so they're either chrome or metal underneath the paint. The stem has definitely seen better days. It has been battered. There are a few chips out of the sides due to being thrown around, either at races or in and out of the car. The bolts are all rusted up. There are no cracks in the stem that can be seen.

The stock braking system that came with the Group 1b consisted of an ACS 860A rear break, a Lee Chi two finger lever and an EZ Glide brake cable.

The brake cable and callipers are still in great condition with only a bit of tarnish on the callipers and some of the nuts and bolts have some surface oxidisation. The brake pads still look chunky but they've dried up and gone really hard.

The brake lever has definitely seen better days. It's covered in scratches and mounted on the wrong side of the bars. The ferrulle/cable adjuster has snapped in half. The grips in the above photo are some knock-off A'me Tri grips that came with the bars.

The Group 1b originally came with a set of Haro Racing Bars but I replaced these with a set of Powerlite Cruiser bars. A local pro from Castle Hill BMX track said the stock bars were took big for me so they were switched out. To be honest, I think I felt more comfortable on the stock bars. I've kept the original bars, with original Haro Krayton grips. They're currently mounted on my Mongoose.

That's it for this post and for the front-end of the the Group 1b. I'll continue the rest of my BMX breakdown in the next Group 1b post!

The Dents and Rust In My 1981 Mongoose Team BMX

I'm adding a few more photos of the main areas of deterioration, rust and just overall filth that this bike is in. This is just to keep a good before-and-after to show what a little work and a little effort can do, when you put your mind to something!

Here's the flattened chain-stay and the rear drop-outs. As you can see in the photo, they're both in pretty bad shape! Chain burn was a common occurrence for the 80's Mongoose and my Goose has a bad case of it! There's no way that that will get fixed any time soon unless I find a TIG welder and think about getting the frame stripped, polished and chromed.

A close-up of the chewed up drop-outs. You can still see the knurling of the drop-outs outside of the chewed up areas. These really need to be filled in.

A nice big compression dent in the top tube just above the gusset. I don't think that could be popped out and it would really cheapen the look of a new chrome job. This frame will stay survivor. I really love those sexy welds!

Here's the aluminium fluted stuck seat post, another common problem with Mongoose bikes. A mixture of dirt, water and age just makes them near impossible to remove. I don't know how I'm going to get this one out. There's also a few cracks around the seat tube eye hole that should be fixed up but won't really affect a rider/survivor.

Finally, the LUNGI forks. Some cheap, knock-off Tange TX-1200 forks that all the bike shops sold in the 80's as replacements when you blew out your nice Mongoose or Diamond Back forks. For now, these will stay until I manage to track down a nice set of Mongoose Team forks.

That's it for the before photos. It's time to get that stuck aluminium fluted seat post out!

How I Became Addicted to Haro BMX's

This is my baby! Well, today she is my baby. We started things out with a love-hate relationship. So  here is the story of how I fell in love with Haro's. There's not going to be any pictures. They'll come in the next post.

This here is the first big purchase that I ever made in my life and I was only 11 years old. My 1990 Haro Group 1b Race Technique cost $599 at the start of 1990 and I paid for almost every cent of my bike. It cost me every penny I had saved from all my birthdays and all the money I had saved from six months of work as an 11 year old during 1989/1990.

Before I purchased my Group 1b my parents had bought all of my BMX bikes. Four bikes in total that I can remember. First there was a blue Road Master that weighed a tonne. The next bike was a second-hand unbranded mini BMX race bike that the previous owners had painted white with multi-coloured little spots. It was light as a feather but I hated that bike. It was really uncomfortable to ride and I got teased because it was previously owned by a girl, so it was a girls bike. Next was my Mongoose. Now I can see how phenomenal my Mongoose was, but back in the day I thought it was old, ugly and slow.

Being 1989, I needed something flashy! I needed something that looked fast and something that was new. As a kid, the only thing I knew about Haro's was that they made freestyle bikes; good freestyle bikes. I always wished I could do flatland tricks and wanted a Haro Freestyle. Why? because that's what they rode in the BMX magazines and a couple of kids used to do flatland tricks on Haro's at the local shopping centre car park. They were good and it was because of their bikes, not the hours of practice and dedication they put in. (I was dreaming...)

I never knew Haro made race bikes. That all changed the day mum told me that my uncles friend had a BMX bike he wanted to sell. We went over that night, rang the door bell and a bloke answered; then proceeded to wheel out a brand new 1989 Haro Group 1c Race Technique onto his patio.

My jaw dropped.... It was all black with pink decals. H-A-R-O written in big letters along the bars and forks, GROUP 1c written on the down tube. It was amazing! I picked it up and it felt light. I sat on it and it felt fast. I took it for a ride around the driveway and it felt twitchy. I couldn't get the grin off my face... I fell in love with that Group 1c. My parents saw my excitement and after a lot of begging from me and little negotiation with the owner, it was MINE!

I still don't know how much my parents paid for it but it was loaded into the back of the car and I was the happiest kid alive!

I loved riding my Group 1c so much that I wanted to ride it to school. To tell the truth, I was so proud of that bike and so proud my mother had bought me that bike that I wanted to show it off to all of my friends. My bike was the best thing I owned and was better than most of the bikes the other kids at school had. It was the one thing I was really proud of!

Eventually my parents agreed to let me ride it to school. I was in Year 6. I would chain it to the bike racks with a thick chain and a huge padlock. I thought it was safe. Then someone mentioned that they saw someone come into the school and look at my bike.

Fear struck me. I asked to go to the toilet during class just to check on it, scared someone had stolen it. It was still there. Relieved, I went back to class and didn't think anything of it. At the end of the school day I walked down to the bike racks, ready to ride home and my Group 1c was no where to be seen. I balled my eyes out crying.

My Group 1c was stolen by some "locals"; derelicts did not care much for the law. I knew who they were. They were notorious for stealing everything and were blamed for all of the garage break-ins that were happening.

A few months later I saw them riding my Group 1c at the local dirt trails. I looked at the bike in shock, knowing that was my baby. They knew it was my bike too. Suddenly I was being chased, tackled, held by two while the third began beating me up saying "Stop looking at MY bike". I told my father but he did nothing about it and wouldn't go to the police. Now I understand why. That changed me, defined who I would become; someone who looks after themselves and their family.

The day my Group 1c was stolen was the first time my heart broke. I was devastated. I was so hurt. I remember asking my parents if they had insurance and they said no. My bike was gone forever.

I never asked them if they would buy me another Haro because I knew what answer would be. I remember seeing my parents would be stressed out sitting at the kitchen table, discussing how they didn't have enough money to pay for things. They definitely didn't have the money to be throwing around on an expensive BMX bike that I really didn't need so I never asked them for another bike. I didn't want to put them through more stress.

So I decided I'd get a new Haro myself!

At 11 years old, I counted my money in my piggy bank, checked my Commonwealth Dollar-mite savings account, calculated how much more I would need, and devised a plan to worked my ass off, saving every penny. The previous week my aunt had asked me to wash her car and she would pay me $10. That's how I would get the money. I'd wash cars for family, friends, neighbours, whoever! $10 a car and by my calculations I only needed to wash 55 cars.

Every weekend I went into Blackman's Bicycles, looking at the line of Haro Race Techniques and Haro Freestyles. I loved the freestyles, but my heart was always true to BMX racing. Plus the freestyles were way too expensive and I wanted a Haro as soon as I could get one. I actually always wanted the Group 1a. That was my grail but that was out of my reach. So I settled for the slightly cheaper Group 1b.

It took me 6 months of hard work every weekend and some weekdays, but I eventually I had saved $560. I put my mind to it and I had done it. My mum and my grandparents were proud. My mum told me she would pay the rest for my Group 1c and I was getting my bike!

Over those 6 months, my placing at race meets dropped. Before my Group 1c was stolen I strong middle-of-the-pack racer, even placing third at some race meets. But after I lost my Group 1c I was forced to race with my Mongoose and I quickly dropped to finishing last, then even worse than last. Five seconds after second last!

I blamed it on my Mongoose. In my mind the Mongoose just felt small and really uncomfortable. To me the Mongoose was old and ugly; and it just wasn't my Haro. What had really happened is I lost the desire to race. I was really hurt when my Group 1c was stolen and that made me stop riding bikes after school. Then I gained weight, lots of weight.

In my mind I had told myself that getting my Group 1b was going to instantly change me. I would become the BMX racer I used to be and the change would happen overnight. I would suddenly enjoy riding again after school and be able to clear all the jumps that I was knuckling these days. It never happened. I had just started Year 7 at a new school, met some new mates and suddenly basketball was more important.

The Group 1b became my mode of transportation during high school, She rode well and I slowly fell in love with that bike. When I got my license and my Haro was retired to the rafters of my mum's garage, until now.

So that's the story of how I became to love Haro's. It all started with some luck. There was a lot of love, a lot of loss, broken-hearts, determination and pure willpower. That emotional roller coaster made me love Haro's and was a key part of my childhood.

I'm still hunting my grail, a multicoloured 1990 Haro Group 1a Race Technique. One day I will own one! Hopefully I can find an all black Group 1c to fill out the collection and have everyone home again!

1981 Mongoose Team BMX! Beaten But Not Over

Looking at this bike, 25 years after I came to own it, I never thought I would love this bike the way I do  now. I only asked my mother to buy it because it originally came with a set of CW style bars, the same bars that were on my mates BMX.

Seeing my old BMX's got me doing some research on this bike. As a kid I actually thought this bike was some Woolworths junk. I started browsing forums. I remember the back end of the bike; the flattened seat stay and matchbox. That's where I noticed the resemblance to an early 80's Mongoose Supergoose or a Team Mongoose and my hopes were high.

The next time I was back at my mum's, I had the frame down and my mobile in hand. The serial number started with T-CB1 and inside the bottom bracket and behind the gusset were the remnants of candy blue paint. I had a 1981 Chatsworth built TEAM MONGOOSE!

When I got it, it had no decals on it. Nothing screamed my style in the 80's like the pink and light blue "Street Flyer" decals. I found those decals at the local bike shop for $15 and loved them.

Thinking back now, I remember my mate's dad offered to service my bike when he saw it. I left it with him for a couple days and when he returned it he offered me $100 to sell it to him. I guess he knew what it was worth. I'm glad I didn't sell it to him!

As she sits right now, the Goose is covered in rust. I've started stripping the bike down to begin cleaning the Goose up as much as I possibly can.

My tools right now are very limited to a couple shifters and a set of multi-grip pliers

I've taken lots of pictures so that I can do a complete before and after comparison.

The matchbox is still in great shape with no dents, just a lot of surface rust and crud built up.

The brake bridge has a little compression from over-tightening of the brakes, but it's still in good order. I really love the Mongoose welds!

The gusset is filled with a lot of crud, rust and even some spiders webs. that will all need to be cleaned out!

After a lot of research on different bike forums, I've read that soaking the frame in some diluted oxalic acid is the best and easiest way to clean the rust from the frame. I'll get it under way and see how it comes out!

How My BMX Restoration Journey Begun

My mum decided to do a clean-up of the place in preparation for having the floor boards painted. That got me back into the garage and made me look up and see my old BMX bikes hanging from the rafters.

Staring at those BMX bikes brought memories of my grandfather flooding back to me. He was an amazing man; my hero and idol. He was the handyman of our family and would fix, restore and glue everything that was broken. There was nothing he couldn't fix, except his heart.

My grandfather always dreamed that one day I would learn a trade. He wanted me to work with my hands; building things and fixing things. I always pushed it away because there was mates to hang out with or other things to do. My selfishness meant that he never had the opportunity to pass on all his knowledge to me before he passed away.

Staring at my two original BMX bikes had me overcome with emotions. I needed them. I needed take them, use them, restore them and learn from them. Restoring them would teach me some new skills and and help me reconnect with the memories my grandfather. I really miss him.

I walked away from my BMX bikes for a couple of weeks, but all I could hear in the back of my mind was "Ich! Naprawy! / Go! Fix them up!". Two weeks passed and I was back with my car, loading up my two BMX bikes and all parts I could find. A 1990 Haro Group 1b Race Technique and a 1980 Mongoose Team BMX bikes.

That brings us to here; Post #1. How it all begun. This is a trip through my mind, through the lessons that I've learnt and through the restoration tricks and things I've picked up along the way. This blog will show the progress of how it all came together.

Be Warned: These posts will be picture heavy as I want to document everything that I do!