Headset, Grinding -not smooth-

I lost my bike virginity yesterday and finaly finished my 1st build...

but...
the headset seems to be grinding a little...
it does it more on one side than the other...
its an old headset (but i replaced the bearings) and greased

but i dont know what the problem is...
any advice would be helpfull

Did you inspect the bearing races/cups? Were they at all worn or uneven? Can you loosen it off without the stem rocking back and forth? Could be too tight.

the cups were smooth as...
it did the same thing when it had the old bearings but i thought id change em any way...
iv tried loosening it. but no luck...

sandpaper the inside of your cups while you sit in front of the telly or somethin and just spend a while on them

Sandpaper? WTF?

Have another look.. is there a smooth line that runs around the cup? Is it pitted? Does it move up or down from horizontal?

Also, you didn't answer regarding how tight you'd done them up.. ?

yh i thought sandpaper was funny...
cups are smooth as,
iv tried loosening and tightening different bits,
cleaned them,
greased them,
made sure the stem is straight...
but it seems to be the same no matter what :/

perhaps the cup, crown race or bearing race (incase you didnt replace that) is ovalised slightly making the grind more one one side than the other. to be honest, i personally find it a very rare thing to get a silent headset when using headsets that arent brand new. there is always some noise, and you only really notice it when you pick the bike up and turn the bars, not when you actually ride it. when you say grinding its hard to know how bad that really is unless someone esle hears it to confirm it. id say that if you have doe it all properly, used the right grease and enough of it, done the lockrings/star fangled nut up tight enough and nothing is loose or binding when you ride, it'll probably be fine. try popping to one of the drinks and get someone a bit more experienced to have a look/listen and see what they think..

oh and you have assembled it right right? i mean put the crown race on the fork and not used the upper race at the bottom or anything like that? easy mistake to make for a novie mechanic. i did all types of stupid things way back...

i think so... 2bike shops have confirmed its in corect, but its stiff to turn to, if i cycle no hands i cant lean to steer it just wants to go straight

stiff to turn or does it turn in notches?

notches mean its been done up too tight at some point and the bearings have put little divots in the race, see hippys pic above. if so, sack it off and buy a new one.

stiff would normally mean its done up ways too tight, or pehaps some of these..

are the bearings the exact same size as the original ones? old stlye may be using imperial measurement bb's and new bb's would normally be measured in mm i think. so any variation, even very slight would mess about with the whole thing.

also, you say you replaced the bearings, are they loose in grease or in a cage like above? if they are loose, did you put too many in? you should always leave room for about 2 bb's in there. it allows them to spread out and not foul with each others movement in the cup.

did it grind/was it stiff before you built the bike? do you have any ideas about it before you took it apart?

The bearings youve put in could also be the wrong size.

I don't see nuffin wrong, with a little headset grind.. with a little headset grind

Don't want to hijack the thread with my own personal problems...butI have some related headset issues. When I tighten the top race (?) it will be fine for a little bit then start to loosen itself - esp if I go over a few bumps. If I tighten it more then it binds and doesn't want to turn corners.

I have become used to tightening it by hand at the traffic lights, or while moving. I'm sure this isn't right though!

Don't want to hijack the thread with my own personal problems...butI have some related headset issues. When I tighten the top race (?) it will be fine for a little bit then start to loosen itself - esp if I go over a few bumps. If I tighten it more then it binds and doesn't want to turn corners.

I have become used to tightening it by hand at the traffic lights, or while moving. I'm sure this isn't right though!

You should be able to tighten the locknut down onto the top race (independant of the tightness of the top race). Also there should be a notched washer between the two.

Yes, I can tighten the locknut down but that doesn't seem to help. I expect the absence of a notched washer is not helping then?

Its a 2nd hand Dura Ace headset - looks to be 1980s - anyone know if you can buy replacement locknuts? This one is bearing the scars of a previous owner's exhuberant use of their spanner.

Sounds like the cups are loose, no amount of tightening the nuts will hold it. check the cups and also the frame . they should sit snug to the frame without being tightened

You should be able to tighten the locknut down onto the top race (independant of the tightness of the top race). Also there should be a notched washer between the two.

a good tip i got off Murt was to tighten the bottom nut right down (1/2 a turn too far), then add the second nut till it hits the first. loosen the second nut half a turn and whilst holding the top nut loosen the bottom one 1/2 a turn untill they lock

Cheers fella. I'll check out me cups tonight.

iv given up with my old headset...
iv bought a new one...
BUT
now my problem is... i cant get the 1st bit onto the forks flush
or the cups into the frame evenly,
anyone local to n1 got a headset tool i can borrow?
cheers it would be a great help

:D