[Supersonic]

I searched for this topic but couldnt' find much.

I have a Merckx Team SC with a carbon Campy Record headset (integrated). After some recent traveling, which required me to take off the bars and pack it several times, the headset has somehow worked itself loose.

I reassembled the bike this morning and noticed that the headset is now very loose. I took off the top cup of the headset, repositioned it, put on the spacers, stem and screwed it down a few times this morning but it is still loose.

I know little to nothing about Campy headsets.

There appears to be a small space that is opening up between the head tube and the headset that shouldn't be there, no matter how tight I make it.

Can anyone shed some light on what might be the problem here and how 2 fix it w/o visiting my LBS?

 

[C-40]

loosen the stem??

You didn't mention first loosening the steering tube clamp bolts on the stem. That's job one. There must be some gap between the top of the steering tube and the top cap. If the top cap touches the top of the steering tube, it won't tighten anything. The last thing to check for is the compression plug or star nut being loose. If the device that the top cap pulls against moves, no adjustment will occur.

Integrated headsets typically require more torque on the top cap than a conventional caged-ball unit, perhaps as much a 7-8NM. Tighten until some additional drag is felt as the fork is turned, then back off the top cap bolt just enough to eliminate the drag (maybe 1/8 to 1/4 turn).

 

[Supersonic]

will try again

You didn't mention first loosening the steering tube clamp bolts on the stem. That's job one. There must be some gap between the top of the steering tube and the top cap. If the top cap touches the top of the steering tube, it won't tighten anything. The last thing to check for is the compression plug or star nut being loose. If the device that the top cap pulls against moves, no adjustment will occur.

Integrated headsets typically require more torque on the top cap than a conventional caged-ball unit, perhaps as much a 7-8NM. Tighten until some additional drag is felt as the fork is turned, then back off the top cap bolt just enough to eliminate the drag (may 1/8 to 1/4 turn).

I think I understand. I looked on the Park Tool website to make sure I'm using the proper terminology.

I have several spacers that sit above the centering sleeve (the part that says "Record" on it). When I tighten the cap bolt down and then wiggle the bars around, the headset seems to get loose and a small space seems to open up between the centering sleeve and the head tube. Other than the centering sleeve and the top cap, there really isn't anything that shows externally on this headset, thus my quandry.

I don't think my prob. is that I can't get it tight enough, but I'll double check that one. Regardless, it was working fine until I reassembled it this morning. Doh!

 

[Spunout]

Re-try it. The centering sleeve goes first and contacts the bearings. Then there is a cap over that. Then your spacers-stem-top cap. Sometimes there are 1mm stainless steel spacers in between the centering sleeve and the dust cap. this helps keep teh cap from contating the frame and inhibiting operation.

http://www.campagnolo.com/pdf/190-Hiddenset.pdf

Make sure you haven't forgotten "H" or the bearing race (it may have fallen out and is in the bike box.

 

[the bull]

Check to make sure the

fork is not cracked.

 

[tomletsinger]

bite the bullet

Take it in to someone who knows what he's doing.
A loose internal/integrated headset *can* damage your frame - on a TeamSC, that's an expensive error. Take it in, get it fixed correctly.
my 2 cents