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I have a 2002 Merlin Extralight, with the hourglass shaped integrated headtube. Don't bother to tell me about the woes of integrated headsets....I already know them! However, the Merlin/Litespeed design does have "cups" that sit in the frame, therefore it is not that different than any other headset.
Merlin/Litespeed made a change to the cups in late 2002. The original design was compatible with both the Campy and Cane Creek design, however it was found that the Cane Creek bearings would slop in the races no matter what. So the cups were re-designed around the Cane Creek design only, and will now only fit a Cane Creek IS bearing. Merlin has sent me the new cups and I am about to put a new fork on my bike, so I need to change out the cups. The Merlin rep I spoke to on the phone said it can be done using the Park HS press. I have no Merlin dealer locally, so I am on my own here.
Does anyone have experience doing this? I assume I can just bang out the old cups with the cup removal tool and then press in the new cups using the wide flat upper piece of the Park HS press so I do not damage the surface where the bearings sit. Thoughts?
Merlin/Litespeed made a change to the cups in late 2002. The original design was compatible with both the Campy and Cane Creek design, however it was found that the Cane Creek bearings would slop in the races no matter what. So the cups were re-designed around the Cane Creek design only, and will now only fit a Cane Creek IS bearing. Merlin has sent me the new cups and I am about to put a new fork on my bike, so I need to change out the cups. The Merlin rep I spoke to on the phone said it can be done using the Park HS press. I have no Merlin dealer locally, so I am on my own here.
Does anyone have experience doing this? I assume I can just bang out the old cups with the cup removal tool and then press in the new cups using the wide flat upper piece of the Park HS press so I do not damage the surface where the bearings sit. Thoughts?