Monty's trying to fettle his 2004 3speed Brommie...

[Dogtrousers]

Perhaps the OP needs to contact someone like Brilliant Bikes to see if they've come across something like this previously. The chainring doesn't look outrageously worn, but even if it was, if the pitch of a new chain was correct, it ought to fit round the chainring even if it ran rough or jumped under load. Back in the days of 5 speed derailleurs I've run chains with chainwheels with far worse appearance than the OP's pics.
In any case, the pitch ought to be the same, it's the width that changed, and that ought to either fit, or not. It's baffling.

Is there any remote and bizarre possibility that the new chain is some kind of knock -off made to inaccurate standards? It sounds unlikely, but who knows nowadays.

These points are why I was kind of tentative with my chain "stretch" theory. You should be able to fit a new chain onto a worn chainring, even if (as you say) it starts jumping when you put it under load.

If @MontyVeda has a chain checker it may be worth seeing what it has to say about the 2 chains. Maybe it's very cold in Lancaster and the new one has contracted

 

[Fastpedaller]

These points are why I was kind of tentative with my chain "stretch" theory. You should be able to fit a new chain onto a worn chainring, even if (as you say) it starts jumping when you put it under load.

If @MontyVeda has a chain checker it may be worth seeing what it has to say about the 2 chains. Maybe it's very cold in Lancaster and the new one has contracted

Maybe Shimano have tried to re-introduce the 10mm pitch chain they tried to sell (was it the 80's?)

 

[MontyVeda]

These points are why I was kind of tentative with my chain "stretch" theory. You should be able to fit a new chain onto a worn chainring, even if (as you say) it starts jumping when you put it under load.

If @MontyVeda has a chain checker it may be worth seeing what it has to say about the 2 chains. Maybe it's very cold in Lancaster and the new one has contracted

That's what i was thinking... a new chain should fit onto a worn ring, but this one clearly doesn't.
I do have a chain checker but i haven't checked the new or old chains with it yet.

Not going to be much progress until the weekend now but it would be nice to get it on the road next week.

 

[MontyVeda]

A JIS BB (£12) and a set of Brompton cranks with a 39t ring (£33) arrived yesterday. An extended seat post arrived earlier in the week (£35). I just need a three lugged 3/32" sprocket (around £15) to get it on the road. So my £540 Brommie will be a £635ish Brommie... plus the bargain front rack i got off AliExpress for £12.45p, which carries the other Ortlieb front roller I barely ever use quite neatly.

I was going to put the old chain back on but whilst most of the 50t chainring looks OK, two sections are clearly worn...


...which explains why in this picture...

...some of the chain is seated quite neatly and the remaining 'good' teeth won't let it sit at all.

The current worst case scenario is I have to grind down the sprocket I've got by about half a mm. either side.

 

[MontyVeda]

Turns out I need a 24mm socket to remove the folding pedal from the crank arm... sigh.

EDIT...

Am I right in believing that this will be a reverse thread?


Clockwise to loosen??

It's not going anywhere!

 

[MontyVeda]

It took three weeks to get the old bottom bracket out after having the blondest of blond moments. (yes... i got confused with the reverse thread and the plastic sheered right off far too readily). Plan A didn't work, plan B didn't work, plan C didn't work, plan D was promising but my 35mm hole cutter was a tad too big and might have fecked the threads in the shell so plan E was try the right sized hole cutter (32mm) which i bolted onto the spindle so its teeth bit into what was left of the housing and used a pipe wrench to get the bugger out. I was too angry with myself to take photos.

The shell threads are good and clean, but the new BB (68x119 JIS) is a worryingly tight fit. The fixed/drive side goes in a few turns easily by hand then begins to stiffen, the other side seems tight from the outset. On the Brilliant Bikes video she puts in a shimano BB with metal threads & splines and says "Its much easier than a plastic bottom bracket" when she's fitting it. Every BB I've installed in the past has gone in easily by hand but this plastic thing is giving me grief. Is it because it's plastic?

edit... it's this BB by the way:

Another edit... looking at the tiny print on the BB i removed and the BB above, one is 1.37" x 24tpi the other (above) is 1.375 x 24tpi.

The BB above was sold as 'almost new' and apparently removed from a demo brommie. Did Brompton slightly change shell sizes at some point? Should i force it or just get another BB?


PS.. i got the pedal off once I'd got my hands on a 1/2" socket wrench.

 

[MontyVeda]

I put my bigboy pants on and installed the BB. Just need to take the 1/8" sprocket off the rear hub and fit the new 3/32" sprocket, which some kindly ebay seller let me have for just £2 to cover the postage (it was listed for £13 plus postage)... but first i need to get a mother's day card!