Trying to fix up bike with misc old shimano parts...

[amator]

.. to give to a newbie.
ive got a mixture of parts on and off an old steel frame which Ive kept.

Shimano 600 crank on the bike with prob (english BB), some down tube shifters and a campy rear D. 8 spd wheelset with prob shimano cogs and 8 spd chain(old)

Off the bike, a full 9 spd 105 gruppo italian sq taper BB with missing rubber hoods.

Questions:
whats the best way to set up the bike at minimal cost. He would either like
a straight bar shifter or my brifters.
I guess my 9 speed cogs wont fit on a 8 speed shimano clincher? Is that a 130 or 126 wheelset?
Are the 8 spd/9 spd cranks the same width thickness.
Can I re-use my (newer) 9 spd chain or go get a new 8 spd one.
Can i swop my chainrings to the sq taper shimao 600 crank, it has 52/42.. the 105 has newer and less mileage 53/39.

lastly, i was told that campy and shimano rear D's can be used for 8 speed and even the wheel spacings are the same. I guess this would be IF down tube shifters are used (ie. the same pull ratio?) . ..i dont know what would happen if I put the 105 9 speed rear D or even a 9 speed campy rear D and use it with shimano cogset.

Confusingly yours.... :beer:

[palincss]

.. to give to a newbie.
ive got a mixture of parts on and off an old steel frame which Ive kept.

Shimano 600 crank on the bike with prob (english BB), some down tube shifters and a campy rear D. 8 spd wheelset with prob shimano cogs and 8 spd chain(old)

Off the bike, a full 9 spd 105 gruppo italian sq taper BB with missing rubber hoods.

Questions:
whats the best way to set up the bike at minimal cost. He would either like
a straight bar shifter or my brifters.
I guess my 9 speed cogs wont fit on a 8 speed shimano clincher? Is that a 130 or 126 wheelset?
Are the 8 spd/9 spd cranks the same width thickness.
Can I re-use my (newer) 9 spd chain or go get a new 8 spd one.
Can i swop my chainrings to the sq taper shimao 600 crank, it has 52/42.. the 105 has newer and less mileage 53/39.

lastly, i was told that campy and shimano rear D's can be used for 8 speed and even the wheel spacings are the same. I guess this would be IF down tube shifters are used (ie. the same pull ratio?) . ..i dont know what would happen if I put the 105 9 speed rear D or even a 9 speed campy rear D and use it with shimano cogset.

Confusingly yours.... :beer:

Unless you've got an early Dura Ace freehub, the upgrade from 8 to 9 to 10 consists of replacing the cassette (and, of course, the shifters and the chain). Hubs went to 130 with 8 speed - 7spd was 126.

In general, Campagnolo rear derailleurs don't index correctly with Shimano cassettes and shifters. That's why the (late, lamented) Jtek Shift-Mates were so wonderful.

In general, cranks don't care what's on the back wheel. Certainly, "8 speed" cranks work perfectly well with 9 speed chains. Shimano tried to sell the idea that you needed to upgrade cranksets when they introduced 9spd, and under some very very rare conditions there could be some issues with chains skating across the gap, but in practice there's no issue at all (I have several bikes set up that way, with many tens of thousands of miles on them without ever experiencing skating). Your 600 crank has a 130mm bolt circle, as do most "road" cranks, so your 39/53 rings will fit.

Converting from brifters to MTB style shifters can be expensive.

[dwightskin]

You've got some confusing details.

You should read and re-read the technical pages on cassetes, shifters and deraillers from the late Sheldon Brown.

www.sheldonbrown.com/k7

Here's my best guess: If the rear hub is Shimano, then you can switch in the 9 speed cassette, use the 9 speed derialleur, 9 speed chain, use your 9 speed shifters or buy new flatbar shifters. On the front crank, you can switch just the new chainrings onto the older crank.

If you want to stay 8 speed, you can buy new flatbar 8 speed shifters (maybe, they are pretty obsolete), and use the shimano 9 speed rear derailleur.


If the rear hub is campy . . . ?

You'll probably find some more details as you get into the project.


Dwight

[amator]

Yes i havent been all that clear i suppose.
Just wanted a starting base point.
Although Im setting up FOC, Id rather not spend too much more.

I suppose using friction DT shifters would be too much to ask of a newbie who is used to riding only MTB and I dont really want to turn the poor chap off with too much details.

If I recall correctly, the wheels are low end Shimano WH-R500/...
The thing I needed clarifying was whether 8 and 9 speed cogs are of the same thickness so that a 9 speed chain could work optimally. For all I know, the 8 speed may well be a 9 with a single sprocket removed... time for a trudge down to the storage lockers.

Thanks for the advice.

[palincss]

The thing I needed clarifying was whether 8 and 9 speed cogs are of the same thickness so that a 9 speed chain could work optimally.


9 speed sprockets are thinner and the spacers between the sprockets are thinner: 1.8mm sprocket/3.0mm spacer for the 8 speed, 1.78mm/2.56mm for the 9 speed.
-- http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html (down at Sprocket Spacing)