Headset Issues

Hi, y'all.
Just got back from the Emerald Isle, all excited about building the titanium monster up.
Then I discovered a major issue:

The head tube is clearly meant for 1" threadless, but the cups do not fit the frame, they are loose, one slightly binds and the other just moves in and out with ease.

Is this because each headset is slightly different size wise, or is the frame fucked?

Answers on a postcard please....

Is it possible that the headtube is meant for a 'Euro' standard 1 inch and you are fitting a JIS standard?

Check the table at the bottom of this link.

One-inch Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS)

[]Common on many Asian manufactures bicycles, both road and MTB
[]Fork column outside diameter- 25.4mm (1")
[]Head cup race OD- 30.0mm
[]Acceptable head tube ID range- 29.75mm to 29.9mm
[]Fork crown race ID- 27.0mm
[]Fork crown seat OD acceptable range- 27.1mm to 27.2mm
[*]Threadless stem diameter- 25.4mm (1-inch)
One-inch "Modern European" Standard

[]Many road bike and some MTB bikes
[]Fork column outside diameter- 25.4mm (1-inch)
[]Head cup race OD-30.2mm
[]Acceptable head tube ID range- 29.9mm to 30.1mm
[]Fork crown race ID- 26.4mm
[]Fork crown seat OD acceptable range- 26.5mm to 26.7mm
[*]Threadless stem diameter- 25.4mm (1-inch)

coke can shim ftw

pft tape it

whats pft?

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_seal_tape[/ame]

whats pft?

i don't fncking know

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thread_seal_tape

but andy does :)

ptfe it then

Loctite Bearing Fit #271, £3.29 from Halfors or similar - this is the retail stuff, OK as long as the gap isn't stupidly big. The pro stuff is #641, more difficult to find and more expensive but better. Ideally you would face the headtube first to make sure the races set parallel. If you can't be bothered carefully remove and crap, flakey paint and suchlike with wire wool or fine wet'n'dry and hope they did a good job 1st time around.

p.s. you'll know if it's the ISO/JIS issue, beacause the lower race will be stupidly loose on the fork. Don't try and shim that, or use the above , the gap's too big and the forces too great, it will become a constant source of trouble IMHO.

shimmed a fork b4 no probs