Model C refurb

[jerg]

Picked up a Model C. Couldn't find a serial # sticker; closest thing to an identification mark is the handwritten number on the underside of the flywheel assembly: "110893".

From the C2 website, the Model C production years were 1993-2003. So perhaps this was packed way back in Nov. 1993? Did they write serial numbers by hand back then? Or perhaps the sticker was coming off due to age and a prior owner wrote the serial in marker. There's also a "M" nearby. Any idea what that could signify?

Some pics. Perhaps some of the Model C experts will spot subtle things that tip off the model year or range within the overall '93-'03 production run of the C. I assume everything on here is OEM and that no retrofit D/E parts were installed.







I'm about to open up the monitor. Hopefully battery corrosion hasn't destroyed the monitor. If it has, I'll have to either find a PM1 or, more likely, upgrade to a PM3 or PM4.

I got a very good deal on this rower, so I'm happy to throw some money at it to refurbish it. I'm thinking:
Chain Axle Sprocket Replacement Kit Model C, part # 1915 ("quiet kit")
Handle Retrofit Kit—Model B,C, part # 1931
(Possibly) Maintenance Kit—Model C, part # 1711 - I'll have to take the seat assembly off, clean the rollers and see how free and smoothly they spin.
(If seat rollers are fine) Shock Cord, part # 1731 - definitely worn out, the handle barely returns

Should the Model C have a plastic cover underneath that covers the 'drivetrain' like the Model D has? If so, I'll have to get one of those as well.

Anything else that is worth changing out? The seat and stretchers are well worn, but seem perfectly functional, so I probably won't bother with changing those out.

Given how much pet hair was on this thing, I'm not looking forward to opening up the flywheel assembly to clean that out.

[jerg]

More pics

[jerg]

Last 3 pics

[jerg]

I'm about to open up the monitor. Hopefully battery corrosion hasn't destroyed the monitor. If it has, I'll have to either find a PM1 or, more likely, upgrade to a PM3 or PM4.

Battery compartment is surprisingly clean and free of corrosion. This monitor may have some life left. Batteries are deader than a doornail, so I'll have to get some 357 batteries.

[Carl Watts]

The PM1 is a pretty reliable monitor, put the new batteries in it and make sure you "Reset" the monitor as per the instructions on the end of it.

The Quiet kit is not a massive improvement as long as the chain and sprocket are in near new condition, however if you have to replace the chain and sprocket you may as well switch to the quiet kit.

Its an early Model C because it has the rectangular steel monitor arm and the PM1. Later models of the Model C came out with the PM2 and the plastic arm. The age of the rower is not really that relevant, its the condition of it that matters.

https://indoorsportservices.co.uk/shop/parts

The PM2 came out somewhere between 1993 and 1996. They started dating the monitors in 1996 but there was a version before this I call the "CAP-E" that has no information on the board in the battery area.

If I had to guess yours was made in 1993-1994.

[jerg]

The PM1 is a pretty reliable monitor, put the new batteries in it and make sure you "Reset" the monitor as per the instructions on the end of it.

I popped in some LR44 batteries that I borrowed from a calculator. Batteries are near full charge (~1.43V), and the monitor powered up. Yay! I performed reinitialization (Reset + Up Arrow sequence). Problem is the screen is so dim. My understanding is the PM1 (and even some of the later models) aren't backlit, so a somewhat dim screen is to be expected, but it seems the plastic cover on the monitor is very hazy. Can that plastic sheet be removed without ill effect?

The Quiet kit is not a massive improvement as long as the chain and sprocket are in near new condition, however if you have to replace the chain and sprocket you may as well switch to the quiet kit.

Yeah, I'll give those parts a look over. The chain is fairly noisy - much more so than a Model D. It's louder than the fan, so I'm guessing this will benefit from the quiet kit.

Its an early Model C because it has the rectangular steel monitor arm and the PM1. Later models of the Model C came out with the PM2 and the plastic arm. The age of the rower is not really that relevant, its the condition of it that matters.

https://indoorsportservices.co.uk/shop/parts

The PM2 came out somewhere between 1993 and 1996. They started dating the monitors in 1996 but there was a version before this I call the "CAP-E" that has no information on the board in the battery area.

Appreciate the color on the age of the rower!

[Edward4492]

Dude, that machine looks to be cherry from the pictures! No visible wear on the damper decal (unless it's new). Paint looks perfect. If it were me.....stay with the wooden handle. I got one for my new "D". Did a full marathon on an old "C", the wood handle is much more comfortable, less blisters on long rows. Like Carl said, no need to upgrade the axle or bearings if it's pulling smooth but if it's too noisy then do the chain at the same time. Your best place to spend money is on a PM5. I've logged lots of meters on old "C"s including some pretty beat up machines, no issues. Another thing you'll notice is that it's hard to get a super low drag with the "C" damper. Bottomed out on "1" most of these machines land around 105, not a problem for most people. Most "D"s will bottom out around 80.

A friend of mine just pulled an old "C" out of the trash about six month ago. Literally, his neighbor put it on the curb. The machine was immaculate, we put a chain on it, like new. Upgraded the monitor, good to go.

[munsened]

Just FYI, if you haven't seen it already there is a PM1 disassembly guide in the support section. it tells you how to take apart and clean the PM1 which might help. Apparently you can remove the LCD from the circuit board and clean the contacts which may help.

[Cyclist2]

Picked up a Model C. Couldn't find a serial # sticker; closest thing to an identification mark is the handwritten number on the underside of the flywheel assembly: "110893".

The sticker is missing - it would be in your first photo if it was there. If the numbers are a copy of the sticker then it was boxed on November 8 1993. The number missing at the end is the /X, which would indicate the day of the week it was boxed. No idea what the M would indicate.

Should the Model C have a plastic cover underneath that covers the 'drivetrain' like the Model D has? If so, I'll have to get one of those as well.

Yes, there is a plastic cover underneath, similar (if not exact) to the D.

Like Edward said, it looks pretty nice. Have fun refurbishing it, and then rowing it!

[jerg]

Dude, that machine looks to be cherry from the pictures! No visible wear on the damper decal (unless it's new). Paint looks perfect. If it were me.....stay with the wooden handle. I got one for my new "D". Did a full marathon on an old "C", the wood handle is much more comfortable, less blisters on long rows. Like Carl said, no need to upgrade the axle or bearings if it's pulling smooth but if it's too noisy then do the chain at the same time. Your best place to spend money is on a PM5. I've logged lots of meters on old "C"s including some pretty beat up machines, no issues. Another thing you'll notice is that it's hard to get a super low drag with the "C" damper. Bottomed out on "1" most of these machines land around 105, not a problem for most people. Most "D"s will bottom out around 80.

A friend of mine just pulled an old "C" out of the trash about six month ago. Literally, his neighbor put it on the curb. The machine was immaculate, we put a chain on it, like new. Upgraded the monitor, good to go.

It does appear to be in pretty good condition. I don't think this was ever used in a commercial setting. Probably just changed hands a few times between private owners over its 20+ years. Hard to tell from the pics, but the paint isn't perfect, but certainly not bad enough that I'd bother to spray paint it. Any ideas on a cleaner that would take some of the 'yellow' off the paint without damaging the paint? Not a big deal, but if it can be done, why not.

I had the flywheel cover off to vacuum out the dustballs, and the flywheel spins pretty smooth. The chain is probably fine with a bit of lube, but it's a fair bit noisier than the D. So the quiet kit would mostly be about noise reduction at this point. A new shock cord is definitely in order.

I like the D handle, but given what you said, maybe I'll stick with the wood handle for a bit and see how it goes.

If I can do something about this monitor (i.e., make it easier to see), I could live with the monitor and save the $180 that a PM5 would run. I don't really need all the bells and whistles of the PM5 and I've got HR tracking on my phone.

That's crazy that someone put a C out in the trash. Meanwhile, there was someone in my area trying to sell a B for $700. LOL.

[jerg]

Picked up a Model C. Couldn't find a serial # sticker; closest thing to an identification mark is the handwritten number on the underside of the flywheel assembly: "110893".

The sticker is missing - it would be in your first photo if it was there. If the numbers are a copy of the sticker then it was boxed on November 8 1993. The number missing at the end is the /X, which would indicate the day of the week it was boxed. No idea what the M would indicate.

Should the Model C have a plastic cover underneath that covers the 'drivetrain' like the Model D has? If so, I'll have to get one of those as well.

Yes, there is a plastic cover underneath, similar (if not exact) to the D.

Like Edward said, it looks pretty nice. Have fun refurbishing it, and then rowing it!

Yeah, I'm guessing somewhere along the line, the owner noticed the sticker was peeling off, and decided to write the serial # on the machine. 1993 would line up with what Carl was saying about age given the steel monitor arm and the PM1.

Thanks, I'll get a plastic cover to replace the missing one. I think what happened is as the shock cord wore down, the owner noticed the chain dragging on the plastic cover and took it off. If I return the handle to the cage, the chain hangs well below where the plastic cover would sit.

[Carl Watts]

The LR44 batteries are no good, they are the right size but they are Alkaline 1.5V. You get much better screen contrast from the silver oxide equivalent. These are 1.55V and maintain that Voltage much longer as they have a different discharge Voltage characteristic. See the following.

http://www.lr44batteryequivalent.org/

That shock cord looks original or its certainly different from my Model C which was black. The new shock cords appear to be blue. That cord will be stuffed by now and it should pull the handle against the cage.

[jerg]

The LR44 batteries are no good, they are the right size but they are Alkaline 1.5V. You get much better screen contrast from the silver oxide equivalent. These are 1.55V and maintain that Voltage much longer as they have a different discharge Voltage characteristic. See the following.

http://www.lr44batteryequivalent.org/

That shock cord looks original or its certainly different from my Model C which was black. The new shock cords appear to be blue. That cord will be stuffed by now and it should pull the handle against the cage.

I know LR44's are inferior to silver oxide batteries, but those were the only batteries I had on hand that would work (borrowed them from my calculator). Just wanted to see if the monitor works. What I didn't know was that silver oxide would produce better screen contrast. Nice. I have some on order, so I'll report back.

Yeah, that shock cord has seen better days. It can very weakly pull the handle almost up against the cage, but not quite. That's getting replaced.

Sounds like you have a fair bit of experience with C2 monitors. Do you think the plastic cover on the PM1 can be safely removed? It seems the plastic is quite hazy/cloudy. If I can remove that, that would also help screen visibility.

[Ombrax]

Do you think the plastic cover on the PM1 can be safely removed? It seems the plastic is quite hazy/cloudy. If I can remove that, that would also help screen visibility.

There's some PM1 disassembly info here: http://www.concept2.com/service/monitors/pm1/manuals

(I didn't check to see if the PDF file there answers your question or not.)

[aussieluke]

That looks pretty mint!

If it were me and it needed the shock cords doing then I'd do the quiet kit at the same time. If it was full of hair then the chain will likely be too.

If you're in the USB then the parts are so cheap you might as well order all the useful bits at the same time and do the lot: seat rollers, chain, sprocket, shock cords and handle. ...replace all those bits and it will pretty much be as good as a brand new model D.

I'd keep the wooden handle. The old machines look funny with the new batman looking D handle.

I've actually been very tempted to get a C wooden handle for my new black model D - reckon it would look quite cool and I used to like the feel and simplicity of them.

Personally wouldn't worry too much about the bottom cover of you're using it in a clean indoor environment - but if you're ordering other spares then you might as well.