Don't sweat it grasshopper, we've all it many times and had to learn the hard way, you'll be fine! Don't even get me started about English, French, and Italian threading; complicate things with thread pitch on modern versus vintage tooling and bike components. That's why the "C&V" (classic and vintage) forum on Bike Forums has thousands of daily postings and replies, no one knows all there is to know about the specifics! So, no need to feel like a FNG as we were all there once... be at peace grasshopper.
Before you go jumping in with any other purchases, what you have will work well, you just need a couple tweaks and you'll be golden. Use those gorgeous AC cranks with the RSX rings, just get a wider bottom bracket. I was going to suggest backing the non-drive side cup out all the way, remove the drive-side cup, and re-install with a spacer and check for clearance. If it's still not enough, redo with another spacer, and check for clearance. Since time is not on your side, pull your B.B. out and check the size, if it's a 108 or a 110, get a 121 (hell, go for a 128) and that should clear the rings. Make sure you put grease on all the threads before you tighten everything down for the final time.
Your X-Ray just need to be cleaned and re-greased, all of them get that way with time. I installed a NOS set on a buddy's bike, clear as day you could see the white lithium grease inside the clear casing. Get some PB Blast or X-6000 (WD-40 will work if you can't find anything better), over a catch pan or bucket, spray a generous amount of lube into the shifter and run through the shifting. You might need to repeat this a couple times, if you have an air compressor blow out the excess lube and debris. Now you just need to repack the shifter with grease and you'll be good to go. I'm a big fan of PAUL grease, Phil grease works well too, but try to stay away from automotive grease as it tends to be heavy for the light duty of bike components. I've saved plenty of shifters over the years, especially the Shimano STI "brifters" are always gumming up!
The Big Apple must have a bike co-op somewhere near you, they might have various sizes of bottom brackets for you to try out for size and some friendlier bike mechanics than your local shop. I would hit up you LBS for the lube and grease, you're going to need it with all these projects.
Keep at it brother, you have one of the Holy Grail frames, make those choice parts work!
Good luck!!!
-D-
p.s. Feel free to ask away with any questions or search the bike mechanic forum on the Bike Forums site.
http://www.bikeforums.net/forumdisplay. ... -Mechanics
