Originally Posted by
nomadmax
This bike may be going back to the seller. I can't remove the paint. Once I do it's mine forever.
Pull the BB. Shine a REALLY bright pen-style LED light into the gap. Do you see light?
If not, build up some non-hardening putty around the "crack" to make a water-tight valley. Fill it with water, WD40, or whatever cheap liquid you have in mind that won't soften or destroy the paint. Does any seep through?
If it passes these two tests, you have one more thing to ask yourself: How much frustration are you willing to deal if/when you finally decide to part with this one? You're going to get a ton of buyers who won't accept this crack; either out of fear, distrust, or general dislike of how it looks, or what it
seems to look like.
-Kurt