mmcc73

I'm trying to remove the fixed cup from the bottom bracket of a mid 70s Dawes Galaxy. Thus far, my efforts have been in vain.

I've rigged up the bolt-and-short-piece-of-pipe removal tool, and have gone at that with a battery powered impact driver a few times, with applications of PB Blaster before and between attempts. The pipe is turning instead of the fixed cup.

I've been working under the assumption that this fixed cup is left hand threaded. Is that assumption a good one?

Any suggestions for other removal methods would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Fahrenheit531 

Wrench + extension. Give me a long enough lever and I can move the world. And yes, I'm pretty sure the fixed cup would be reverse-threaded.

Coincidentally, I just removed the fixed cup from an old Raleigh (like a half-hour ago) so I could replace with a cartridge BB I had lying around. I expected a fight but it came out quick and easy. Guess it was my turn.

Classtime 

3alarmer 

....I have used a lot of different methods over the years. I eventually decided I was doing enough of this to buy my own Hozan fixed cup removal tool. I only wish I'd bought it sooner. With the Hozan, a mix of 50/50 acetone and ATF, and every now and then a MAPP gas torch, there is no cup too fixed.

Roll-Monroe-Co

I have used Sheldon Brown's bolt thing with great success on many occasions. The problem with the "big enough lever" is not the size of the lever, it's getting a good grip on shallow flats and the many other utterly terrible technologies used for bottom brackets.

This works great though, it's cheaper than a bike-specific tool, more effective, and universal. Just have to get the right size of everything. I got a longer bolt and large-size "spacer" nuts to make it even easier to install.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltip...btool-bolt.jpg

Edit: You may still need a long lever, but you can use a sturdy box or adjustable wrench, dealer's choice.

3alarmer 

...if you only do a couple of these every so often, there's a post by me with photos in the hints and tips thread (that I cant find right now) that shows you how to affix a BB wrench of the correct size onto the fixed cup using fender washers and a long bolt that goes through the BB to the other side. With the wrench in place, and your bike in the stand supported close to the BB shell by one of the main frame tubes, you can then apply your penetrating oil solution and hit the end of the wrench with a hammer. Poor man's impact wrench.

mmcc73

Thanks, all!

After a trip to the local Harbor Freight for an 18" breaker bar, I was able to get it removed. Apparently my battery powered impact driver doesn't give as much torque as an 18" bar plus the proverbial 200 pound gorilla.

The method I was using is similar to the Sheldon Brown approach, but using a length of pipe instead of lock washers. I saw this on an RJ the Bike Guy video. I tried the lock washer approach previously with no luck, but I think the problem was that I was using a bolt of too small a diameter. When I went back to Home Depot for a 5/8" nut and bolt, I decided to give the pipe approach a try.

Bianchigirll 

There is a reason it's called the fixed cup. Just saying

r0ckh0und 

The Zog's fixed cup wrench works pretty well, but they seem to be kind of obscure. A good investment if you can find one.

Poguemahone

Back in the late nineties/early aughts, old bike tools were cheap on ebay. I bought a VAR 30 and the various extras for about 25$. I have never regretted the purchase.

sloar 

oddjob2

Above works like a charm.

"With the Hozan, a mix of 50/50 acetone and ATF, and every now and then a MAPP gas torch, there is no cup too fixed" @sloar will tell you a dangerously explosive mix too!

3alarmer 

...an explosion requires some sort of compression. But it is kinda fun to watch a few drops of the acetone/ATF mix hit the heated cup and BB junction and bubble.
The main issue with the short bolt washer stack thingie is that there is no way to prevent it from slipping if your cup is really, really, really fixed. Been there.

Jeff Wills

Remove everything else from the bike then clamp the fixed-cup-removal tool in a large bench vise. No, not the little 6" one, a LARGE vise, bolted securely to a heavy-duty bench which is secured to a sturdy wall. Use the bike's frame for leverage on the tool.

This is also a convenient position for applying penetrant to the inside threads of the bottom bracket.

I bet the cup will wave a white flag and crawl out of the frame on its own.

desconhecido 

That looks sort of like the Stein tool. Threads into a BB axlo, or onto one if it's a stud, and allows you to keep that thin wrench tightly on the thin wrench surfaces on the fixed cup. The Minnesota bike smith guy who sells cotter presses and
Raleigh cut cotters sells a fixture for typical Raleigh fixed cup flats that works sort of like the Sheldon method. All viable methids and tools by creative thinking bicycle oriented folks.

ryansu

The Randy Jawa method (BF Member) from his blog has yet to let me down although the last one I needed a pipe wrench extender to persuade the fixed but to come out. It was one of those funky mid 80s Schwinns where the bearings and cup are all one piece.so I really needed it out to properly clean and lube it.



The retaining ring for the bearings is part of the cup.


IMG_4260 by Ryan Surface, on Flickr

Leverage for the win! sorry for the blurry pic but I was kind of occupied

sloar 

miamijim

Cant believe this is 9 years old...

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...technique.html