JayGK927

Hi All, I recently was gifted an older compact FSA SLK carbon crank - from looking at the manuals it seems that originally the crank used an FSA BB8000 threaded external bottom bracket...that one was discontinued...I then found the BB8681 could be used as a replacement...but most the websites I can buy it on say that one is also discontinued. Any ideas which FSA bottom bracket will work. From what I can tell, this model of crank will not work with an external Shimano bb.

zacster

None. Seriously, I looked about a year ago and decided to just scrap my SLK as the BB is no longer available. I put on a Campy Chorus crank/BB instead. Do you want a second SLK? It is in my parts bin, and almost everything in my parts bin stays there permanently.

JayGK927

Really?! That is honestly what I was afraid of...It is ridiculous they don't support older sets - I mean it is like 8 years old, I can put a square-taper crank from 25 years ago onto a bike without an issue.

Part of me wonders about buying a different megaexo bottom bracket just to see if it works but they are all like $50 bucks in which case I am 1/3 of the way to a 105 crank...love to hear any other thoughts.

Drew Eckhardt 

You need the BB8000.

Here's a brand new one on ebay for $39.19 + $15.67 shipping from the UK:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/FSA-BB-8000...0AAOSwK0ldJ3Cs


The 8681 and ceramic 8200 have thinner bearings to work with the fatter hollow arms of SLK Light cranks.

The BB6000 is for cranks with aluminum arms.

A Shimano 24mm bottom bracket might work if you used shims from Wheels Manufacturing to take out the slack.

JayGK927

Yeah, the BB-8000 seems to be the ticket but they aren't for sale anywhere and Merlin Cycles said the item was discontinued this past summer. I currently have Shimano bbr60 in there and even with spacers I can't get it set up right. Maybe I am doing something wrong...


I have it set up with a spacer against the drive side then the spindle through the bb then a spacer on the non drive side with the wave washer/tensioner thing then the crank arm. I can get the crank to spin at that point but upon tightening up the crank just grinds to a stop.


Once I have the crank tight enough to not wiggle, I can no longer spin the crank all the way around. If I tap the crank it moves about a quarter turn before stopping due to the tightness. Do I have it set-up incorrectly?

enock111

Mega Exo Standard, just get the right shell width.

Drew Eckhardt 

You're probably not using thin enough spacers. Wheels Manufacturing sells them 0.5mm thick.

bandit2016

I had same problem a year ago. I called FSA and then went to my bike shop for them to order the BB. Fsa gave me the part number on the phone. It was non ceramic bb8000. To install you need a wave washer on NDS. Per FSA, you need a retaining loctite on spindle on NDS. You screw on left crankarm but not tighten it all the way or the cranks don't move. How tight? You compress the wavy washer some but not flat. Then you let it set. Worked fine. Left arm never loosened in a year. I got a SRAM red crankset for this bike , and I moved the SLK to a Guerciotti Italian threaded bike a week ago.. I used an Italian threaded new Ultegra BB which is wider than BSA. I needed no wavy washer or loctite.

JayGK927

Thanks for all the great advice - I emailed FSA and quickly heard back. They advised me that the BB6200 is the replacement for the BB8000. I ordered one and will try to install once it comes in the mail. Good to know about the retaining loctite on the NDS spindle. I have never set up one of these before so it will be a learning process. I am hopeful now that it can be salvaged and used. I hate to have parts go to waste

Drew Eckhardt 

Doing that you risk the left crank coming loose in spite of the loctite.

FSA made the distance between left and right arms too small on some cranks to use with their wave washer. Rather than recall all of them, they came up with the loctite approach which works sometimes.

Splined cranks without pinch bolts use a tapered interference fit plus a stop shoulder to prevent over-torquing.

You're not achieving the required fit if something prevents reaching that shoulder, like the bearings preloading prematurely.

Cut the overlapping end of the FSA wave washer off with a dremel tool, hacksaw, etc. and see how that works. Thinner Wheels Manufacturing wave washers worked for me, but compressed too much and cracked after a while. I gave up after the second or third failure and modified a FSA washer.

ISIS standard. Note 1 degree taper and shoulder.

zacster

My SLK supposedly worked without a wavy washer and it never stayed tight. It was a 2005 or so model. I think the wavy washer was added later. Nothing kept that bolt tight. I carried an 8mm allen wrench with me in my seat pocket at all times.

JayGK927

Ok, I think I found a solution but it has yet to to be ridden so who knows...like I said, FSA recommended the BB6200 - I tried to install it today and after some trial and error and forum searching I think it was successful. I found on one forum that you need to be able to see the spindles plus 2-3 mm of smooth axle on the NDS for the self-extracting bolt to set right. That meant for me no spacers and just the wavy washer. I will probably use some loctite on there but it seems solid and spins well while the bike is on the stand.