Tight bottom bracket
08-22-20, 02:21 PM
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Tight bottom bracket
Hi, I am an ex bike store owner/ mechanic for over 12 years, but I am trying to remove a square tapered/ splined bottom bracket. Right side/ fixed cup side as you stand over it (I have done this hundreds of times/ maybe thousands) I have the splined tool pushed up against the cup with an 8 mm bolt and a washer, so that the tool can't pop off from the splines. I put a 12" crescent wrench on it and have trying to hit it with a heavy mallot. I would put a four foot breaker bar on it, but am afraid that the crescent wrench will pop off. I also found that the flats on the tool are 32 mm, so I also put the headset wrench on it and whacked away with the large mallot, but to no avail, I am defeated. HELP
08-22-20, 02:34 PM
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Most folks here would suggest a 50/50 mix of acetone and ATF as a penetrant, then put the freewheel tool in the biggest bench vise you can find bolted to the sturdiest base that you can find. Then you don’t have to worry about the wrench coming off of the tool.
08-22-20, 02:46 PM
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We had one of the tougher to loosen loose ball cups in a long time a couple of weeks ago. Out came the Kingsbridge cup vice and with the one end in the bench vice and the other held with the 15" adjustable wrench, the frame held horizontally, two of us got that cup loose. I can't remember a loose ball cup this tool didn't get out over the 45+ years I've been doing this stuff. Andy
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08-22-20, 03:53 PM
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headwind,
Find a mechanic friend that has a pneumatic air wrench and get some help from him. I use air for all the tough jobs anymore. Freewheels are a piece of cake and no injuries for tool slipping. Same for BB's they are just easier with an air gun. Using that and a Makita impact driver, the disassembly process is very quick and I can get a bike down to frame and fork in about 45 minutes including a coffee break. Smiles, MH
Find a mechanic friend that has a pneumatic air wrench and get some help from him. I use air for all the tough jobs anymore. Freewheels are a piece of cake and no injuries for tool slipping. Same for BB's they are just easier with an air gun. Using that and a Makita impact driver, the disassembly process is very quick and I can get a bike down to frame and fork in about 45 minutes including a coffee break. Smiles, MH
08-22-20, 09:56 PM
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Don’t mess around with a 32mm headset wrench - these are thin, weedy things not up to much grunt. Use a 32mm socket and a 24” cheater bar.
08-23-20, 12:37 AM
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Tried using a bb tool, held in place by a bolt for tightening the cranks (and a washer), so it doesn't come off - then putting that in a vice and using the whole frame as a lever (making sure to turn in the right direction, of course)?
Some heat perhaps?
P.S. I always go with the left side cup first, just to measure and double check which type of BB it is.
Some heat perhaps?
P.S. I always go with the left side cup first, just to measure and double check which type of BB it is.
08-23-20, 08:33 AM
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Some are tougher than others.
08-24-20, 09:39 AM
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I literally just made that mistake and popped an ear of the Park wrench I had. Made me cry a bit...mostly pride.
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1987 Crest Cannondale, 1987 Basso Gap, 1992 Rossin Performance EL, 1990ish Van Tuyl, 1985 Trek 670, 1982 AD SLE, 2003 Pinarello Surprise, 1990ish MBK Atlantique, 1987 Peugeot Competition, 1987 Nishiki Tri-A, 1981 Faggin, 1996 Cannondale M500, 1984 Mercian, 1982 AD SuperLeicht, 1985 Massi (model unknown), 1988 Daccordi Griffe , 1989 Fauxsin MTB, 1981 Ciocc Mockba, 1992 Bianchi Giro, 1977 Colnago Super
08-24-20, 09:51 AM
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Almost-daily routine: try using the tool and the biggest cheater bar you have. If that doesn't work, add some penetrating oil and come back tomorrow. I had a frozen BBs in both my bikes that took about 6 weeks of this treatment to break free. Fortunately the BBs froze two months apart, so the regular bike was back in service before the spare bike started acting up.
