JiggyNS

I've tried unscrewing this with your typical garage tools and so far the only technique that works is with a hammer and dull chisel, which moved it by about a quarter inch in the counter clockwise direction. I'm afraid I may break the threads on the shell and throw away the entire frame if I'm actually tightening it instead of loosening it.
Anybody?

cascade168

First, measure the width of the bottom bracket tube.

It is most likely 68mm, and thus, an english thread. If it's 70mm then it's probably Italian.

If it's English, then the fixed cup on the drive side of the frame is reverse threaded. I think that's your problem. To loosen, turn clockwise. There are special tools that make removing those old fixed cups pretty easy. With common tools, such as a really big adjustable wrench, you might get that loose, but it's probably going to be very difficult. Best bet is to take the frame to a shop and have them loosen it for you.

JanMM

A fixed cup spanner would be the specific tool to use but not worth the cost if you'd only use it once. Take it to a shop, especially if you replace the BB with a more modern one.
Agree most likely you need to loosen clockwise.

JiggyNS

Thanks for the help.
I might just weld a bolt onto it and unscrew with a regular wrench then.

cascade168

That's not a bad idea. Good thinking ;-)

old_alfie

Hmm, last fall I was offered a free JC Higgins Puch 3-spd on which some previous owner had welded the right pedal to the crank. While I'd dearly love to own one of the early/mid-fifties JC Higgins 3-spds I decided that even for free I don't need hillbilly engineering in my stable.
alf

ishkabibble

https://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/bbcups.html

JiggyNS

I'd be throwing the BB cup away, so it's less hassle for me welding a bolt, than to go to the local bike shop for them to take it off. I have to buy a new BB, the current one won't fit my new crankset.

HillRider

The welding heat could distort the bb shell and would likely change the temper of the frame tubing in the area.

Try clamping the flats of the cup in a bench vise and using the frame itself as the lever to unthread it. As others have noted it is very likely to be left hand threaded so it removes by turning it clockwise.

kellyjdrummer

Heating the shell by welding to the obstruction is NOT, did I say NOT, a good idea. Apply NO heat.

JiggyNS

I was gonna make 2 or 3 spot welds to a bolt.. it wouldn't get much heat at all...
Although, i'll try putting the frame into a bench vise and unscrewing the cap that way, as hillrider said.

cascade168

Yeh, I can't believe that two or three spot welds is going to cause a problem. The bench vise is a pretty standard solution, but not everyone has a bench vise OR the room to clamp a bike frame into it. If a bike frame can't sink the heat from a couple of spot welds then we are all doomed ;-)

tellyho

Use the Sheldon tool or put the cup in the bench vise and use the frame as your lever to loosen. PB Blaster is awesome. I'll reiterate that the threads are reverse: righty-loosey.

operator

And you know this how? That's a drive side cup.

JiggyNS

So you're saying it might not be the right way to loosen it?

HillRider

Right, and drive-side (i.e. fixed) cups on English threaded bottom brackets are all left hand threaded. A measurement of the bb shell (68 mm is English, 70mm is Italian) would very quickly confirm this.

As to using a vise to clamp the cup, anyone who has welding equipment and knows how to use it is also VERY likely to have a decent bench vise.

JiggyNS

The fixed cap is off! The bench vise idea worked great.
Thanks to all for ur help!