Originally Posted by
gdgross
Ah, ok -
Can I get to everything from the other side then? Happy to leave it on if it's better to do so!
...yes, this is what you want to do. Some of those fixed cups in old French frames are stuck in there pretty solidly. If the bearing surfaces are still smooth inside, (look inside with a light, after you wipe out the old grease), leave it in place and run a bead of grease around the perimeter, to hold the new bearings. (In a case like yours, I usually buy and install new ball bearings. They are pretty cheap. Buy the proper size.) Then you slide in the spindle, and install the adjustable cup, which also has bearings stuck in there with a bead of fresh grease.
If you can find one, this would also be the time to install a plastic shield in there, but it's not required for the thing to work.
The spindle may be asymmetric, in which case the longest taper side is the drive side, and goes in first.