VO BB on my Mercier is loose
04-05-13, 08:35 PM
#1
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VO BB on my Mercier is loose
Now that the weather is nicer, I was in the garage today doing maintenance on my Mercier 300.
A while back I replaced the BB with a Velo Orange sealed bottom bracket.
Today I noticed a little play in the crank arms, so seems like the BB is loose. After about 200 miles on the road!!!
Any recommendations on keeping it tight? My first thought was to use a little blue Loctite on the drive side....
What did you do?
A while back I replaced the BB with a Velo Orange sealed bottom bracket.
Today I noticed a little play in the crank arms, so seems like the BB is loose. After about 200 miles on the road!!!
Any recommendations on keeping it tight? My first thought was to use a little blue Loctite on the drive side....
What did you do?
04-05-13, 08:40 PM
#2
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Without assuming anything, you have a French threaded frame, Yes? French threading on the drive side really requires you torque it down. If you did and that does not do it then I would use lactate Blue. The Red is really a challenge to remove.
Be sure to clean the both threadings dry before you apply.
Be sure to clean the both threadings dry before you apply.
04-05-13, 08:41 PM
#3
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Does it have a torque spec on it? Most french fixed cups don't seem to come loose in my experience with them so I'd try a bigger wrench before loctite. Maybe there's something about a french cartridge bb that I don't understand so feel free to disregard this, my only VO bb is a threadless one I've never used.
04-05-13, 08:53 PM
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04-05-13, 09:32 PM
#5
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I had a 200, I torqued it down extremely tight because I had a problem with loosening. a few thousand miles later, still good 
04-05-13, 09:51 PM
#6
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You could also try teflon plumbing tape on the threads if you still have problems with it instead of the Loctite.
04-06-13, 11:09 AM
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That's my 2 cents, you all can do what you like.
Teflon tape is cheaper and takes less prep since you can wrap-n-jam it into dirty rusty plumbing, but in order for LocTite to work you must clean the threads...both sides.
04-06-13, 12:03 PM
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The torque specs on Shimano cartridge bottom brackets are pretty high and seem in the range of other cartridge BBs:
https://bicycletutor.com/torque-specifications/
60-70 nM. That's a lot of torque. Hard to over-torque that, I would say. Try a bigger wrench.
https://bicycletutor.com/torque-specifications/
60-70 nM. That's a lot of torque. Hard to over-torque that, I would say. Try a bigger wrench.
04-06-13, 12:31 PM
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Also, and no insult intended, but ensure your crankarms are tight. Sometimes they can work loose and feel just like a loose BB.
04-06-13, 09:52 PM
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