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What is my sealed bottom bracket? NOT shimano

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What is my sealed bottom bracket? NOT shimano

Old 10-22-20, 10:59 AM
  #1  
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What is my sealed bottom bracket? NOT shimano

This is a "sentimental" bike restoration of a bike that was custom built for my good friend, Doug's, father. This bike was custom built in the late 70's. It has all the state of the art components of the time. I finally got the cranks off with a TA puller I ordered.

Lots of Campy components
TA Cranks

It does have a sealed bottom bracket, and it probably not original. When I tried the Shimano BB tool, it doesn't line up, though it looks very much like it would. I checked carefully.
It is not Campy.
What other style of sealed bottom bracket could it be? And yes,this bike is beat up, it is a labor of love for a very dear friend.
Photo is of drive side, same on other side.

Sealed bottom braket. ISO square taper for TA crank
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Old 10-22-20, 11:02 AM
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Looks like a Phil Wood unit to me!
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Old 10-22-20, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by rustystrings61
Looks like a Phil Wood unit to me!
I'll 2nd that.
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Old 10-22-20, 11:29 AM
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Circa the late 70s, a TA crank and Phil Wood BB was the hot setup for touring, or for someone who wanted a triple or other non race gearing. Older bike shops will still have the remover for those if you don't want to buy one. Phil will rebuild them for a modest fee if it has gotten crunchy in the last 40+ years.

Shimano copied Phil, not the other way around. Just to make that clear...
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Old 10-22-20, 12:16 PM
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I concur; looks like a Phil mounting ring (N.B. Phil rings do fit other cartridges, so there's a small, but non-zero chance that the cartridge itself might not be Phil).

Originally Posted by Salamandrine
Shimano copied Phil, not the other way around. Just to make that clear...
But not closely enough to use the same tool as Phil
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Old 10-22-20, 12:28 PM
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Yep, Phil Wood. I had a pleasant surprise like that on one of my bikes, too!
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Old 10-22-20, 07:31 PM
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Ok but show us the rest of the bike
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Old 10-22-20, 09:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Salamandrine
Circa the late 70s, a TA crank and Phil Wood BB was the hot setup for touring, or for someone who wanted a triple or other non race gearing. Older bike shops will still have the remover for those if you don't want to buy one. Phil will rebuild them for a modest fee if it has gotten crunchy in the last 40+ years.

Shimano copied Phil, not the other way around. Just to make that clear...
I bought a bike with what I thought was a Phil bottom bracket... nope, Phil rings, stronglight spindle and French bearings.
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Old 10-23-20, 05:18 AM
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Originally Posted by noobinsf
Yep, Phil Wood. I had a pleasant surprise like that on one of my bikes, too!
Likewise. Took an '88 GT Karakoram in trade that had a TA triple. Pulled the crank and it was, "Hello. 🤔 What have we here?". Then.... 😲😎😎😎😎😎 It's safely stashed away for the right bike.
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Old 10-23-20, 08:24 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
I concur; looks like a Phil mounting ring (N.B. Phil rings do fit other cartridges, so there's a small, but non-zero chance that the cartridge itself might not be Phil).



But not closely enough to use the same tool as Phil
One of the tricks bandied about 15 years ago or so was to run a Shimano UN-72 BB with French or Swiss mounting rings to get a relatively affordable BB setup. Then Shimano went to permanently affixed mounting rings on their BBs and spiked that move. I remember a friends's Mondia being set up that way.
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Old 10-23-20, 10:58 AM
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Originally Posted by repechage
I bought a bike with what I thought was a Phil bottom bracket... nope, Phil rings, stronglight spindle and French bearings.
Similarly, I bought a Raleigh Clubman with Phil rings, Shimano spindle and cranks. Bummer. Sold the 26 tpi rings.
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Old 10-26-20, 10:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Murray Missile
I'll 2nd that.
Originally Posted by rustystrings61
Looks like a Phil Wood unit to me!
Originally Posted by Salamandrine
Circa the late 70s, a TA crank and Phil Wood BB was the hot setup for touring, or for someone who wanted a triple or other non race gearing. Older bike shops will still have the remover for those if you don't want to buy one. Phil will rebuild them for a modest fee if it has gotten crunchy in the last 40+ years.

Shimano copied Phil, not the other way around. Just to make that clear...
Originally Posted by JohnDThompson
I concur; looks like a Phil mounting ring (N.B. Phil rings do fit other cartridges, so there's a small, but non-zero chance that the cartridge itself might not be Phil).



But not closely enough to use the same tool as Phil
Originally Posted by noobinsf
Yep, Phil Wood. I had a pleasant surprise like that on one of my bikes, too!
Thanks, y'all
While this is a "sentimental" restoration, it is being done on a budget. My friend Doug really doesn't want a "restoration" per se, he wants it to be functional so that his grown son can take it on an occasional ride. Doug has a shortened lease on life, and is clearing things out of his life. His son worked with Ibis and did about 15K miles on his aborted solo around the world trip.( Siberian roads and massive trucks made him value his life more than the ride.) Son will only ride occasionally and the bike will probably live in garage, a momento, not a daily (sigh). So I am doing what I can to make it ride-able.
The BB bearings are a tiny bit crunchy, but rotate without binding at all. I am afraid that removing it may be really difficult, as the rings look like they are rusted solid to the shell.
But thanks so much.

The wheel hubs look like PW also, stainless steel, with signature press in bearing, high flange, BUT there is no red "phil Wood" lettering on them. Did they make them without the signature?

Thanks again. I am lucky to be a member of this community.
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Last edited by Nubra; 10-26-20 at 10:41 AM. Reason: spelling and add info
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Old 10-26-20, 11:12 AM
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Don't give up on the Phil mounting rings; PowerBlaster is your friend. See if you can carefully start infiltrating the stuff right where the rings join the BB shell, without getting too much into the bearings themselves. If it freed up the bolts holding the bed of my '97 Ford Ranger in place, it'll probably work for this, too!
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Old 10-26-20, 03:35 PM
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Originally Posted by Nubra
The wheel hubs look like PW also, stainless steel, with signature press in bearing, high flange, BUT there is no red "phil Wood" lettering on them. Did they make them without the signature?
The older ones have the logo just either painted or screened on, and it does come off.
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Old 10-26-20, 04:04 PM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
The older ones have the logo just either painted or screened on, and it does come off.
I just talked to the PW service department, a really nice guy named Peter. He also told me that the screened on logo would have fallen off by now.
THANKS
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Old 10-26-20, 04:11 PM
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Originally Posted by rustystrings61
Don't give up on the Phil mounting rings; PowerBlaster is your friend....
I believe you about your truck bolts. I used PowerBlaster for several years until I found Kroil, and I use that pretty exclusively now. Not only is the BB rusted into the Shell, the rings themselves look kinda banged up. All the splines look good but the face on the non-driveside has some real ding marks. THey don't extend to the shell however, so there is hope. This bike apparently made two trips across the US, in its day.
I found a LBS mechanic, in his 60's, who has a PW BB removal tool. He works one day a weeks for fun. He will lend it to me. Also, really nice community here in Santa Cruz.
Cheers!
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Old 10-26-20, 04:17 PM
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Originally Posted by polymorphself
Ok but show us the rest of the bike
The bike is in pieces, and I didn't take a pre-photo. Apparently, the bike builder is Albert Isentort, a legend in the Bay Area ( I am just learning this) He is still building bike frames in his 80's. If you want a photo of just the frame, I can offer that if you like?
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Old 10-26-20, 05:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Nubra
The bike is in pieces, and I didn't take a pre-photo. Apparently, the bike builder is Albert Isentort, a legend in the Bay Area ( I am just learning this) He is still building bike frames in his 80's. If you want a photo of just the frame, I can offer that if you like?
Albert Eisentraut. Frame pic, yes please! We love Eisentrauts here.
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Old 10-26-20, 07:53 PM
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Originally Posted by noobinsf
Albert Eisentraut. Frame pic, yes please! We love Eisentrauts here.
Naw, OP sez Isentort, famous Bay Area lawyer at that time.
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Old 10-28-20, 10:47 PM
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Originally Posted by noobinsf
Albert Eisentraut. Frame pic, yes please! We love Eisentrauts here.
I did some research on what Doug thought was an Eisentraut: it probably is NOT! Sigh, still a very nice bike, and custom made, but after comparing with Eisentraut's signature lugs on his website, this is not one of his.
Cheers!
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Old 10-29-20, 01:38 AM
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Originally Posted by Nubra
I did some research on what Doug thought was an Eisentraut: it probably is NOT! Sigh, still a very nice bike, and custom made, but after comparing with Eisentraut's signature lugs on his website, this is not one of his.
Cheers!
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He went through many transitions, had many students, apprentices, disciples, etc. including Bruce Gordon and others, he did production and spec frames as well.

I wouldn't rule him or one of his tribe out, he cast a very wide net, many variations over a very long timeline.
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Old 10-29-20, 09:25 AM
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The one photo you have posted looks like the bottom bracket shell used in the Eisentraut "Limited," a less expensive frame than the signature but still a very nice frameset. Please post more photos.

There is a small chance that I sold that frame to your friend's father. In the late seventies I worked in a Santa Cruz shop that sold Eisentraut frames.

Brent
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Old 10-29-20, 10:16 AM
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Phil made two tools, I never got the one with lever arm attached. Great bottom bracket, I think they use the same tool since 1971.
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Old 10-29-20, 05:01 PM
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Originally Posted by Nubra
........ I used PowerBlaster for several years until I found Kroil, and I use that pretty exclusively now.......
And I'll second THIS too!
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Old 11-01-20, 09:56 PM
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Originally Posted by merziac
He went through many transitions, had many students, apprentices, disciples, etc. including Bruce Gordon and others, he did production and spec frames as well.

I wouldn't rule him or one of his tribe out, he cast a very wide net, many variations over a very long timeline.
Originally Posted by obrentharris
The one photo you have posted looks like the bottom bracket shell used in the Eisentraut "Limited," a less expensive frame than the signature but still a very nice frameset. Please post more photos.

There is a small chance that I sold that frame to your friend's father. In the late seventies I worked in a Santa Cruz shop that sold Eisentraut frames.

Brent
Doug couldn't find documentation, but I will continue to investigate and will post photos on next post.
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