REALLY troublesome BB

WhisperingDeath

Hi
hoping someone might have a clever suggestion on this as I reckon I've done everyhing I can think of

trying to up grade my square taper BB to Isis but seems to be completlely jammed in - have tried
a considerable force
b squirting wd40 into it
c heating the shell (Al frame) with my wife's creme brûlée torch

not even a micron of movement.

Anyone any other suggestions otherwise it's LBS with it and let them try their best

cheers

lescol

A long lever on the spanner. Had a similar problem last year, even tried the removal tool in a vice and rotate the frame but still couldn't shift it. It took two of us in the end and a huge spanner to provide the leverage, it gave a pitiful last squeak as it loosened then could be spun out by hand. If you don't have anything to increase the length of the lever then LBS, in the end it only takes a few seconds.

IM0

lescol wrote: »

A long lever on the spanner. Had a similar problem last year, even tried the removal tool in a vice and rotate the frame but still couldn't shift it. It took two of us in the end and a huge spanner to provide the leverage, it gave a pitiful last squeak as it loosened then could be spun out by hand..

thats exactly what I did a couple of years ago, had a huge almost novelty sized spanner and a pipe on the end for even more leverage, really helped to hit it hard with the WD40 degreaser a day before though, you want as much penetration as possible when its been in all sorts of weather for years and years and never gone near. Best of luck with it.

Single Malt

Loosen the non-fixed left cup first, RH thread (if its a cup and cone BB the order of which side is done first becomes unimportant). Then do the other, right hand, side, which usually has a left hand thread, ie un-screws in the opposite direction (as if tightening bottle cap).

IM0

ah yeah I forgot that important bit loosening the one side before the other, I had to look up which one went first then too!

papac

I had to bolt a vice with rawlbolts to my concrete yard to get one off before(My huge heavy bench kept moving).Locked the cup in it and used a length of plank(10 feet long) to turn the frame.Big spanner and length of pipe worked every other time though.

kona

WhisperingDeath wrote: »

Hi
hoping someone might have a clever suggestion on this as I reckon I've done everyhing I can think of

trying to up grade my square taper BB to Isis but seems to be completlely jammed in - have tried
a considerable force
b squirting wd40 into it
c heating the shell (Al frame) with my wife's creme brûlée torch

not even a micron of movement.

Anyone any other suggestions otherwise it's LBS with it and let them try their best

cheers

Youd be suprised how much heat youd need, a kitchen utensil wont work. Either way on aluminium it isnt the best idea

As the lads said above, is the most successful way.

Last resort:Lever + Hammer and beat the ****ing ****e out of it*

*Really can **** up your frame.

WhisperingDeath

Thanks for your helop guys - as expected there is a fairly wide range of 'inventive' suggestions.

I'll try to hunt out a novelty sized spanner but suspect LBS will be better equiped.

will let you know if I end up f****** up my frame...

kona

WhisperingDeath wrote: »

I'll try to hunt out a novelty sized spanner but suspect LBS will be better equiped.

Unless they have a big polish brute called igor, then there not much use. It really is a case of either mechanical advantage or just butchery.

papac

Unless they have a big polish brute called igor, then there not much use.

I would tend to disagree-Doing this job every day for years they will have the knack and better equipment imo.

kona

papac wrote: »

I would tend to disagree-Doing this job every day for years they will have the knack and better equipment imo.

From experience. Thats just not true.

The "knack" is brute force. Equipment? yes they will have it, but itl still need brute force to shift it.

Ive had guys upwards of 250LBS swinging off a BB and it didnt budge.

Sometimes steel and aluminium will corrode into each other and basically weld. Thats why you have to maintain your bike regular to prevent this.

papac

The "knack" is brute force.

Or applying that force more effectively maybe.
I grew up in a bike shop and there was a bolted down bench and a vice with a specially ground set of jaws that took em off in seconds with a good lever and sometimes a bit of heat. You could do this at home but this method was developed over years and worked first go every time.No slippage-no skinned knuckles-one man job. Most lbs will have their own tried and trusted method.

EDIT. When I was a little kid I used to love doing the turning.(I wasn't strong enough to lift the bike to lock the cup in the vice). I loved the crack as they came loose. You don't need Igor in my experience just the law of the lever well applied.

kona

papac wrote: »

Or applying that force more effectively maybe.
I grew up in a bike shop and there was a bolted down bench and a vice with a specially ground set of jaws that took em off in seconds with a good lever and sometimes a bit of heat. You could do this at home but this method was developed over years and worked first go every time.No slippage-no skinned knuckles-one man job. Most lbs will have their own tried and trusted method.

EDIT. When I was a little kid I used to love doing the turning.(I wasn't strong enough to lift the bike to lock the cup in the vice). I loved the crack as they came loose. You don't need Igor in my experience just the law of the lever well applied.

You grew up in one. I work in one.

kona wrote: »

It really is a case of either mechanical advantage.

Every bike shop has a vice bolted to a bench, The dont work first time everytime. Sometimes Its just seized in there and your not getting it out without causing damage to the paint and frame.

papac

The dont work first time everytime

Maybe not- but in over a decade working in that workshop I personally never saw the method fail. Not saying it couldn't.(or that it didn't damage the paint occasionally.:)).

Every bike shop has a vice bolted to a bench

I would agree. And I personally think that (especially if the bench is bolted down) that fact alone makes them better equipped to deal with seized bb cups than most cyclists._which was afair our original bone of contention.

At least we agree on something

It really is a case of either mechanical advantage

well applied;)

gamgsam

Had the same problem a few weeks back. I left the bb submerged in brake fluid for a day then went at it with extension bars! It worked!!!

kona

gamgsam wrote: »

Had the same problem a few weeks back. I left the bb submerged in brake fluid for a day then went at it with extension bars! It worked!!!

I hope it wasnt DOT fluid.

Diesel or kerosene would work quite well too, but would obviously make applying a flame redundant.

WhisperingDeath

Couldn't find a 4 foot spanner so I deferred to the experience and mechanical superiority of city cycles in fairview.

I understand they clamp the spline tool to the bb and then using a long lever pop it loose with relatively little effort.

Will ensure it's replacement is properly greased...