Cant remove crank

thehamo

Hey hows things...

I was looking to replace my bottom bracket and tried to remove my crank to get to it. However seems that it is susted solid. The threads on my crank puller are completely gone bear now with trying. Ive tried cycling it for a while and applying some wd40 bit still no joy. Does anyone have any hints as to how to get them off??

Thanks in advance:(

seamus

If you intend on keeping the crankset, then you can try using a bearing puller or a ball joint separator.

These aren't things you would have every day, but you should be able to get cheap ones. Go for the ball joint separator if you can, as the bearing puller is fiddly and can damage your crank spider, like I did. It's still a bit of work though and you risk damaging the crank in either case.

On the other hand, I would advise upgrading to a two-piece crankset such as the hollowtech and getting rid of the old square taper. That's what I did after I destroyed my crank arm trying to get it off. This meant that I could go postal on the crank arm and I took a dremel to it. It was loud and a lot of fun. Aluminium turns into butter against a dremel.

Morgan

Are the threads on the crank stripped too?

You might need to use a gear-puller to get them off.

thehamo

NO the threads are grand on the crank. It was just when I was tightening the crank puller that the thread wore off that so i cant get any purchase on it. I figure if I couldnt get it off with one crank puller, i wont get it off with another

flickerx

Ball joint separator. Lots of fun doing the removal. Place the fork bit over the bottom bracket, whack the living daylights out of the top of it with a hammer, cranks pop off.

Crow92

Went to halfords today as they said they'd remove my crank for me, and they ended up having to this ball joint seperator. worked grand

thehamo

righteo, off to halfords to buy one tomorrow it is!

cdaly_

You'd want to be careful it doesn't mark the frame in the hammering. Might be worth putting a bit of cloth or some such between separator and frame...

Run_to_da_hills

Heat will help remove it, boiling water or a blow torch with a slap of a hammer and drift. Aluminium will expand quicker than the steel on your bb axle so you would want to be quick.

cdaly_

Incidentally, if you were at the point before you had stripped threads, a smack of a hammer on the crank puller will often do the trick:

1. Screw crank puller sleeve into crank
2. Screw centre screw in to BB
3. Tighten centre screw as tight as you can
4. Using a relatively light hammer (you don't want to use a lump hammer for this),swing the hammer fast to hit the head of the centre screw 3-4 smacks
5. Repeat from step 1

The reason for using a light hammer swung fast is that you can set up better vibrations to shake the taper loose. This technique works nicely for steering balljoints in a car too...

doozerie

thehamo wrote: »

NO the threads are grand on the crank. It was just when I was tightening the crank puller that the thread wore off that so i cant get any purchase on it. I figure if I couldnt get it off with one crank puller, i wont get it off with another

Not all crank pullers are equal. Years back I used to rely on a cheap one, possibly a "Cyclo" brand, but some generic brand anyway. It worked for a while but the threads would bind when I encountered resistant cranks and the effort required to turn it doubled at the very least. When I replaced it with the Park Tool compact crank puller, it was a completely different story. It was made from much better quality metal so the threads were never in danger of binding, let alone getting damaged, unlike the previous one.

The Park Tool Cotterless Crank Puller is better again (less risk of a spanner slipping as can happen with the compact one). There are other good brands too, of course, but I've found Park Tool to be consistently excellent tools. A better grade of tool might be worth a try before you resort to a hammer.

thehamo

Right so..... after a few hours of pure bruit force and ignorence, i got the crank off, now my feckin problem is that the bb is rusted shut into the frame:mad: Teaches me to buy a bike for a price thats too good to be true! anyone have any ideas as to how I can loosen it??

Morgan

Loads of WD40 down the seat-tube. Leave for a while.

Lots of leverage on whatever tool you're using - add a bar over the end.

martyc5674

Lads,
Im pretty sure by the OP's description that the threads are not actually gone, rather you have rounded the head of the bolt that is integral to your pullers??
Anyway if this is the case...get it as tight as you can(use a vice grips or whatever is necessary)...then some gentle heat on the crank with a blow torch and it will just pop off.
I wouldnt bring it to halfords to use a ball joint seperator, they will make ****e of your frame.
Marty.

Oh i see you got it off..well done!!
Post a pic if you can to see the next hurdle!!

thehamo

Just an update on this in case anyone was fretting for me:D

was away for a few days so only got back to the bike now. Poured in some wd40 down seat post. left it for a few hours, then I bolted the bb tool to the bottom bracket using the bolts from the bb and a washer. Held the tool in place. I got a 32mm wrench (which was the size of the bb tool) and stuck it on, a bit of pressure from the foot and hey presto got it off. Took it out. THe thing was actually orange with the rust. Felt like it had sand instead of ball bearings inside it!

shotgunmcos

Habving a similar issue in that I can't get a pedal off. Left pedal, yep turned opposite way of the right one but it aint budging and I applied as much force as I could muster without passing out. Got some nice red pedals I want to put on but they are waiting in the box. Need to get the pedal off also to put back on the road bike

Any other tips before I head to the LBS?

kona

martyc5674 wrote: »

I wouldnt bring it to halfords to use a ball joint seperator, they will make ****e of your frame.

Just like they always make **** of the rubber boot on ball joints on a car?

If you cant get it off with a pullers along with leverage(you can always get a bigger bar) this is your best option. Applying heat to a frame is crazy stuff, especially if you have decided to soak it in some (likely flammable) solvent for a while:eek:.

kona

shotgunmcos wrote: »

Habving a similar issue in that I can't get a pedal off. Left pedal, yep turned opposite way of the right one but it aint budging and I applied as much force as I could muster without passing out. Got some nice red pedals I want to put on but they are waiting in the box. Need to get the pedal off also to put back on the road bike

Any other tips before I head to the LBS?

Leverage. What spanner are you using, some are too fat. Is there a Allen key hole at the back?

Make sure you put grease on the threads when you put it back in. Dont forget the washer too.

shotgunmcos

have used spanner and allen key together with someone holding the bike as I was lifting it off the ground with the force.

I'll certainly spray the new pedal once I get the existing one off. I'm sure the bike shop guy will have a lever to get it off. Was just wondering if I was missing any obvious trick..

Thanks though kona2

kona

shotgunmcos wrote: »

have used spanner and allen key together with someone holding the bike as I was lifting it off the ground with the force.

I'll certainly spray the new pedal once I get the existing one off. I'm sure the bike shop guy will have a lever to get it off. Was just wondering if I was missing any obvious trick..

Thanks though kona2

Teflon Grease, not spray oil;)

Sounds like your turning the wrong way, what way to you have the bike??

doozerie

shotgunmcos wrote: »

have used spanner and allen key together with someone holding the bike as I was lifting it off the ground with the force.

I assume then that you were pulling up on the spanner? If so, try orienting the crank and spanner so that you are pushing down on the spanner with your foot - that'll give a lot more leverage. You may still need someone to hold the bike and keep the rear brake lever pulled tight to stop the rear wheel from spinning.

If you can get the angles right (not always an option with some spanners and some pedals though), you can even stand on the spanner with both feet - beware of where you end up though if the pedal suddenly moves, or if the spanner snaps, 'cos there are lots of flesh-eating parts of the bike that you could end up landing on.

If you have a decent vice, another option is to take the crank off and try to clamp the pedal axle in the vice so that the crank becomes the lever.

roc_racer

kona2 wrote: »

Applying heat to a frame is crazy stuff, especially if you have decided to soak it in some (likely flammable) solvent for a while:eek:.

It does work if done carefully. A bearing shattered when I was pulling it out of a rear triangle, leaving the outer race stuck inside. Applied a gentle heat, the alu frame heats quicker than the steel bearing, applied a little pressure and out she popped.

cdaly_

kona2 wrote: »

Sounds like your turning the wrong way, what way to you have the bike??

The correct way to unscrew a pedal is in the same direction as back-pedalling. Makes it pretty difficult though...

kona

roc_racer wrote: »

It does work if done carefully. A bearing shattered when I was pulling it out of a rear triangle, leaving the outer race stuck inside. Applied a gentle heat, the alu frame heats quicker than the steel bearing, applied a little pressure and out she popped.

Oh I know it works. But I would only consider it if all else has failed and Im screwed either way.

There are people who will read this thread and jump straight into messing with blow torches on stuff they dont understand, which could be covered flammable liquid..

I know its a bit of a bad comparison, but some guy got out of his depth on car maintenance, and due to his ignorance, the car dropped on him, killing him.

Im just pointing out there are plenty of safer, more refined options before heat. Ball joint separator is before heat in the list.(probably make less "****e" of your frame too).

kona

cdaly_ wrote: »

The correct way to unscrew a pedal is in the same direction as back-pedalling. Makes it pretty difficult though...

The correct way to remove a pedal is to pedal normally.

Back pedalling tightens;).


Right side is Anti clockwise

Left side is clockwise.