Removing a bottom bracket?

BillieBob

Hey there,
I got myself a new Giant Seek 2 before Christmas and decided to treat myself and upgrade the bottom bracket and crankset to shimano deore. I had no problem getting off the cranks but the bottom bracket seems to be stuck. I had hoped that as it was a new bike I wouldn't have the seizing problems which people seem to get with old bikes. At the moment it has a shimano style cartridge bb with square taper ends, I have a cartridge bottom bracket tool (from a lidl bicycle tool kit) and I got a spanner (which is only about 6/7 inches long). But unfortunately when I had a go at getting it out there was no movement?
I'll put some WD40 on at the ends and will try and get a bigger spanner, what else should I do before I admit defeat and trot off to my LBS. I read here that some people recommend pouring boiling water over seized BBs? would this go over the frame which is covering the end of the BB?
Cheers

GTDolanator

what direction are you turning the wrench?

WhisperingDeath

Had the same problem myself. ended up at LBS.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=63516577

gman2k

I presume you know that the drive side is reverse direction thread? I.E. you turn clockwise to remove on the chainset side. (That's known as english thread)

wayne0308

gman2k wrote: »

I presume you know that the drive side is reverse direction thread? I.E. you turn clockwise to remove on the chainset side. (That's known as english thread)

I thought English thread was just a certain thread pitch? Edit: on further inspection you're entirely correct. diameters differ and Italian is right hand threaded on both sides. So confusing :-)

I always wondered why they have different handed threads on each side, is it just so it can't loosen while cycling?

gman2k

wayne0308 wrote: »

I always wondered why they have different handed threads on each side, is it just so it can't loosen while cycling?

That's it in one!

I knew a guy with an Eddie Merckx frame back in the day, with Italian Thread, and he had endless problems with his BB.

langdang

BillieBob wrote: »

Hey there,
I got myself a new Giant Seek 2 before Christmas and decided to treat myself and upgrade the bottom bracket and crankset to shimano deore.

Any particular reason? I have a Seek aswell, with an annoying creak on occasions - I thought it was the BB but I now think it's coming from the saddle/seatpost.

easygoing39

gman2k wrote: »

That's it in one!

I knew a guy with an Eddie Merckx frame back in the day, with Italian Thread, and he had endless problems with his BB.

But when youre cycling the driveside crank is turning clockwise,thats the same way you turn the bb to loosen it on that side,and the non drive side is turning anti-clock,which is the way you loosen the bb on the that side.So in theory the bb should always be forced loose from the direction of the rotating crank??

seamus

I always assumed that the threads were like that because the machine which cuts the threads just makes one pass at the tube - i.e. goes in one side and out the other - resulting in differing threads on each side. In order to get "normal" threads on each side, you'd have to cut the thread on one side, then flip the tube over to cut the other side.

Though I'm probably talking utter ****e.

Edit: Thinking about it logically, yes I am...

langdang

seamus wrote: »

I always assumed that the threads were like that because the machine which cuts the threads just makes one pass at the tube - i.e. goes in one side and out the other - resulting in differing threads on each side. In order to get "normal" threads on each side, you'd have to cut the thread on one side, then flip the tube over to cut the other side.

Though I'm probably talking utter ****e.

CAn't say I've seen the inside of too many BB shells, and it's been a while - but I think I recall there being a gap between the threaded sections on my MTB, so it was machined in two passes not one. I too, could be talking utter ****e!

wayne0308

easygoing39 wrote: »

But when youre cycling the driveside crank is turning clockwise,thats the same way you turn the bb to loosen it on that side,and the non drive side is turning anti-clock,which is the way you loosen the bb on the that side.So in theory the bb should always be forced loose from the direction of the rotating crank??

Deleted this part of my post as it was infact partially complete dung :-)

Edit: Found this on wikipedia (I know not the most reliable of sources)

English threaded bottom brackets are left-threaded on the right-hand (usually drive) side into the bottom bracket shell. This is the opposite of pedals into cranks because the sense of the relative motion between the parts is opposite. (Italian and French threaded bottom brackets have right-hand threading on both sides.)

and in terms of pedals.

bicycle pedals are left-threaded on the left-hand crank so that precession tightens the pedal rather than loosening it. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the torque exerted due to the precession is several orders of magnitude greater than that caused by a jammed pedal bearing. Jobst Brandt, an engineer (author of "The Bicycle Wheel") and cyclist, has suggested a tapered seat for bicycle pedals similar to lug nuts to prevent the damage that fretting does to soft aluminium crankarms, but no major manufacturer has taken up the idea (probably because it requires compatible pedals and crankarms, and thus a new standard).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precession_(mechanical)

Now just to make sense of it all :-)

easygoing39

Thanks Wayne,now all I need is someone to explain "precession" in simple terms!LOL

wayne0308

easygoing39 wrote: »

Thanks Wayne,now all I need is someone to explain "precession" in simple terms!LOL

Me too! :-) Surely Sheldon must have something relating to this, I'm off to look now.

Edit: Indeed he does

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/left.html
This seems to be a very good explanation.

Direct quote from Sheldons glossary to explain precession.

You can demonstrate this (precession) to yourself by performing a simple experiment. Hold a pencil loosely in one fist, and move the end of it in a circle. You will see that the pencil, as it rubs against the inside of your fist, rotates in the opposite direction.

BillieBob

Yeah, i'm pretty sure I was turning it the right way as I had my Zinn's MTB maintenance book open beside me (non-drive side - turn anti-clockwise to loosen if I remember right).

As to why I'm upgrading, basically because I'm a bike-snob who didn't want SIS on my bike! (I think my saddle creaks too) Looking back now I shouldn't have gone the Bike-to-work route and should have waited and got a 2010 Seek 1 in the Wiggle sales but that's hindsight for you.