Struggling to remove bottom bracket

CamperMan

I have an old 1997 GT MTB and I am struggling to remove the bottom bracket,

it's one of these



I have the correct splined socket, it won't budge even using a breaker bar..

any suggestions?

Thanks

easygoing39

WD40 and lots of it.

Heat and a hammer.

CamperMan

easygoing39 wrote: »

WD40 and lots of it.

tried this the other day... still not shifting

crosstownk

I'll state the obvious just in case...... left side is a left hand thread and right side is a right hand thread.

I had similar difficulty removing one of those. As stated above, WD40 and lots of it, sprayed on at regular intervals during the course of an evening, left over night. Power bar released it the following morning.

Best of luck.......

macnab

WD40 is not an eazing oil or a penetrating oil, diesel would be much better. Also try pouring a pot of boiling water over the area, different rates of expansion might help to part the items.

noc231073

Are you sure you are opening the correct direction..remember one is left hand thread

SomeFool

If you have a work bench with a vice you can clamp the tool and use the frame as the lever to move the BB.

lennymc

My first thought was also to suggest making sure that you are turning it the correct way. lefty loosey on one side and righty loosey on the other.

triggermortis

PlusGas is ideal for this or like earlier mentioned, diesel.
To be clear, the side that the chainring (right if you were sitting on
the bike) goes on will have a normal thread (anticlockwise to loosen) and the non-drive side (left) will loosened in a clockwise direction.

easygoing39

triggermortis wrote: »

To be clear, the side that the chainring (right if you were sitting on
the bike) goes on will have a normal thread (anticlockwise to loosen) and the non-drive side (left) will loosened in a clockwise direction.

This is incorrect,the drive side (chainring side)has a lefthand thread,the non-drive side has a normal thread.

macnab

Remove the left side first, which always has a standard thread (turn left to loosen). The right side (chainset side) needs to be turned clockwise to unscrew. (From Bike Radar)
I do a handful of these a year and still get confused sometimes too. Referring to the sides as drive and non drive is best practice as Left and Right become confusing as soon as you turn the bike upside down.
If in doubt I always take a look at Bike Radar or Sheldon Brown for peace of mind.

GTDolanator

If the frame is steel hit the bottom bracket area with a blowtorch
Get it red hot and let it cool a bit then hit it with the breaker bar
Should budge then

barrymanilow

Hi Camperman ,

I often have the same problem .
If the axle is hollow all the way through then get an unused quick release axle and some washers .

Pass the QR through the axle and your splined tool . Then add washers as you need and tighten the Quick release up very tight . This should clamp the tool into the bottom bracket so that you can really get force onto your wrench without the tool slipping . More torque will get it out . I've had to stand with both feet on the wrench sometimes while the tool was locked in like this to get the BB to budge . A leverage extension for your wrench like an old seatpost or pipe could work too . Once you get it to move a tiny bit then your home free . Then start to turn the tool back the way it came and keep doing this clockwise , counter clockwise screwing and unscrewing back and forth . This creates heat which loosens it all up even further .

Its about finding away to keep the tool in place so it doesnt slip and you can really push down on your lever . Getting somebody to hold it in by pressing against the outside of the splined tool with a piece of wood could work too .

Also a guy on a bike course I took said some BBs are just impossible and in that case he pounds them out of the frame with a mallet and then fixes back up the threads with a tap . That's extreme though .

route66

CamperMan wrote: »

I have an old 1997 GT MTB and I am struggling to remove the bottom bracket,

it's one of these



I have the correct splined socket, it won't budge even using a breaker bar..

any suggestions?

Thanks

Have a look at this youtube: link

CamperMan

route66 wrote: »

Have a look at this youtube: link

genius

CamperMan

this worked a treat, although it was still a struggle, used a 5ft scaffold tube on the end of the breaker bar....

route66 wrote: »

Have a look at this youtube: link

crosstownk

CamperMan wrote: »

this worked a treat, although it was still a struggle, used a 5ft scaffold tube on the end of the breaker bar....

Glad you eventually removed it. They can be difficult.

Apply a smearing of grease to the threads of the new BB before you install it to assist with future removal - use Vaseline if you're really stuck.