92 Kili Racer stuck BB woes.

[legrandefromage]

its pretty much toast but its also my size if you get too bored of it

my Park BB tool must be around 20 years old and has only met its match once

 

[konacarl]

I've got a similar issue, what would you do if both cups are steel and both have damaged teeth?

Heat and then cold water to try and break the seal can work if theres a few teeth to work with. If its a steel frame Caustic soda is a very last resort as it will disintegrate the aluminium cups. As long as you arent bothered about the paintwork on the frame that is.

 

[gerryattrick]

never ever attack the plastic cup until the bb is out

old engine oil and about 3 weeks left in a corner usually works

I think that's my next step.

 

[Tootyred]

If all else fails....

Get an old table knife, heat it with a blow torch till red hot and cut round the plastic.

Once you are all the way round, just push it out from the other side.

Heat....but...without destroying the paint with a blowtorch!

Did it on a mates orange clockwork...easy

 

[gerryattrick]

Update. Still stuck.

Took it into the bike workshop after leaving it to soak in releasing fluid for over a week. (I had a 50 year old tin of the stuff in the shed).

Three of us threw everything at it, including heat, an 18" monkey wrench gripping the BB tool and a 4' scaffold pole for leverage but the bloody thing would not budge. One of the mechanics said it was the first BB that had beaten him in 20+ years.

It's been left in disgrace in the shed for a while and I will resort to two more options after we return from a week in London. The first will be a caustic soda acid poured down the seat tube and left for a few days to see if it destroys the alloy BB sleeve on the drive side, and the second will be destroying the plastic sleeve, knocking out the axle and cutting the alloy sleeve off.

 

[Ippikin]

Caustic as a last resort option as nasty chemical which fades paint and dissolves flesh.... even then it is not as quick as you might think.
As previously mentioned knock out the axle and cut the cup out. Not a big job from what I remember, maybe an hour to sort.

 

[legrandefromage]

Have you tried a stiff letter to the Times?

 

[DoctorRad]

Induction heat up the whole lot, the aluminium cup will melt first (after the plastic)

 

[retroJIM]

Did the caustic soda thing last night. Left it to soak overnight and this morning it dropped right out. Frame needs a respray anyway. Defo a last resort though.

 

[MuchAlohaNui]

I've got a similar issue, what would you do if both cups are steel and both have damaged teeth?

You need to operate. Will take time but is doable.

Secure the frame

Drill into the bearing separator
- remove any dust/oil seal
- drill into the bearing separator all over the place
- use a drill bit about half the same diameter of the bearings
- the goal is to drill apart/break up the inner plastic or metal separator that keeps the balls equidistant within the inner and outer races

Flip the frame over and repeat for the other bearing

There will be a point from drilling you can move the balls around somewhat freely
- move all the bearings to one side
- flip the frame over and push all the bearing together and opposite side (non drive side 9 o clock, drive side 3 o clock for example)
- this will allow the spindle to cant off centerline of the bearing races

Secure the frame
- support the bottom bracket housing at the face
- use whatever materials such that you do not mar or damage the machined face of the BB housing
- I use a huge block of wood to rest the frame on with a hole drilled to accept the spindle
- Frame lays on its side, left hand holding the top tube

Hammer out the spindle
- you think it will not come out but it will
- you may get a few bearings that fall out on their own
- check often that the bearings are still clumped to one side of the race as when you started hammering

Make it or break it
- remove the cups by verrrrry slowly and carefully cutting notches into them
- parallel to the axis of the now gone spindle
- check often you are still cutting the cups and not BB threads
- I have had to cut two to three slits per cup
- i hand hold a hack saw blade with index finger pressure
- use whatever you have on-hand to sort of lift off of the BB threads or sort of knock your cup segments loose off the BB threads

Clean the BB threads thoroughly
- chase with a good, steel BB cup both sides of the BB housing to debur anything and sort of scratch off any corrosion

Good luck!