TOMAS
Senior Retro Guru
I do apologize if this has been asked a MILLION times before, i'm onto my 4th retro build, another Dynatech - this time a Quantum, from 1992/93 I believe. It's stock condition and needs some serious TLC but beneath I think I can see a decent bike! Bottom bracket in this is TRULY stuck!
So the ones on my previous builds were also pretty stuck, they took some serious brute force but this appears on another level! So I tried to remove the non-drive plastic side and this just stripped the plastic teeth! So on with the drive side and i'll hacksaw out the left over plastic non-drive later. With these frames being bonded titanium into alloy lugs, there is no breather hole between seattube and BB, so no access to get in there with my WD40! I have however discovered a breather hole underneath the plastic BB cable guide.
So far the setup I have is... BB tool in BB, 1/2 drive LONG wrench and then a G-clamp over the head of the wrench/tool and going around to the other side of the BB spindle, thus holding the whole lot securely in. I've bounced my 14stone up and down on the wrench, to the point the ratchet mech inside exploded! The BB hasn't moved AT ALL! I'm now wondering if this BB is even traditional ENGLISH thread or if it could be the other way?! So i've essentially filled the cavity of the BB with GT85 and left for 2 days and made no difference. I've now emptied this back out and re-filled with VINEGAR (I prev used vinegar to clean up vintage tools and I know it likes to eat through rust). Now if this doesn't work does anyone else have any tips? I've warmed the outer BB shell/frame with my heat gun but I don't want to completely wreck the paintwork if it all possible, again no difference.
Any help much appreciated, Tom
So the ones on my previous builds were also pretty stuck, they took some serious brute force but this appears on another level! So I tried to remove the non-drive plastic side and this just stripped the plastic teeth! So on with the drive side and i'll hacksaw out the left over plastic non-drive later. With these frames being bonded titanium into alloy lugs, there is no breather hole between seattube and BB, so no access to get in there with my WD40! I have however discovered a breather hole underneath the plastic BB cable guide.
So far the setup I have is... BB tool in BB, 1/2 drive LONG wrench and then a G-clamp over the head of the wrench/tool and going around to the other side of the BB spindle, thus holding the whole lot securely in. I've bounced my 14stone up and down on the wrench, to the point the ratchet mech inside exploded! The BB hasn't moved AT ALL! I'm now wondering if this BB is even traditional ENGLISH thread or if it could be the other way?! So i've essentially filled the cavity of the BB with GT85 and left for 2 days and made no difference. I've now emptied this back out and re-filled with VINEGAR (I prev used vinegar to clean up vintage tools and I know it likes to eat through rust). Now if this doesn't work does anyone else have any tips? I've warmed the outer BB shell/frame with my heat gun but I don't want to completely wreck the paintwork if it all possible, again no difference.
Any help much appreciated, Tom