Stuck BB removal options - *Update* It’s Out!

[slackboy]

But where? Down the seat tube?

No, liberally around the drive side that you are trying to unscrew. It should penetrate between the bottom bracket and frame.

And the freezing action should help with breaking the seal

 

[Peachy!]

One more for the Ultra-violence option.
I tried a bunch of ideas on my Antaeus trying to remove a BB that both Longun & LGF had given up on.
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/1992-claud-butler-antaeus-653-magnum-finished.389041/
The drill & hammer out trick took 10 minutes!

 

[Once A Hero]

Many thanks all, I’ll commit myself to one or more of the options at the weekend if I get chance.

Just ordered a new can of unlock stuff as my Plusgas nozzle is knackered - that’s happened to both cans of that I’ve had, maybe it’s so potent it destroys itself after first use!?

 

[konacarl]

I would just reiterate that if you are cutting the drive side cup out dont go right through to the threads. Take it slowly and keep checking how deep your cut is. Once youre almost through the cup try and peel it out.

 

[Mike_]

I had to resort to welding a park bb tool to the bottom bracket trying to remove a very very stuck BB from my 2004 Kona explosif recently, I'd initially bolted the tool in but managed to strip the teeth twisting the frame with the tool in a vice. Even after getting it all red hot it still took all my strength to turn the thing, luckily the frame threads have survived.
Brutal but it was my last resort.

 

[greencat]

Plastic cup isn't your problem. As others have noted whacking the axle from the drive size will smash the plastic cup on it's way out. A pair of pliers/mole grips/screwdriver will rip the rest out. No need to saw it and risk damaging threads.

Drive side wise, once the axle is out attach the BB tool to a impact wrench, lay the frame flat and push down on tool/impact wrench as hard as you can. Engage and et voila. I only own an impact wrench for this particular job, but blimey it does it well.

 

[markoc]

How are you bolting in the BB tool - mine doesn't look to be too condusive to that?

Just a long bolt the same thread as the crank bolt and some sort of bolt/plate to hold it on?

I can't get the damn thing to stay in while getting anything like the leverage needed to prise out a BB on an M700 frame. So far the tool has been ejected to a number of corners of the garage, and at reasonably high speed.

 

[d8mok]

A skewer works well if you don’t have the correct threaded bar.

 

[Ippikin]

Good to know this is a tried and tested option. This gives me an option should the teeth on the metal cup get knackered.

So I’m clear, that’s hitting it from the drive side, forcing the spindle to exit out the non-drive side?

Thats the way - exit the spindle out the non-drive side. Mine was a totally seized Shimano aluminium cup BB, 5ft long breaker bar would not shift it and the cup splines starting to rip out. As others have said be careful & take your time cutting the remaining cup out , I managed without any thread damage.

 

[Once A Hero]

Destructive brutality wasn’t needed in the end, the vice approach did the job!

I first had to find my vice, then clear my workbench so that I could pull it out and get underneath it to attach the vice, and then with a liberal application of unlock spray I set about giving it a good try.

Initially I thought it wasn’t going to move - I had to brace myself between the bench and a car as the bench was moving with the effort excerpted, but it finally gave in and turned! It took almost the same amount of effort to fully unwind it though so by the end of it I was sweating!





It took a further 20mins or so to pick away at the plastic cup, and there you have it, all out, with no damage to shell or threads