Stuck Bottom Bracket

[Mr Scruff]

I commute on my old Orange P7, love that bike. Kinda Trigger's broom mind, replacing bits that have fallen off/worn out over the years but it does me very well and still covers 50 miles a week or so.

Bottom bracket has been getting progressively worse for a while so went to take it out over the weekend to get a replacement. No joy - just wouldn't move. Been riding for long enough to know that bodging makes things worse so took it to my local bike shop.

Just had a phone call from them saying it's the first time ever they've had to admit defeat but, whatever they do, they just can't get the thing to move. So, now what? The mechanic isn't the sort to give up on something lightly and he just can't shift it!

Any thoughts? Don't want to get shot of the bike just due to that, though it is 'well used'?

 

[silverclaws]

I had one like that recently,rusted in, nothing would shift it, heat, cold, dismantling oil and various combinations of, even bent my cup spanner, but I got the thing out eventually, it took like four hours with a dremel and a diamond file, but it eventually came out in more bits than it went in. I cut around the axle with a mini cutting disk, the theory being cut through the cup, it's tension will be lost and then it will undo, which it didn't, until I had made four deep cuts in each side. The only damage to the hub shell, was one slice in the thread. But that was an old cup and cone type assembly, if you have a sealed BB, I think it's the same theory, attack it from the centre, cut through the splined cups, might have to cut the axle off first though to gain access to an area to cut. My major job, I even took photos I was that pleased with myself.

Putting the new BB in, a sealed one this time was nearly as bad, I had to resort to freezing the BB and warming the hub shell, greasing the icy cold BB and then driving it in, all temperatures back to normal, the next day, no way would it budge, so I guess, tight shell.

 

[dbmtb]

What BB is it?

 

[Mr Scruff]

No idea, it's whatever came with the bike - a standard Shimano square-tapered one. Not a sealed unit as far as I can tell. I bought the bike second hand about 5 years ago.

 

[legrandefromage]

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewto ... ht=removal

 

[Tazio]

If it's old enough it may be a hollow axle all the way through. If it is you can use a back wheel skewer to clamp the removal tool on really tight so you can get as much pressure on as you want without worrying about the removal tool slipping off.

 

[marc two tone]

stuck bb

if you live in leeds, i will have a go, free of charge. me and the 'roth' 24" unbeaten so far!

lgf's example is the way to go when they are really stubborn. IMHO.

 

[old_coyote_pedaller]

As shown by legrandefromage try to use a bolt to hold BB tool in place, it won't work if it slips and chews the splines. You might be lucky like tazio and it's hollow so you can use a wheel skewer.
I've just removed an old BB from frame by clamping tool in vice and using the leverage of frame to remove it. Use WD40 and leave it a while to let it soak in. If there is an under BB cable guide, take it off and squirt the WD40 in through screw hole, clean out hole first with bit of wire as there will be a load of crap in there around BB.
Took me a while but eventually one side loosened then other side was easier. Make sure you are turning it in correct direction, I didn't always get it right when changing which side I was trying to release, got myself confused.

 

[hydorah]

Cool

I love the way you talk in pictures, LGF

Any way, if that fails (it can only fail because you can't hold onto the frame)

Mount the remover to the bike a la LGF (what an awesome idea, I shall do this every time henceforth)

Then clamp the remover in a vice and unscrew the frame from the BB - I've never failed with this method

...Never even thought of bolting a removal tool to the bike frame

 

[weeman_mtb]

Another vote here for LGF's bolting the tool to the bottom bracket, it's never failed me yet. It pretty much eliminates tool slip which trashes the splines and then you're up against it.

I also then drop the tool in a vice the same as hydora and old_coyote_pedaller and use the frame to do the work.

If the splines are still good, these methods should work, but I'm guessing they probably died a death at your LBS. :?