HOPE Bottom Bracket

Mancunianfightingcat

I've got a ceramic Hope BB on my bike, it runs super smooth but the outer plastic seal gets grit behind it and makes a noise like sand paper!
I've taken the cranks off (Race Face Deus XC), removed the plastic washer and packed behind it with grease to stop the grit getting in, but I don't fancy doing this on a regular basis.
Is it a characteristic of my setup?
Has anybody else experienced this with the HOPE BBs and if so have you solved it?

Wappygixer

I've got the Hope stainless bottom bracket and the seals are called labyrinth seals.They are designed to not draw grit etc into the bearing.
I would say that packing it with grease is a bad thing as the grit will stick to it making it more abrasive.
Hope seals are regarded as being one of the best so I shouldn't worry to much about any noise.

Dazzza

Ceramic bearings feel gritty anyway, my hope ones do anyway so it's perfectly normal but they are loosening up a treat, they didn't spin that freely to begin with.

Id remove the grease and leave them go, hope gear works best when left alone, once you start fiddling that's when problems can arise besides the bearings are sealed units anyway or at least are meant to be.

Mancunianfightingcat

Thanks guys,

I haven't actually touched the bearings, it's just the plastic cover on the outer edge of either side. The bearings alone are silky smooth. I'm just not convinced that the labyrinth seal actually stops the fine crud getting in!

Dazzza

Just to let you know, my hope is also playing up, it seems when i pedal there's play on a certain portion of the pedalstroke, almost feels like a clunk.

Ive tried different pedals/chainset and norrowed it down to the bearings in the bb, it's like they're wearing too far apart causing play in the cranks, luckily i have the xtr bb to use so that'll be going on later on.

A phonecall to hope is in order first thing tomorrow.