Hollowtech Bottom Bracket Removal without special tools?

englishrose25

First time removing a hollowtech Dura Ace bottom bracket.

After reading through the service instructions, I found out that removal and installation requires special tools; the Shimano TL-FC32 and TL-FC16.

I will have to wait til Wednesday (5th May) if I order them so I just wanted to find out whether anyone has any DIY / bodge techniques of removing them properly?

My guess is no, but worth a try!

ride_whenever

go to your lbs and ask to borrow? Rather than completely bodging up your DA bottom brackets.

If you just need to remove it, needle nose pliers will undo the pre-load cap, and a stilston wrench/mole grips will remove the cups. It really wont be pretty though!

topdude

How about a large Jubilee clip tightened on the BB cup and then use stilsons on that.
Bear in mind the cups are usually done up very tight.

gaspode

agreed - the finish on the cups is fairly soft and you're likely to make a real mess of them if you don't use the correct tool...you'll be able to get them off (and back on again) o.k. with a big wrench, but if your bike justifies the expense of Dura Ace components, you'll probably want them to look decent at the end of the job.....

ride_whenever

most lbs will have the correct tools, it's why lbs are great!

pastey_boy

slip jaw pliers and a leather belt inbetween works with no damage

MrChuck

I'm sure you could get them off one way or another, but if the situation's not desperate you should probably just wait on the proper tools. Probably even a Halfords would have them if you're in a hurry?

englishrose25

Very true, I have no intention of causing cosmetic damage.

I will keep in mind these ideas but for the sake of £10-15, I'll be waiting for the special tools.

Thanks all

dennisn

You can most likely get the BB bearings off and on the bike with pretty much any manner of pliers, pipe wrench's, or even the correct tool. However, I'm not sure you should reassemble the left crank arm without tool TL-FC16. This little plastic item enables you to put the correct pressure on the BB bearing so the cranks spin smoothly. It's the right thing to do.

englishrose25

dennisn wrote:

You can most likely get the BB bearings off and on the bike with pretty much any manner of pliers, pipe wrench's, or even the correct tool. However, I'm not sure you should reassemble the left crank arm without tool TL-FC16. This little plastic item enables you to put the correct pressure on the BB bearing so the cranks spin smoothly. It's the right thing to do.

Thanks for that advice Dennis, very much appreciated. I got the bodge job bug after doing a DIY headset job successfully, but there's no pressure setting involved in that. Will be ordering tools tomorrow for £11, totally worth it!

dennisn

englishrose25 wrote:

dennisn wrote:

You can most likely get the BB bearings off and on the bike with pretty much any manner of pliers, pipe wrench's, or even the correct tool. However, I'm not sure you should reassemble the left crank arm without tool TL-FC16. This little plastic item enables you to put the correct pressure on the BB bearing so the cranks spin smoothly. It's the right thing to do.

Thanks for that advice Dennis, very much appreciated. I got the bodge job bug after doing a DIY headset job successfully, but there's no pressure setting involved in that. Will be ordering tools tomorrow for £11, totally worth it!

Trust me, I've done more than a few bodge jobs myself, on a variety of things. I did learn that there is nothing like the right tool. :oops: :oops:

JohnnyAllez

I`d buy (I did buy) the Shimano own-brand BB spanner, it`s a very basic metal spanner BUT it is a very good fit on the outer of the BB (as you would expect) and makes it virtually impossible to chew up the indents in the alloy (que loadsa replies about people who chewed theirs up :roll: ). I think there`s only Shimano make the plastic cap-fitting device.

Sure you can buy alloy caps of the same design to replace the standard plastic ones (looks nice if you`ve got a DA chainset)

dennisn

JohnnyAllez wrote:

I`d buy (I did buy) the Shimano own-brand BB spanner, it`s a very basic metal spanner BUT it is a very good fit on the outer of the BB (as you would expect) and makes it virtually impossible to chew up the indents in the alloy (que loadsa replies about people who chewed theirs up :roll: ). I think there`s only Shimano make the plastic cap-fitting device.

Sure you can buy alloy caps of the same design to replace the standard plastic ones (looks nice if you`ve got a DA chainset)

Not completely sure about this but I think the plastic cap and plastic tool is plastic for a reason. So you can't tighen them too much. If they were metal you could put too much pressure on the BB bearings but the plastic will sort of strip out under too much heavy handedness and nothing will get damaged. I THINK. ANYONE???

MrChuck

dennisn wrote:

JohnnyAllez wrote:

I`d buy (I did buy) the Shimano own-brand BB spanner, it`s a very basic metal spanner BUT it is a very good fit on the outer of the BB (as you would expect) and makes it virtually impossible to chew up the indents in the alloy (que loadsa replies about people who chewed theirs up :roll: ). I think there`s only Shimano make the plastic cap-fitting device.

Sure you can buy alloy caps of the same design to replace the standard plastic ones (looks nice if you`ve got a DA chainset)

Not completely sure about this but I think the plastic cap and plastic tool is plastic for a reason. So you can't tighen them too much. If they were metal you could put too much pressure on the BB bearings but the plastic will sort of strip out under too much heavy handedness and nothing will get damaged. I THINK. ANYONE???

Yep, the plastic tool is a bit naff by design just as you say- or so I've also heard anyway! But I think JohnnyAllez means an alloy cap that you use the tool on, rather than an alloy tool...?

dennisn

Good point. I have a plastic tool AND plastic cap. In any case leave the cap on the bike so that it doesn't get lost.

Evil Laugh

Ice toolz do a reversable ht2 tool one side goes on the cap the other on the bb.

Think I paid about £5 on ebay.

You do need a socket/hex wrench already to fit the tool to.

http://www.merlincycles.co.uk/bicycle-w ... tools.html

JohnnyAllez

What I meant was..... you can get alloy caps to bling up the chainset instead of the black placcy item, the plastic TOOL is designed so you can`t get too much beef on it when hand-tightening, it just slips in your hands once snugged up (unless you`ve got a gorrilla grip)

I beef it down as tight as I can get it (to make sure it`s all pulled home, then slacken it off and then re-tighten so it`s just nipped, press in the plastic lock-plate in the slot in the non-driveside arm, then tighten the two clamping allen screws evenly (to the correct torque as specified on the sticker they put on `em