Tools needed for the following...

pitchshifter

Looking at changing the following myself as my LSB want both arms and legs to do it....

Dura-ace 7700 cranks & Octalink BB > Ultegra 6700 + Cups
Tiagra 4500 9 speed shifters > 105 5700 shifters
New cables (Inners/outers) all around
9 Speed cassette > 10 speed Ultegra cassette
New chain Shimano Ultegra 6700

Looking at the X-tools kit on CRC for £50 plus some cables cutters.. Will the kit get me through??
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Mode ... elID=40997

One thing I am not sure about is getting the Octalink BB out, does the splined BB tool do the job?

Also would I need grease? the BB Cups look greased up already?

Any help much appreciated.

keef66

I think that plus the cutters will give you what you need. Purists will suggest you get the BB shell faced and the threads chased once the old octalink cartridge is removed. I'd just clean them up with a wire brush.

The cups have thread locking compound on them. I'd still use grease on the BB threads though, and a thin smear on the splines of the axle before the NDS crank goes on, a bit on the pinch bolts, and a thin smear on the freehub before the cassette goes on

pitchshifter

Cheers for the reply

"Faced" and "chased" are new terms for me...

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Face-t ... -250235578

Facing looks simple enough (if it hasnt been done already). As far as chasing the threads go, I was going to give the threads a good scrub with the wifes toothbrush

keef66

Hmm. That looks like just scraping the paint off. Facing generally means using a properly aligned cutting tool to remove a thin layer of metal as well as the paint from both sides of the BB shell.

Claimed to be important for super accurate alignment of outboard bearing cups like the HT2 you're fitting.

I'm happy if the axle slides through both bearings without any jiggling about. That to me suggests they are pretty well aligned.

TuckerUK

Standard sealed bottom brackets do not rely on the bottom bracket shell for bearing alignment and therefore the outside faces of the frame's BB shell in all probability are not 100% perpendicular to the threads (why would the manufacturer go to the added expense of ensuring they were?).

External bearing BB do rely on this though, heavily, hence the need for facing and perhaps chasing.

Word on the street is that most who complain of short bearing life with external bearing systems vs. self contained BBs can trace their problems to not having the BB shell faced. I have no idea as to the validity of that, but it sounds plausible.

desweller

Remember that, although the bearing race is hard, the aluminium housing in which it sits is not. If you don't get the shell faced, then you run the risk of screwing the bearing housing down onto an uneven surface. As the housing is soft aluminium, it will yield - this will be difficult to notice whilst torquing it up as BBs typically require quite high torque values.

The upshot of this is that the housing will not be supporting the bearing in the manner that was intended, as it will be distorted. The bearing will be able to move around a little under use and this is what leads to failure.