Mudguard frame holes allowing water into frame & b.brack

Big dave 3

I have noticed that when I turn my bike upside down to work on it etc there seems to be a puddle of water comin from the headset & some from the seatpost area. I thought at first it could be brake fluid but I checked the hoses & callipers & they were all dry plus it didnt smell of brake fluid. This seems wrong to me.

I have just taken off my crankset & in the bottom bracket area there was a pool of water. There could have been more as I tipped the bike upside down & IM guessing most of the water came out of the headset as there was the usual pool there.

SUrely the only place that water could get in the frame is from the holes for the rear mudguard?

ANyway there was definitely water in the bottom bracket shell area in the frame. MY crankset also seems to be making a rubbing unsmooth sound when pedalling.

Could this water that is collecting in the bottom bracket area be getting into the bottom bracket bearings & ruining them?

IM guessing bottom brackets are not made to be constantly in use in water.

ANy advice or opinions gratefully received! THis just doesnt make sense to me to have holes in a frame that let road & Tyre splash water in the frame

nicklouse

water gets in to the frame many ways.

headset/seat post and many other holes.

just make sure you dry it out after wet rides and poor any water out.

MrChuck

Water will get in regardless, and then it needs to get out somewhere so there may well be some holes just for this. You're right to think that water and BB bearings don't mix, but a bike frame is never going to be watertight.

Big dave 3

The problem is that the water seems to be collecting in the bottom bracket area without draining out, and the only way to get rid of it is to turn the bike upside down for it to drain out of the headset area as thats the lowest point when the bike is upside down.

Should I drill a hole on the bottom of the frame at the lowest point, to allow the water to drain?

Koiler

if its an aluminium frame then a bit of water isn't the end of the world.

what BB do you have? if its a sealed HT2 type, then water wont be able to get in from the frame side, the seal for the bearings is on the crank arm side of the cup.

oh, and drilling a hole will just let water and even more crap in, then it'll get blocked up by said crap, and seal it all in anyway

Northwind

"if its a sealed HT2 type, then water wont be able to get in from the frame side, the seal for the bearings is on the crank arm side of the cup."

Er no. They have the same seals on both sides. Inside, you do have the internal spacer which usually provides some sealing but water vapour will still get past it.