novice undoing BB30 crank NDS

ben-----

Hello,

My BB30 (FSA SL-K light) started clicking today -- I think. The bike has now done about 3200 miles -- in dry apart from once I got caught out a week or two ago in downpour, headed home very slowly to minimise water spray.

I don't have any of the particular tools for it, but I've read a few times just undoing the left side and sticking loads of grease in can solve it.

Is a 10mm allen key, plus torque wrench for doing it up to 38-41 Nm according to the leaflet, all I need to do that (plus grease, obviously)? Is there anything I need to know? Is it just a case of pulling hard on the 10mm allen key counter clockwise to undo it? (Just a bit worried about doing some sort of damage.)

Thanks.

pippi_langsamer-2

It solved my bb30 woes....until I next washed the bike lol!

I took off the non drive side of my Sram chainset, wiped the bearing seals clean and regreased. Put crank arm back on and hey presto, no more creaking!

Just remove the crank arm with which ever Allen key it takes. Clean it up a bit and smear the outer face of the bearing with grease. These bolts are generally pretty hardy, so I wouldn't worry too much about over torquing when you put it back on. Tighten it up as much as you can (within reason), by hand without the torque wrench. I'm just wary of torque wrenches as they can be hugely inaccurate, and can exert a massive amount of unnecessary leverage.

It may or may not solve your issues, but worth a try before you go ordering replacement bearings/ tools etc...

mitchgixer6

Not used it myself yet, but I read that good quality marine grade waterproof grease is a must for BB30 bearings.

dilatory

I am no expert but with 10mm allen key, rubber mallet and block of wood took cranks out, cleaned out bearings with gt85, smashed 'em full of grease and put it back together, fixing the bb30 knocking woes I had. It was pretty straight forward and didn't take too long.

ben-----

OK, great, thanks for that.

jgsi

Undoing the ND crank is simple... be aware that it will need a long handle 10mm allen key to make it easier... it will loosen off, then will go stiffer again.. just proceed.. can be unnerving 1st time.. this the preload coming off from the wavy washer.
Er, if the bearings need replacing for a proper job.. just buy some new ones from Wiggle...
At same time ... the FSA BB30 removal and insert tools are cheap..
Make your self a bearing press with a long M10 coach bolt, large washers and nuts from the local hardware store.

ben-----

Got it off, thanks.

Sorry to be a thicky, but where should I be stuffing grease in?








Have ordered some replacement bearings. Chainreaction are out of FSA BB30 Bearing Installation Tools at the moment unfortunately. But before I get into all that just want to see if sticking grease in will sort it.

Thanks.

kettrinboy

Ive got this same BB on my Spesh Venge Expert , to get grease into the sealed bearings you need to prise out the black neoprene seal with a thin screwdriver but it may get damaged and it may not go back in properly , If it were mine I would just remove and replace the bearings.

pippi_langsamer-2

ben----- wrote:

Got it off, thanks.

Sorry to be a thicky, but where should I be stuffing grease in?








Have ordered some replacement bearings. Chainreaction are out of FSA BB30 Bearing Installation Tools at the moment unfortunately. But before I get into all that just want to see if sticking grease in will sort it.

Thanks.

Just smear it over the face of the bearing ie the rubber seal. You won't actually be greasing the bearing, so it's a bit of daft advice, but they are only weird things, and simply doing this and re torquing the crank arm could solve the creaking as it did with mine.

sungod

a pointy pick is best for taking off bearing seals, there's an fsa video that shows the whole clean/grease process, but it's easy to describe...

be gentle to avoid bending the seals (you can flatten them again if it happens, but better to avoid it in the first place)

flush the bearing of old grease, then dry - without seals and grease they should spin very freely and without any gritty feeling (otherwise they need replacing)

squish in grease, fit seals, grease inside/outside of races, bearing seats, spindle, install and adjust preload

ben-----

OK, thanks.

> If it were mine I would just remove and replace the bearings

I will do if I have to and once I've got the necessary bits.

The black thing came off very easily. Should I carry on and attempt to take off the white thing or just get greasing now? (Three thin rubber/plastic rings are off now.)





Thanks.

sungod

gently tap the end of the spindle a few times, rubber mallet etc. and it will come out, you'll have easier access then and you can check inside the bb shell for crud/water

with the spindle out you can also use your fingers to rotate the bearings and feel for any roughness, it all looks quite clean so the bearings may be fine without needing the seals removed and cleaned/greased

keep careful track of what comes off, in which order/orientation, simplest way is thread each piece onto something to keep it in order

the 'black thing' is the outer shield

the 'white thing' is the bearing seal sitting between inner and outer races

the thin plastic rings sound like the shims used to get the preload correct (some systems have an adjuster, some shims, some nothing/some other method)

if the clicking persists, remove the bearings, clean them and the inside of the bb, especially the bearing seats, then grease it all, almost all the grease will squish out when you refit, what's important is that there'll then be grease filling any slight irregularities and preventing water/dirt penetrating

grease is good - if the bearing seats get corroded/damaged you'll end up having to use a retaining compound one day, which complicates future servicing (some makes/models actually specify using this as standard, which makes one wonder about their manufacturing tolerances!)

mitchgixer6

Sungod

The bearing retainer doesn't really make servicing the bearings any more complicated. It just means it takes slightly more force to get the bearings out and then leaving it to cure for 24 hours.

With all the stories of creaking and clicking BB30 frames I think it's good practice to use it from the start. In fact it might well be needed to cure this chaps click.

dilatory

I took the white rubber seal off the bearings themselves, held a cloth at the bottom and sprayed GT85 into the bearing until it all ran clean. Then sprayed some more. Let it dry out, smushed as much grease as I could back into them and put the rubber seal back on. Put back together and all good. Another 500 miles in since I did it and all seems okay.

ben-----

Mission successful.

> gently tap the end of the spindle a few times, rubber mallet etc. and it will come out, you'll have easier access then and you can check inside the bb shell for crud/water

Did that, excellent advice, thanks.

Bearings seemed fine so didn't take their seals off. Just put more grease in. Cleaned up a bit. The only grit that was present at all was a small bit on the crank inside -- slightly visible in the third photo above. Not sure if that was the source. Anyway, all back together and clicking gone -- I think -- just went for a quick spin.

Just used what grease I had: Weldtite TF2 Lithium. Have ordered some of the Ramonol Advanced Marine Grease so I'll use that next time.

Great, thanks for all the info.