BB removal - any masher methods?

Matthewfalle

Afternoon all

A quick question: I've just been given an old Ali frame in very bad condition (everything rusted/oxidised to buggery: as in necessary to grind off cranks, cut off quick releases, etc. in fact I have never worked on something so bad).

The frame and forks however, apart from being scratched are sound so I wouldn't mind stripping everything out (which I have managed to do) and keeping it tucked away in case it can help someone out in the future.

The one remaining thing I can't get out is the BB.

Using my trusty Shimano BB tool, I can't get purchase on the non drive side cup. It fits perfectly on the drive side but as we all know, NDS before DS.

I don't need the cups/BB afterwards.

Has anyone any experience/tips in getting stubborn shot NDS cups out? More than happy to mash it out so long as I don't mash the frame threads.

Hints/tips gratefully received.

Many thanks in advance

M.

me-109

You could try a little heat. The alu frame will expand quicker than the BB and may release some of the stiction in the threads.

arlowood

Get some Plus Gas and immerse the BB in it overnight or longer if you're not in too much of a hurry.

Then I'd get or borrow a plumbers Stilson wrench and put some "wellie" into it

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Toolzone-18-STI ... B001O5M1ZC

Just remember that the NDS cup will be standard threaded (ie undo anticlockwise) whether it's a BSA or Italian threaded BB

Matthewfalle

Ciao

Than you very much for that - heat has been applied to no success, penetrating fluid tried as well.

Have also had a bit of lateral thinking and bolted on the bb tool (long bolt through 2 washers through bob tool bolted onto bb to hold it in).

All superhuman 75kg of me then donned my size 9 Army combat boot (good enough to Afghan in so theoretically good enough to undo a bb - remember, heroes wear Haix) and stood on the 1/2 inch breaker bar and pulled down on the frame with all my might.

Any difference? Bugger all.

Any other ideas before I set fire to it (apart rom setting fire to the f'tard who let it all get in such a bad state in the first place)?

Grazie

M

lapavoni10

as an absolute last resort you could try a metal cutting blade in a jig saw and CAREFULLY cut through the cup until you reach the inside of the frame. Make another cut on the opposite side, the squeeze the cups away from the frame (ie using a vice)

Matthewfalle

Ciao

Unfortunately old square taper bb so no can do (my bad for not being specific in the first place - apols)

Thank you for input.

M

lapavoni10

Ah right...sorry I thought you already had the drive side out...but now I see the whole thing is seized.
Have you tried the vice method on the drive side? I have found that way a lot motre controlled

Matthewfalle

Have tried NDS then DS to no avail - will DS go before NDS?

lapavoni10

the drive side has flats on the cup? I would try that with a vice first. Lay the frame on its side in the vice with the cup held nice and tight, then use the frame as the lever

drlodge

Leverage is what you need, if you have enough something will give :oops:

Monty Dog

Shimano UN BB? As a bike shop mechanic, 'heavy tools' was the last resort - nip around to the local engineering shop and push it out on a fly-press or simply hit it hard with a 4lb club hammer with the BB shell supported by a stout piece of steel pipe. The ones with the plastic cups were notorious for getting stuck as the splines used to simply break away.
If the BB is old style cup and cone with steel cups, then I have cut one out of a Cannondale frame using a tungsten carbide saw blade. Had to smash the spindle out first which collapsed one cup.
More recently, removed a Truvativ Powerspline with a pair of 2ft Stilsons as someone had mangled the splines installing it.

Matthewfalle

Ciao

Lapa: thank you for continued assistance - very much appreciated.

Dr: will drive side go even if non drive side is stuck firm? For leverage I'm thing long breaker bar with scaffold pole on end.

Monty: due to levels of frustration, smashing it to bits sounds like a good idea. C.2003 Shimano bb, so yup, am estimating UN BB square taper. Splines have broken away/about to break away on NDS.

So. Frame on side, support bb surround, smack the square taper (ie part where the cranks screw in) with lump hammer? Is the theory that this central part will shear away the come out the other side?

Grazie un oltra volta per l'assistenza!

M

jermas

Try filling the bottom bracket shell with a good penetrant (ferrosol is v good). Also although it sounds counter-intuitive try tightening it first (with a whack) - it can sometimes crack the corrosion and allow it to be loosened.

Monty Dog

If the cup is plastic, save yourself a lot of hassle and minimise the risk of damage to your frame by using a club-hammer. We used to do this out of the sight of customers as they'd get a bit nervous when you'd take a club hammer to their pride and joy! You won't find this in the Shimano service manual...

Matthewfalle

Still not shifting despite 5lb lump hammer being wielded by a squaddie.

If I can't get it shifted tomorrow am it's going to the charity ali recycling bin. It's a horrible colour anyway.

Thanks again for all the posts - very much appreciated.

M

cycleclinic

If heat and plus gas have failed all the other methods require more time and you need to ask your self is it really worth it. I'd say it probably isn't.

Matthewfalle

Cycleclinic has hit the nail on the head - I'm just doing it now out of intrigue and to store knowledge for the future!

nicklouse

Shame you cut the cranks off. As there are BB tools that screw into the BB axle allowing tool to not move and stay perpendicular to the axel. Then just undo it.

Plastic NDS cup can easily be cut away. If steel then a die grinder can be used.

But normally people playing at it make it worse to fix which is what you may have done.

nicklouse wrote:

Ok the BB is shot so that need to come out.

it had been in for years and i had already split the cup on the non drive side.





great tool that screws into the BB axle as well



and out it comes.



Lovely.


so how to get the cup out as you can not use a BB tool.

next post.

nicklouse wrote:

So how to remove a stuck BB cup.

Insert a Hacksaw.


and make some cuts.




and then knock the pieces of Pie out.



then chase the threads out and clean the BB areaready for the new BB.

Have fun.

Matthewfalle

Now that's cool - very, very cool. Very good to see just of interest - thank you. It's exactly the same as I made earlier today using my bb extractor bolted onto the bb using bolt and washers into the square taper end, 32mm socket and big breaker bar on end of bb extractor/washers/bolt.

As an aside, I had to cut the cranks off because they were so jeffed that all the threads that the crank removal tool goes into didn't exist any more so you couldn't do anything with them. 11 year old (at least) 105.

nicklouse

You would be surprised.

And you don't say how you cut them off leaving what to work with.

Matthewfalle

With an angle grinder leaving the square taper parts complete and intact and untouched (deft hand)

If you had seen the state of it you wouldn't be surprised.......