Struggling\unable to remove FSA Octalink crankset

daniel_b

Hello all,

my second hand commuter, now a winter bike has a triple FSA crankset fitted.

It's covered a lot of miles, and the middle chainring is screwed.

I've ordered a replacement chainring, but as it's so old, and is being a pain to remove, I am considering when I eventually do get it off, to send the replacement middle cog back, and just buy a new bargain 105 or Sora triple for Circa £50 - the better quality chainting cost me £22 from Ribble.

I removed the securing bolts from both sides, and tried to use the crank puller, but no amount of forcing it in on the driveside is making it budge a millimetre.

Here are the pics - I haven't seen anything like this before, I'm a bit bemused - unless it is just so old and welded on it needs more grunt I'm not sure.

Considering taking it along to the LBS to see if they can shift it.

Once I do get it out, do you reckon I would be best to just go for a Hollowtech II and a 105 crankset or similar?
Anyone seen any triple Sora/105 bargains out there on their travels?

Here is my crank puller, I've just been using the fat bit, and driving it in with a pedal spanner on the drive side.


Here is the view from the driveside:


And from tuther side:

imatfaal

You need a special crank puller for octalink as often the one supplied in a tool kit is the wrong size. I have heard that a five pence coin or two can be used to provide a better face that does the trick. Do remember to remove all washers first - sometimes you can miss them very easily

From this page you can see that Park has seperate tools as a generic crank puller and in the text the suggest tools for Octalink and Isis

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/park-tool-cotterless-crank-puller-ccp22/rp-prod34314?gs=1&gclid=CjwKEAjw0NytBRD-1d3QsdHNpR0SJACGXqgRsCTGIOEciH4mkNQZUp5l2Nrw0DoVTxna3NmcUk6XFhoCC3Xw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

daniel_b

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666852#p19666852]imatfaal[/url] wrote:

You need a special crank puller for octalink as often the one supplied in a tool kit is the wrong size. I have heard that a five pence coin or two can be used to provide a better face that does the trick. Do remember to remove all washers first - sometimes you can miss them very easily

From this page you can see that Park has seperate tools as a generic crank puller and in the text the suggest tools for Octalink and Isis

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/park-tool-cotterless-crank-puller-ccp22/rp-prod34314?gs=1&gclid=CjwKEAjw0NytBRD-1d3QsdHNpR0SJACGXqgRsCTGIOEciH4mkNQZUp5l2Nrw0DoVTxna3NmcUk6XFhoCC3Xw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Cheers for that

So it looks I am indeed trying to brace against the second set of threads to pull this mutha off the BB.

I couldn't see any washers in there, but will look again.

Looks like if I cannot fashion my own extractor tool that this may do the job.......?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-octalink-chainset-plug-tool/rp-prod5728?gs=1&gclid=CLj8lZbR_cYCFasEwwod3wUP7Q&gclsrc=aw.ds

Found it cheaper on Halfords now actually.

And also, I have a nasty suspicion that if I want to get the BB out I may also need a special tool for that?

I have a tool that came with the lifeline kit which works for normal BB's, and another one for HTII BB's, but am starting to wonder if the Octalink setup requires yet antoher tool?

Although IIRC it looks like this, so it may be ok:

imatfaal

If I have my head right the end of the tool that pushes on the octalinky bit and thus forces the crank arm back towards you should be 16mm diameter. Before buying another tool - that might be exactly the same :-) - have you tried penetrating oil etc. Sounds to me as if you might be trying to remove a part that was installed dry ie without anti-seize or grease.

I had a pedal like that and in the end shifted it with a scaffolding pole over the end of the pedal wrench

The Rookie

You need to make sure the end of the extractor (inner section) is pushing on the axle and not on the crank itself, wind it all the way in and you should be able to check.

As it's FSA it won't be Octalink (Shimano) I don't think, like ISIS and Powerspline they are similar, but not the same.

imatfaal

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19667749#p19667749]The Rookie[/url] wrote:

You need to make sure the end of the extractor (inner section) is pushing on the axle and not on the crank itself, wind it all the way in and you should be able to check.

As it's FSA it won't be Octalink (Shimano) I don't think, like ISIS and Powerspline they are similar, but not the same.

It does have Octalink written on the drive side - I think Shimano licensed it to other manufacturers to try to forestall another splined crank being developed (and failed ie ISIS etc)

daniel_b

Well amusingly I tried a 5p piece, and not two as you mentioned, and it drove a hole through the middle of the coin - 5p down then!

The saviour was this little lump of metal from Halfords ebay store (New one on me and not listed on the Halfords website) tried it tonight and worked first time.



All cogs now taken apart, middle one to be binned, and as you can probably tell from the gunk on the bike, the whole thing needs a thorough degrease and clean up before refitting.

Looking at the BB, I am reasonably sure I do not have a suitable tool to remove it should I want to :roll:

Thankyou for all the help, suggestions and advice - I now have a new tiny lump of metal and a bike in bits as a result

The Rookie

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666475#p19666475]Daniel B[/url] wrote:

no amount of forcing it in on the driveside is making it budge a millimetre.

So what you really meant was it wound all the way in with no effort, no wonder we were confused!

daniel_b

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19671266#p19671266]The Rookie[/url] wrote:

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19666475#p19666475]Daniel B[/url] wrote:

no amount of forcing it in on the driveside is making it budge a millimetre.

So what you really meant was it wound all the way in with no effort, no wonder we were confused!

I'm confused as well now - I used the crank extractor, but without the long pointy bit as it had nothing to brace against - I thought if I drove that in through the crank and continued to do so, it would bit the BB, and pull the crank off - which it did not. That tiny bit of metal was the saviour!

Anyway, I soaked the whole lot in degreaser at the weekend (Probably covered 5000 miles between me and the previous owner without having ever been removed, so absolutely caked in grime) and then gave it a good scrub up, re-assembled with the new cog, and it looks like this