PF30 BB Query
I bought a Boardman Hybrid Pro last Saturday. Pretty happy with it other than having to order a longer seat-post.
Anyway, I've been riding it to work all this week and have really enjoyed the hydraulic disc brakes. I got caught in a rain storm that can only be described as biblical in force on Wednesday evening commuting home through central London.
On Thursday the crank/BB area started to make an awful noise once a revolution. The presence of a non-threaded BB was my only concrete reservation when purchasing this bike and so I immediately started cursing this useless BB standard that had been un-done after being caught out in the first bit of rain.
Gave it a wash Thursday evening, removed the FSA Gossamer crank to see what the general state of the area was.
This is what greeted me:
I removed the fluoro-yellow bearing cover with a knife and was presented with this:
The bearings seem to be encased in a solid resin-type of material. Is this normal? Is this an additional bearing cover?
I covered the whole thing in grease and replaced the fluoro-yellow bearing cover. I greased the splines on the FSA crank and re-assembled everything.
It all seems to be working silently and smoothly now but as this is my first bike with a non-threaded BB I wanted to check if the encasing of bearings in this resin-type material is normal and what make of PF30 BB do people recommend as a replacement when this one eventually goes south?
A lot of people recommend using loctite on press-fit BB to fill any gaps and prevent creaking but can you use loctite with the plastic cups that PF30 BBs sit in? Is it possible to get an alloy/aluminium cup with a PF30 so that loctite can be be used?
Cheers for your help.
Anyway, I've been riding it to work all this week and have really enjoyed the hydraulic disc brakes. I got caught in a rain storm that can only be described as biblical in force on Wednesday evening commuting home through central London.
On Thursday the crank/BB area started to make an awful noise once a revolution. The presence of a non-threaded BB was my only concrete reservation when purchasing this bike and so I immediately started cursing this useless BB standard that had been un-done after being caught out in the first bit of rain.
Gave it a wash Thursday evening, removed the FSA Gossamer crank to see what the general state of the area was.
This is what greeted me:
I removed the fluoro-yellow bearing cover with a knife and was presented with this:
The bearings seem to be encased in a solid resin-type of material. Is this normal? Is this an additional bearing cover?
I covered the whole thing in grease and replaced the fluoro-yellow bearing cover. I greased the splines on the FSA crank and re-assembled everything.
It all seems to be working silently and smoothly now but as this is my first bike with a non-threaded BB I wanted to check if the encasing of bearings in this resin-type material is normal and what make of PF30 BB do people recommend as a replacement when this one eventually goes south?
A lot of people recommend using loctite on press-fit BB to fill any gaps and prevent creaking but can you use loctite with the plastic cups that PF30 BBs sit in? Is it possible to get an alloy/aluminium cup with a PF30 so that loctite can be be used?
Cheers for your help.
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Comments
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Having fitted a few BB86 brackets this last two years, I too am now just finding my PF30 feet.
Unlike BB30 bearings, which press directly into the frame, my understanding is that the bearings and the PF30 cups will come in a single, sealed unit, all of which is replaced when life expired.
BTW, the loctites recommended are the 7649 activator followed by the 641 bearing retaining compound (or the 609 bearing retaining compound).0 -
Clean, regrease, retorque - most BB30/PF30 noises can be solved like that, if it doesn't then you can replace them but usually they'll be fine0
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The yellow plastic piece is a bearing retainer - it should pop-out. The fact that you haven't got rusty sludge around the bearing could indicate that a clean and repack should get it serviceable. The bearings are simply pressed-into a plastic housing - you should be able to remove the bearing, dunk it in degreaser, let it dry thoroughly and repack with grease before installing.Make mine an Italian, with Campagnolo on the side..0
