Please Help: Diminished threads not allowing crank removal

MorganLeeds97

Hi,

Having removed the bolt from my 'non-chainring' side pedal arm, I discovered the previous owner had used loctite, resulting in the thread inside the pedal arm to become diminished, meaning I cannot use the crank puller to remove the pedal - as it will not screw in.

What would be best in this situation please? I have thought about maybe re-tapping the thread on the pedal arm, what are people's opinions on this?

Any advice greatly appreciated

Thanks!

I have attached some photos:

http://imgur.com/a/koi08

Monty Dog

Fork type ball-joint splitter or 2-arm bearing puller or if you're going to trash the arm, simply hacksaw it off.

MorganLeeds97

Monty Dog wrote:

Fork type ball-joint splitter or 2-arm bearing puller or if you're going to trash the arm, simply hacksaw it off.

Thanks really helpful, will look into it

crankycrank

You could also just screw in the BB bolt but leave it backed out a turn or so. Then while holding the bike up by the stripped crank use a mallet and a drift of some sort, a wood dowel would be ideal, and hit the drift with a mallet/hammer against the bolt head. Ideally you should have a second person to hold the crank while you hammer away and this should separate the the crankarm from the BB.

buckmulligan

You have my sympathy, I've been there (although I foolishly managed to strip the threads myself) and it's not an easy fix if it's on there tight.

As Monty says, a 2-arm bearing puller is probably your best bet if you can get yours hands on one. If you're planning on replacing the BB, I'd just hacksaw through the spindle on that side and then you can tap out the remainder of the spindle with a punch once it's off the bike. This will at least save the cranks, but if you reuse them you'll be faced with the same problem every time you want to get them off!

N.B. It looks as though there's a washer (possibly from the crank bolts?) jammed in there blocking access to the top of the spindle; perhaps this is what caused the stripped threads?!

keef66

BuckMulligan wrote:

N.B. It looks as though there's a washer (possibly from the crank bolts?) jammed in there blocking access to the top of the spindle; perhaps this is what caused the stripped threads?!

That's a mistake I made once; didn't realise the washer was there so the crank extractor only engaged a few threads, and it ripped them out as soon as I went to tighten the extractor.

Without the washer it engaged fully and thankfully got the crank off.

MorganLeeds97

Thanks for all the advice

I think I may look at going down the 2-arm bearing puller route to sort it.

BuckMulligan wrote:

If you're planning on replacing the BB, I'd just hacksaw through the spindle on that side and then you can tap out the remainder of the spindle with a punch once it's off the bike. This will at least save the cranks, but if you reuse them you'll be faced with the same problem every time you want to get them off!

N.B. It looks as though there's a washer (possibly from the crank bolts?) jammed in there blocking access to the top of the spindle; perhaps this is what caused the stripped threads?!

Wanting to keep the same bb, as simply don't have funds as yet, just looking to sort the seizing situation. I'm not sure if there is a washer or not, the damage on the entrance to the thread stops anything getting in and out anyway! I will have a further look tonight.

buckmulligan

Yeah, I'd take a look at that because you'll have to get it out before trying most of the solutions above.

It should look something like this, with the square end of the spindle clearly visible: