Bicycle Mechanics - Campag. cartridge BB questions

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John E
01-27-06, 08:38 AM
In upgrading the 1959 Capo (English/ISO BB) to ca. 1990 Campag. Veloce cranks and a symmetrical-length Chorus cartridge BB of presumably comparable vintage*, I am encountering two possibly related issues:

1) The cartridge is shorter than the (68mm) BB shell, so that the only thing preventing about 2mm of lateral motion is the press fit of the cartridge into the right side cup. Is this correct, or should I be adding a couple of spacers to provide pressure from both sides? I have seen such spacers, but I had assumed they were adaptors for 70mm Italian BB shells.

2) The right crank sits too far outboard, almost far enough to accommodate a third chainring. Does anyone know the spindle lengths for the double and triple versions of this BB?

Thanks in advance for any insights or relevant anecdotes anyone can provide.

___
*It has a 6-notched flange on each cup.

demoncyclist
01-27-06, 09:14 AM
It sounds like an AC-H or SC-S, which is the proper BB for Veloce cranks. They come in 111 and 115 spindle length models. The AC-H has a hollow spindle, while the SC-S is solid (weighs about 60 grams more). The cups should be the only thing touching the cartridge unit. Is it snug when you torque the cups to 70 Nm? If so, you are fine. You may have the triple length spindle (115mm) when you really want a double (111mm). If so, a new AC-H is only $30 from Branford Bike.
John E
01-27-06, 02:06 PM
... The cups should be the only thing touching the cartridge unit. True, and they are.
Is it snug when you torque the cups to 70 Nm? ... That's the issue. By first test-assembling the cartridge with both cups, I demonstrated to myself that the inner vertical surface of the left cup could press against the BB cartridge only if the BB shell were narrower than 68mm. Unlike the Athena cups, these have flanges which limit their inward travel to the width of the BB shell. If I had a 70mm Italian BB shell, this would make alot more sense to me.

The cartridge DOES press-fit VERY snugly into the right-side cup, so perhaps I am doing everything right. As soon as my new brake cable housings arrive, I'll reassemble the bike and try it out.