Bicycle Mechanics - Crank removal for 1994 campi

I have the 7 mm hex key for the bolt that holds the crank on to the taper. 7mm keys are not easy to find. Upon loosening the crank bolt, it loosens a bit then stops. The bolt goes through a disk with two holes that looks kind of like a dust cap. Do I have to remove that? It's stuck and I do not have a tool for it. I tried needle nose pliers with the tips inserted into the holes but cannot get much of a grip. Any suggestions other than getting another tool?

Thanks if you can help.

I have the 7 mm hex key for the bolt that holds the crank on to the taper. 7mm keys are not easy to find. Upon loosening the crank bolt, it loosens a bit then stops. The bolt goes through a disk with two holes that looks kind of like a dust cap. Do I have to remove that? It's stuck and I do not have a tool for it. I tried needle nose pliers with the tips inserted into the holes but cannot get much of a grip. Any suggestions other than getting another tool?

Thanks if you can help.You have two options.

1) put the 7mm hex key back into the fitting and keep turning it counterclockwise. It's got a flange that pushes on that "dust cap," and the dust cap is threaded into the crankarm. So the bolt forces the cap, and thus the crankarm, away from the spindle, and the crank comes off. Hopefully.

2) get a special left-hand thread Campagnlolo crank extractor, remove the left-hand-threaded "dust cap" and the 7mm bolt, and then use the crank extractor instead. The parts are LH-thread so the cap won't come out when you're doing procedure #1 above.

Your Campy crankset comes with built-in extractors. Keep turning that hex bolt counter-clockwise.

mechBgon has it exactly right. One of Campy's better ideas in the early '90s was a left-hand threaded dustcap/extractor collar for their cranks. That way they could sell you a crank extractor that fit absolutely nothing else.

As he recommended, keep turning the fixing bolt after the resistance starts and it should pull the crank off the spindle. A drop of oil in the annuar gap between the bolt head and the collar should make it turn easier.

Also, don't you love Campy's use of a 7 mm hex when everybody else uses 6 mm (Suguino) or 8 mm (Shimano). Gotta be different just to be different. They even had one component that required a 3.5 mm hex. Try finding one of those.

Thanks for the tips. I will give this keep on turning thing a try. Yes I love Campy. I'm finding all kinds of things like the 8 speed casset is not made any more according to the LBS. They say my Bike is old and Campy doesn't suport old product. I don't think its old at all. My 1970s CCM single speed coaster is old. My 1974 Peugeots are old. I'm old but 1994 Campy gear is not old.

Campy 8-speed was a short lived component group since they changed their freehub design (widened it) when they went to 9 and then 10-speed. Unlike Shimano, whose 8-speed freehubs also take 9 and 10-speed cassettes, Campy's 8-speed quickly became an orphan.

There are 8-speed cassettes available but not real easy to find and your LBS probably doesn't want to look for them. You may have to try e-bay. I think Nashbar offered some a few months ago but I don't see them on their website anymore.

Thanks for the tips. I will give this keep on turning thing a try. Yes I love Campy. I'm finding all kinds of things like the 8 speed casset is not made any more according to the LBS. They say my Bike is old and Campy doesn't suport old product. I don't think its old at all. My 1970s CCM single speed coaster is old. My 1974 Peugeots are old. I'm old but 1994 Campy gear is not old.


I think you can stilk get the campy 8sp casettes from http://www.branfordbike.com

I got all mad about the 7mm wrench thing as well, but at an auto parts store I found a set of 6, 7, 8, and 10mm hex wrenches with 3/8" fittings for like $7. Not sure what the 6 or the 10 would ever get used for (shearing off stuck quill stem bolts with the 6 and a breaker bar? :) ) but now I have both the rare 7mm and a normal 8mm that work with my torque wrench for $3.50 each. Not so terrible. If you go to a parts store and these aren't with the regular hex sets, look for the brake tools.