Bicycle Mechanics - Campag crank removal

Dear Abby

On my Flying Scot, I have a Campag double chainset dating probably from the 1980's.
I have tried to work out how to remove it with no success.

The crank is retained by the usual allen headed bolt, but the bolt seems to have a raised collar about half way down the head (if that makes sense) which engages in another threaded collar which seems to screw in by using two pin holes (like a bottom bracket moveable cup) and which collar sits outside the bolt head (i.e the diameter of the collar is bigger than the diameter of the bolt head )

The outside collar is opposite threaded, so it seems to me that a normal extractor wouldn't work as it would be threaded the wrong way. I can get the outside collar to unthread so much by using an adjustable pin spanner, but it won't undo completely because it locates over the raised bit of the allen head bolt. The only way I can undo it is to loosen it a bit, then the bolt, then it, the bolt etc, and it still leaves me the problem that all of my extractors are right threaded and these crank arms are left threaded. (anticlockwise to tighten)

Anyone suggest where I can get the necessary tools?

is this set up supposed to let you remove the crank with no extractor by the bolt pushing in the collar and thus on the crank arm.

Signed

Perplexed of North Queensferry

Sounds to me like you have a self-extracting crank arrangement. The "collar" you describe is something like a dustcap with a hole in it. When you unscrew the crank bolt with an allen key, it should butt into the collar and back the crank off of the spindle.

Thanks for that Regular guy, that's what I thought. The problem is that the crank appears very tight and I'm worried about cracking the collar.

Campagnolo used a one-key release system around that time. It is like the other systems used today, but the retaining ring (dust cap) is a left-hand thread. This insured that when the bolt was loosened, it did not loosen the ring as well. Make sure the ring is tight in the arm and try to pull the arm using the bolt.

Campagnolo made a tool if the rings came out. It is a left-hand threaded extractor, and only Campy made it. It is Campagnolo part #1170005, and is still available.

I recently "extracted" some Campy cranks with the self extracting bolts and it was a challenge. I didn't crank anything though and getting them back on was much much easier. I thought they designed these bolts for ease of crank removal in the field... yeah right.

Thanks for the info guys. you can guess what I'll be doing this weekend.

I think you need to grease the flats in a self-extracting system to avoid the crank binding to the spindle. If it isnt greased, could be tricky to release. Try dribling in some WD40 or your fav free-er upper.

Thanks Michael, they looked to have been greased.

Today I got the allen keys out, undid the bolt to put some pressure on the extracting collar and then put boiling water over the crank arm.

This freed them off, so now stripped, cleaned and refitted (with grease)

Isn't Italian style and engineering wonderful.?