Bicycle Mechanics - Bottom Bracket bolt removal help

Hey

I am working on a bike where the bolt holding the crank to the spindle is either installed crooked or odd size. When I use the remover, I've tried both 14 and 15mm socket tool, and both don't fit. There seems to be not enough room for the 14mm to get in there and the 15mm is too big. Thoughts. Thanks

.. I've tried both 14 and 15mm socket tool, and both don't fit. There seems to be not enough room for the 14mm to get in there and the 15mm is too big.
All sockets aren't created equal, you might want to try with a special thin-walled socket. An auto parts store is likely to carry those.

Another option is to (arc)weld a nut on top of the bolt, and then use the nut to undo the bolt.

Any chance the bolt isn't metric but SAE (5/8", 1/2")?

I'd also put money on your socket being just a bit too big. One of my sets works in cranks, the other doesn't. I think it's, crazily enough, my 1/2" drive sockets that fit in cranks, and the 3/8" ones that don't.

Any chance the bolt isn't metric but SAE (5/8", 1/2")?

Never heard of that but I'm not a professional wrench. I did drive by a Holiday Inn Express on the way to work today, though.

All sockets aren't created equal, you might want to try with a special thin-walled socket. An auto parts store is likely to carry those.



Sears.

Never heard of that but I'm not a professional wrench. .

Seriously? SAE -- Standard of Automotive Engineers -- wrenches measured in inches rather than milimeters. Socket wrenches, allen wrenches, box wrenches, etc. are all available in Metric and SAE. Need to know what your bolts are to know what wrenches to use. Now, most bike parts are metric due to euro and japanaese domination of the industry (shimano, Campy) but you might find SAE parts on older American and British made bikes. I've used my SAE socket set on old Schwinn and lower end bikes.

There is a chance, and a good one at that it's a thin-wall. Those are no fun.

Seriously? SAE -- Standard of Automotive Engineers -- wrenches measured in inches rather than milimeters. Socket wrenches, allen wrenches, box wrenches, etc. are all available in Metric and SAE. Need to know what your bolts are to know what wrenches to use. Now, most bike parts are metric due to euro and japanaese domination of the industry (shimano, Campy) but you might find SAE parts on older American and British made bikes. I've used my SAE socket set on old Schwinn and lower end bikes.

Yep, some SAE sockets will work on some metric bolts.
All the 3-piece alloy cranks I've encountered in 30+ years have had metric bolts or nuts.
My guess/hunch is that she is working on a euro/japanese-style crank, as you described. All the bikes I've encountered (not a huge number) have fit that description.
Pictures would be helpful.

thin walled 14mm socket. park tools makes one definitely. youll also need a crank puller once you get those nuts out of there.

You probably can get it with a thin-walled socket, but I've always used a special bike-specific crank-bolt wrench that is designed to fit into that small space between the outside of the bolt head and the inside of the crank arm.