Bicycle Mechanics - Odd Bottom Bracket Foibles

I'm trying to remove my bottom bracket to clean it and such, but I cannot get it off. The problem seems to be dual.

I don't seem to have the proper tool.
The bottom bracket cups are frozen. I've removed the lock ring and I understand the left side (non-drive) has regular threading (righty-tighty).

Anyone have any suggestions. I've attached a photograph so you can see what type of tool I'd need.

http://brainfuzz.net/temp/IMG_3280c.jpg

I'm trying to remove my bottom bracket to clean it and such, but I cannot get it off. The problem seems to be dual.

I don't seem to have the proper tool.
The bottom bracket cups are frozen. I've removed the lock ring and I understand the left side (non-drive) has regular threading (righty-tighty).

Anyone have any suggestions. I've attached a photograph so you can see what type of tool I'd need.

http://brainfuzz.net/temp/IMG_3280c.jpg


get the right tool and something that dissolves rust... and lube it too.

get the right tool and something that dissolves rust... and lube it too.

Any idea on what that tool would be? I have the Park Tool pin spanner. That fits most bottom brackets. It does not fit this.

If it's frozen, I doubt a Park pin spanner will be stout enough to do the job. I have an assortment of old bottom bracket tools. Most of them look like a cheap piece of stamped steel with a couple of fingers to fit into the grooves in your bottom bracket. I also have a gizmo that bolts onto the spindle and holds the tool flush against the bottom bracket shell so that you can put some serious torque on the frozen cup.

Good luck.

I have an assortment of old bottom bracket tools.

Sounds like a visit to my friends at the LBS then. Thanks.

Could it be that an old two-point freewheel tool would fit this? Esp. one shallow enough to allow you to put a nut on the bb spindle and hold it snug to the cup, as the Grouch suggests.

Could it be that an old two-point freewheel tool would fit this? Esp. one shallow enough to allow you to put a nut on the bb spindle and hold it snug to the cup, as the Grouch suggests.

It certainly looks like that, but I don't have one on hand to test.

Since it's English/ISO threaded and low-end, I would not worry too much about salvaging the cup, the spindle, or the crankset. Options include drilling a pilot hole in the surface of the cup and inserting a nail or screw, then prying against it and the spindle for leverage. I also agree with the rust-buster suggestion. What does the fixed cup look like? (It is almost definitely LH threaded.) If you can get it loose and remove the spindle, then you can use Sheldon Brown's bolt-and-nut trick to remove the fixed cup.

Now here's the odd thing. I took it to my LBS, and they got the adjustable cup off no problem with the yellow Park pin spanner. However, he and I had to use a special Campagnalo fixed cup remover to get the fixed cup off. We had to actually stick the bottom bracket in a vise.

However, the strangest thing is that my Trek frame has right hand threading on the drive side. It would seem that someone reemed out the shell to have right hand threading on both sides. Quite odd.