Bicycle Mechanics - Shimano FC5600 bottom bracket confusion

I have a 2008 Trek Portland, bought April, 2009. A clicking noise developed in the crank, one click per revolution, about 1 o'clock on the right side pedal position. Bike has about 9,000 miles. Finding no external cause for the noise, I figure it has to be the bottom bracket. The BB has the following labeling: SM-FC5600 on the right cup, FG on the left. And BC 1.37 X 24 Road on the right cup.

Two problems came up:

1. I ordered a replacement BB according to those labels. I suppose the 1.37 X 24 means an English BB, which I ordered, as opposed to an Italian. In the new BB, the right cup is left-threaded and the left is right-threaded. Oddly, my bike is right-threaded on both sides. Not only that, but the length of the cups is switched from what's on my bike; ie, new part has short cup on right, my bike has short on the left. Weird. Did I order the wrong Shimano BB?

2. I found the short left cup on my bike is frozen. I used a rubber mallet on the FC5600 tool to try to break it free (before smashing my hand like an idiot) with no luck. Any suggestions on how to break it free?

Mack L.

how do you know you have the short cup on the left when it is seized? make sure you have your left and right correct. traditionally right means the drive side and left the non drive side. break it free with penetrating oil, a big piece of pipe over your tool, someone to hold the frame and turn the right way

Three possibilities:
1. You were sent a defective set of bb cups
2. Your frame was threaded incorrectly
3. You aren't removing and/or installing the cups on the correct side and turning them the correct direction.

Thanks for reply......I should have said the right is frozen, duh. I got the left cup off and it was the short one. Right is the drive side, of course.

Here's the BB characteristics of the existing and new BBs. These are all labeled, by the way, L and R for left and right, and an arrow indicating the tighten direction, with the word "tighten" above the arrow.

Existing BB on bike:
Left is long, right-hand tighten
Right is short, right-hand tighten

New BB:
Left is short, right-hand tighten
Right is long, left-hand tighten

I can't figure out what is going on, unless somehow it's the wrong FC5600 bracket.

Mack L

Jeez! I mean I got the left one off and it was long. I can't type and think at the same time :-(

Mack L

Thanks for the reply. The new BB cups match the documentation that came with them. I guess it's possible the frame was threaded wrong on the right side. I'm handling the cups according to the way they are labelled. I'm at a loss. But I'll have a go again at getting the right side cup off anyway.

Mack L

for the drive side turn clockwise to remove