Ronno6

Yes, ANOTHER pedaling noise thread................
(Believe me, I HATE to do it.)

Cannondale SR something from 1988.
FSA Gossamer crankset
Megexo BB
Tic tic...........tic tic.............tic tic
Usually 2 tics per rev, somewhat close together.
Sometimes more
If I take my right foot off the pedal and pedal with left foot.........tic tic............tic tic...........tic tic
If I take my left foot off and pedal with right foot.............SILENCE
If I ease up on left foot force, I can reduce or eliminate the tic temporarily.

I have changed pedals
I have cleaned and teflon taped the pedals and torqued within an inch of their lives.......
Installed pedal washers
Removed pedal washers
I have cleaned, teflon taped and properly torqued BB.
I have cleaned the BB faces on the frame.
I have cleaned, greased and torqued the left arm axle cap
I have cleaned the spindle splines
I have greased the spindle splines
I have greased the crank arm pinch bolts.......
Tightened chainring bolts (but have not greased as of yet.)
Is it possible to generate chainring ticks when pedaling with left foot but not right foot?
What the heck else is there??

Is it plausible to believe that the gremiln resides on the left side from pedaling tests??

Only things I have not tried.......replacing BB and removing the threaded axle cap.

I had not ridden this machine in some time, and installed the new crank before all this was noticed.
I do not THINK it was present with old crank, also a Gossamer, but will never know.

After the last attempt,cleaning grease from splines, greasing pinch bolts, and installing pedal washers,
things were blissfully silent for about 6 miles.
Then the annoying tic tic........tic tic..................tic tic returned.

I have also checked/tightened stem cap bolts, stem clamp bolts, seat clamp bolt, seatpost clamp bolt.

What am I missing?
Shoe cleats??

Thanks !

cny-bikeman

The force exerted by your left leg is transmitted from the shoe to pedal, through the crank arm to the spindle, then to the right crank arm spider, at which point the path is the same as for the right pedal. Therefore the problem has to be between your shoe and the right spider. Have you changed shoes?

Ronno6

I have not tried that.
I am wearing the same shoes/cleats that I had worn on the bike I was riding before switching to this one, and they made no noise on that one.
And this is the third set of pedals swapped onto this bike.

FBinNY 

Yes, it is possible for the left to tick but not the right. The right crank is attached to the chainrings, and drives them directly. The left has to transmit torque to the spindle and back to the right crank, so spindle play in either crank, will manifest as a left pedal click.

This can be at the junction of the through axle and right crank, where it's not adjustable and cannot be tightened.

Ronno6

[QUOTE=FBinNY;17989512

This can be at the junction of the through axle and right crank, where it's not adjustable and cannot be tightened.[/QUOTE]

I had not considered that......that would be a bummer!

FBinNY 

If it's isolated to that, there is a fix, but you don't cross that bridge until all the other bridges are burned down and the ferry stops running.

One test that may confirm if it's in the right crank is to dab a thin drop of brittle (cheap) nail polish across the spindle/crank line someplace. Let it cure, and ride a while. If the drop cracks, you have movement and the next step is to talk to FSA.

Ronno6

Gotcha. thanks.

Ronno6

What role does the threaded axle end cap play in these Hollotech II type arrangements?
Is it possible to tighten it too much prior to torquing the crankarm pinch bolts?
Would that push the crankarm up a bit too far onto the base of the spline and prevent a really secure
interface at the base of the spline?
I have read that some mechanics eliminate them. Is that after torquing that cap and tightening the pinch bolts?
How the heck do you measure 1-7 inch lbs anyway??

Homebrew01

Yup, my old deltas squeak. I have to smear a bit of grease on the contact area.
Tighten your front wheel QR lever.

Ronno6

I have considered them,
However, I would have to consider it odd that they would click with 3 different sets of pedals on this bike, but be silent on others....
I'm just sayin'......................

Homebrew01

All the good ideas were taken ....

Ronno6

I just took the shotgun approach:
Replaced BB
cleaned the BB faces on the frame
greased both cups and BB frame faces
cleaned crank spindle and crank arm splines
regreased and retorqued the left pedal.
We'll see what this brings.
If not the solution, maybe I'll try cleats and shoes.
Then it'll be time for a new 105 crankset and BB.
Or, switch to another horse in the stable..................

note: I did notice some black marks on the crank spindle.
I cleaned them up with emery cloth.
Maybe burnishing at the (s)ticking points???

FBinNY 

BTW- quickly scrolling though I noticed you teflon taped the BB cups.

IMO the very fact that it was possible might point to the issue. You might have radial play between the cup and frame due to a sloppy thread (very common). So heavy pedal loads move the cup down giving you the click. Try my brittle paint trick and see if it reveals movement.

Or remove the cup and tape. Paint the threads with a nylon paint to partly fill the roots of the threads, (or do likewise in the BB shell, but probably not both unless you limit yourself to shallow fills. Then reassemble. If the fill is right, you'll meet resistance as the threads have to push flow the material a bit, but not crazy force that would strip the splines. No guaranties, but you're running out of rope otherwise.

Ronno6

Actually, I have used teflon tape for several years on bottom brackets.
It has alleviated some serious BB knocks in the past.
As this is more of a tic than a knock, I have my doubts that it is that serious.
As I hold your suggestions in high regard, I will keep them in mind.

FBinNY 

My point is that the simple fact that teflon tape stays put and doesn't get shredded off by the first thread implies a sloppy thread and possible radial float. A proper fitting thread simply is too tight for tape to enter. (the cups themselves barely fit)

Ronno6

The teflon tape NEVER stays in tact.
It always shreds at metal to metal contact, and squirms off into any voids that exist.
There is no 100% metal to metal contact in any threaded mating of parts.
Teflon tape is primarily designed as a lubricant to aid in thread engagement.
It does act as a sealant in plumbing applications as it aids in joining the pieces together and sloughing off
into the voids which must exist between male and female threads.

As I said, I have used it on BB installations for years, mostly to alleviate more serious knocks
that I am witnessing now.
But, owing to your experience, I will try your method for future requirements.

FBinNY 

First of all, there's a MAJOR day and night difference between normal screw thread and plumbing applications. Plumbing threads are tapered and tighten to a jam fit. Teflon tape will stay intact there, as evidenced when joints are taken apart, and the jam fit ensures that any flexible will make a good seal and tight joint.

On BB's teflon tape is a hit or miss method who's success depends on how much of it gets where it's needed.

But do not abandon a method that generally has worked for you on my say so. It's just that in this case it might not have worked as well as before. It's entirely possible that if you remove the left cup and reinstall it using teflon you might repeat your past success.

Of course, it might not be the left cup, but having exhausted other resources, you might revisit that.

Also, if this is an external BB cup, it's entirely possible that the issue owes to a lack of rigidity in the entire bearing system. The click may be between spindle and race, within the bearing, bearing race to cup, or cup in frame. IMO, these systems are poorly conceived (it's ONLY my opinion), and underbuilt for hard use. I don't think it's an accident that BB clicks and creaks are common now, whereas they were rare in the past when we didn't rely on press and slip fits.

Ronno6

As I am constantly learning from the experience of others, I would rely on yours as opposed to just your say so.
At any rate, I just finished 24 blissfully quiet miles on the bike.
Problem has been resolved, if just for the time being.
I would have to believe that the burnishing marks which were evident on the 3 or 4 ridges of the spline
were indicative of, or a result of the problem.
These splines were opposite side from the pinch bolts on the crank arm.
I had previously torqued my pinch bolts to 130 in/lbs, which I discovered was too tight.
I now torque to 100.
Anyway, for the time being anyway, problem has been resolved.
Thanks to all..............

Maybe the problem was, as I now use Chain-L, my chain is so quiet that I can hear other sounds previously masked by chain whirr.....