bobn

I have a Raleigh 3 speed. The bottom bracket, unlike the hubs does not have a lube hole/zerk fitting.
I tried to press off the bolted cotter. Used a "C" clamp with an adapter on the non bolted side to allow it to slip through when it came loose. Well, it did not come loose. Tried penetrating oil N.G. I don't want to beat the sh8t out of it and I was afraid to much pressure would bend/damage the bolt and threads.

Any ideas? Can I drop a long tube down the seat tube and pump in some light weight lube or gear oil that way? I really don't want to mess this bike up

I know I can support the BB shaft and crank and use a block of wood the beat on nut and bolt side but this doesn't seem to do anything.

I would settle on just getting some lube down to those bearings.

Thanks,
Bob

San Rensho 

Yes. This is all I do with my 3 spd. I tried getting the cotters out with every imaginable method (OK, no welder torch or drill out) but hammering and clamping didn't work.

You can use a tube, but since the seat tube is hollow, I just stick the end of an oil can in there, pull the plunger three times and it works fine.

Pump oil in until oil just starts to come out of the bottom bracket between the spindle and the cup.

bobn

San Rensho,
Thank you, thank you. Shot some 30w down the tube, will follow up with 80w 90 gear grease. (live in So Florida. Hot ). The oil is leaking out and washing away the old dry lube (black).
Those bearings must have been drier than a popcorn fart. Spins good and no more noise.

roughrider504

Sheldon Brown has a nice write up on cotters.

https://sheldonbrown.com/cotters.html

bobn

Thanks roughrider. I really didn't want to take the chance of having to go through all that questionable surgery to lube the bearings. This is the easy way. I just shot some gear lube down the seat tube (80w-90), let the excess seep out and took her for a ride. Smooth as silk. Just have to make sure it is done at regular intervals.

FlatTop

Yes, that sounds right, the oil would break down the solidified grease and wash it away. While it's a shame the cotter wouldn't come off to give you access to the bearings, it sounds like you've improved matters by introducing the oil to the BB.

Just a point of interest: my '60 Rudge (Raleigh product) came with an oil cap on the bottom bracket, an oil port on the front hub, and of course the usual Sturmey-Archer oil cap on the rear hub. Oddly, I can't remember whether I've ever renewed the grease in the head bearings, but all the oil points get refreshed every season. The bike drools a bit the first couple of days after oiling, but then it settles in and stays pretty clean.