Flyingblind9

Ok here goes another Gossamer noise thread, but I couldn't quite find anything for my specific noise and I want to know what my next step should be. My bike is a 2011 Cannondale Synapse Alloy 5 with a 105 5700 Groupset. First, the noise is a sharp click and it happens when I am traveling in either my large or small chainring, however much more prominent on the large ring. It clicks rhythmically all the way through the pedal stroke intermittently. For instance it may click on a ride temporarily and then stop, but may return. It's loud enough that my riding partner can hear it.

At first I thought it was the bottom bracket, but I pulled the whole assembly apart, greased the main spindle, the spline to which the left crankarm attaches to, and cleaned all mating surfaces that the bearings could come in contact with, then greased. The bearings felt very smooth still and had no play as far as I could tell. That removed the creaking part of the equation that I had before. I then checked the chainring bolts and rings. They were completely cleaned and I put grease between the mating surfaces of the chainrings and the crankarm spiders and around the outside of the chainring bolts being careful not to get any grease on the threads. It still clicks!!!!! Once when riding it was clicking and I got frustrated at it so I unclipped my right foot and hit my heel on the center of the assembly and it went away. Now all the bolts were put back on the bike using the proper torque specifications with a torque wrench.

I don't believe it is my pedals because I don't feel the clicking and it isn't under much load when the clicking happens. From my understanding if it was a bearing in the bb shell or the pedal it would happen under load or on the top or bottom stroke of a particular crankarm, whether on the drive side or non drive side. So I am kinda lost as what to do next. Should I replace the bearings even though they feel smooth and have no play? I have a hard time believing that it could be the outer races of the bearings clicking with the frame as it would be a loud clunk or feel like the bearing is not seated. The chainring bolts seem to clamp onto the chainrings without spinning. Maybe I got a crappy crankset and should consider replacing it?

Whizzer283

I brought my CAAD10 back to the LBS for BB30/FSA Gossamer clicking problems 3 times! I finally went to a different LBS and they sold me a solution involving a C-Bear ceramic bearing shim that converts the BB30 to Shimano and installed the 105 cranks. The clicking went away and the shifting improved. It wasn't cheap and there may be better solutions out there, but I'm very pleased.

basqueonacaad

hmmmmmmmmmm......I should take my arthritic knee in there and see if they can stop the clicking......

Flyingblind9

I've seriously considered having my bb converted to a 24mm spindle for awhile now say for instance Hollowtech II because it seems to be far more reliable and is WAY easier to service myself as I already have those tools, but my only concern is what if the adapter shell then clicks! Unfortunately there isn't too much information on this.

Whizzer283

For arthritic knees the doctor recommends Methotrexate and Humira

Batavus

Two things you haven't done:

1 Have the bearings pulled from the BB, cleaned, outer races regreased and reinstalled. The outer race is likely dryrubbing the frame the wrong way.... also clean and regrease the circlips holding the bearings in the BB.

2 Check if your pedals are installed tightly enough in the cranks and that the threads have been properly greased.

My experience with these noises is that you should never go the 'I don't think it is this or that because then the sound would be different' route. This is especially difficult to explain to customers.

Don't assume, go about it logically and eliminate causes step by step.

I once solved a creaking sound that 'absolutely came from the BB' by tightening the qr of the rear wheel...

elcruxio

^This
People always assume it's the BB but it can really be anywhere from the seatpost to the dropouts.
What worked with my road bike was to loosen the front QR a bit
What worked with my MTB was to clean the rear dropouts and hub surfaces
I had exactly the same symptoms as OP in both bikes.

Don't go doing anything costly before you do a thorough strip an clean.

And as a side note, the BB30 usually creaks rather than clicks and it may have something to do with the bearings if they were assembled with grease but usually it's just the crank being a bit dirty and needing a disassembly, clean and regrease.

Risesirkensal

Should you check all other selected faults as suggested above & the problem leads back to your BB or Crank. This link may help if you want to go to a full 105 5700 groupset.

https://praxiscycles.com/conversion-bb/ & the Uk distributors are Upgrade Bikes


Regards, Risesirkensal.

EuroTrashDude

There is a recall on 2011 FSA Gossamer cranks. The non-drive side bolt shoulder cracks.

FSA GOSSAMER BB30 RECALL NOTICE » FSA

RoadTire 

Just have someone kick your knee when it clicks....

basqueonacaad

That's the solution to an ol' Zenith TV...not my knee....on second thought, no doctor can fix it, maybe you are onto something.....

SchumiJunior

I have a click in my BB as well with the FSA Gossamer on a 2013 Tarmac. This is what I found....

I disassembled the crank and when I did the bearing on the chainring side was secure to the spindle but easily slid out of the housing. I cleaned everything up and without using any grease, set the same bearing back into the housing and it dropped right into place without tapping in or anything. I tried on the opposite side of its original position and I got the same results. This led me to believe that the bearing itself is a little bit undersized. I had read somewhere and confirmed with Specialized that I should use a bearing retaining compound (i.e Loctite 609, Vibratite 530) on the surface of the outer race and then set the bearing back into the housing. So I did.

I haven't been able to ride it yet because I've been under the weather but, now that it has had ample time to cure fully, I expect to have a tickless ride on my next outing.

GuitarBob

Do you mean Vibra-tite 530? I went to read up on 540 and couldn't find it.

SchumiJunior

Yes you are correct. That's what I get for trying to be helpful and posting models without double checking.

Retaining Compounds - Vibra-Tite

Here is their spread for different retaining compounds with a Loctite cross reference. When I bought mine it was nearly half the price of Loctite. The 50mL bottle was only $19.00. You can get it through a Fastenal dealer.

GuitarBob

That site you referenced is what triggered by question, so I wanted to double-check. Thanks for getting back.

SchumiJunior

Well, got the first ride in this weekend after making the BB30 repair using Vibra-Tite 530. This solved my knock 100%. Hopefully it can help someone else in the future.

Willbird

I was just looking at new bikes this last weekend, talked to the sales guy who had a "mechanic" look to him (the dude had had repaired his glasses with some affair that used a metal strip and two screws hehe), and he felt all BB30 will eventually start to make noises, and said he fixes them with carbon paste on the outside of the bearing shells, but said he did not like to it until it started to creak. The two bikes I'm mostly centered on are Giant Defy1 and Felt Z85, the Giant in a 2014 has a Shimano press fit BB of some kind, which may lead me more towards it then the Felt with a BB30 BB.

Bill

operator

That is a very dumb fix.

If the noise is from a loose shell tolerance, then either the frame must be warrantied. Assume that it's not an undersized bearing. And also assuming that gap filling green loctite (680) or such was unsuccessfully used.

2014, is the year of press fit/direct fit (pf30, bb30) noise issues. Especially on any variation of FSA's ****ty road 30mm cranksets. They have a habit of creaking --

Willbird

I was not advocating his fix :-) merely relating it :-). Personally I love loctite products used as directed, I have used them in the machine shop for some "let's get by for now " fixes with loose drill bushing liners that ended up lasting years :-)