rms13

Trying to remove the bottom bracket on my Ironman. Not sure if I need a tool I don't have or what. There seems to be a lot of different types. I have tools for two types of bottom brackets but not sure what to do here.

I have bottom bracket spanner which I used to get the lock ring off one side but now I'm at a loss

HillRider

You need a pin spanner for the non-drive side (adjustable) cup although a pair of needle nose pliers or a small punch and hammer in the pin-holes can be used to remove it. Threading is standard right hand. The drive side (fixed) fixed cup requires a specific wrench or you can improvise by clamping the flats in a bench vise and using the frame as the lever. Keep in mind the fixed cup can be VERY tight and is LEFT HAND threaded.

Bill Kapaun

A better pic of the fixed cup would be nice.
It's too blurry to see for sure, but it might need a Park HCW-4?

Park Tool Co. » HCW-4 : Crank and Bottom Bracket Wrench : Crank Tools

rms13

Bill Kapaun

Yep- HCW-4

JohnDThompson 

Tange bottom brackets followed the old Campagnolo standard, so any tools designed to work with that (Campy, Sugino, Park, etc.) ought to work fine.

SkyDog75

I have one bike with a Tange bottom bracket like that one and a 15" crescent wrench worked well enough on the fixed cup.

...not that everyone has a big-*** crescent wrench laying around, but if he does, it should do the trick.

JohnDThompson 

Also keep in mind that it is seldom necessary to remove the fixed cup unless you intend to completely replace the bottom bracket (i.e. the cup races are irredeemably worn). Just clean it in place in the frame and repack with fresh balls and grease.

HillRider

My recommendation to clamp the flats in a large bench vise was along the same lines. Not everyone has access to one but if you do it works.

However as John notes, removing the fixed cup is necessary only if you are completely replacing the bottom bracket because it is damaged or you are going to install a different type.

cny-bikeman

If you do need to removed the fixed cup it's rare that you can just slap a on a wrench and twirl it off. The Park tool is likely to just slip off before loosening the fixed cup. Just Google remove fixed cup to get better guidance of options than scrolling down a forum thread. One thing that always helps is including the purpose for what you wish to do. If you are installing a new cartridge BB then it would be silly to by a fixed cup tool that you may never use again.

HillRider

+1 I made a clamp from a long 5/8" bolt, nut and a couple of big washers to hold the fixed cup wrench firmly in place while removing the fixed cup back when I worked on cup-and-cone bbs with some regularity.

cny-bikeman

If you do the Google search I recommended you will find that Sheldon (and others) provide a homemade tool that you can fashion from hardware store parts - no special wrench required.

RoadTire 

All the recommendations above are valid, especially not removing it unless necessary. I removed the fixed cup, first time, last year, and would not have been able to do it without a special tool, functioning exactly the same as described, locking the wrench onto the flats. Don't skip this step! That cup is designed to be ​tight!

rms13

Thanks for all the replies. I ordered the park tool I am removing the bb because I purchased a new 105 groupset for my Ironman and I'll be replacing the bb with the new one. So yes I will only use the tool once but it cost me $10 less than what the LBS charges to remove a bb. Also don't have a 15 crescent so I'd have to buy something. Really wish I had a place to install a vise grip because it seems like it comes in handy working on bikes.

hueyhoolihan

here's the Sheldon Brown DIY BB removal tool i think has been mentioned...

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Fixed-Cup Tools

Very elaborate, expensive, and special tools are sold to bicycle shops for fixed-cup removal and installation, but they are not really necessary. A few cheap home remedies can do the job quite well.
The first home remedy demands that you have a high-quality bench vise. Simply grab the fixed-cup wrench flats in the vise jaws, making sure that you have good contact with all of the wrench flats' meager width. Grasp the bike frame and unscrew it from the cup. This technique works quite well.
If you don't have a bench vise, or if the vise technique happens to not work well on your bike, you can make a universal fixed cup tool for less than a dollar (assuming you have access to a couple of large wrenches).
The tool is an imitation of a $40 shop tool that fits into the fixed cup as a crank spindle would, and pinches the cup. You apply unscrewing force to the tool, and it transfers this force to the cup with this tight friction fit.
The tool consists of a large bolt, a nut or two, and a few washers. The size of the bolt is not particularly critical, as long as the bolt is strong enough not to break, but small enough to fit through the hole in the cup. I used to use an ordinary 1/2-inch, 13 TPI hex bolt (also called a "cap screw"), which served me well for quite a while. It finally met its match on friend's Schwinn that had an unusually tight fixed cup; the bolt snapped in two before I could remove the cup.
Now I use a 5/8-inch 18 TPI hex bolt 1 1/2inches long, with a nut, a flat washer, and four lockwashers. The 5/8-inch size is the largest standard size that will fit through the hole in the cup. This bolt and nut both take a 15/16-inch wrench. With my 1/2 inch drive Craftsman six-point socket set, the 15/16-inch socket is also the largest size that will fit into a normal bottom bracket shell.
If you have some other brand of socket, check the fit before you buy the bolt and nut-you might need the next size down (9/16-inch).


Home-made tool shown in cutaway bottom bracket cup.

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i put one together from items bought at the local Ace Hardware store. it works. no question.