I'm getting a clicking noise from my BB when climbing hills. My bike is 25 years old, however, I have repacked the bearings and am getting very smooth operation with no play when the chain is removed.

I know it's the BB, because even with the chain removed, I can hear a very faint clicking when I turn the crank with my hands, but it gets much louder when climbing.

Any ideas appreciated.

Good Riding!

You cleaned and repacked your bearings and you have the cones tightened just right, you say.

If you didn't replace the bearings, you might as well do that too.

Assuming you have done that, check the very obvious;

Any chance the clicking could come from the pedals?

This may be a stupid question, but if you have a kick stand, sometimes it comes loose, and the crank arm hits it.

Finally, look elsewhere on the bike for something that is loose. I once took my BB apart due to a maddening click. I found the problem to be the cable lock swinging and banging against the frame. I could have swore it was coming from the BB, though.

Thanks Mike for your reply. No, I didn't replace the bearings. They looked OK to me, but that's an interesting possibility.

I'll have to check that.

Good Riding!

Might be the bearing faces are pitted, or pedals, or possibly a slightly loose crank?

I'd definitely replace the bearings. Maybe if they're worn, they will be measurably smaller than new ones possibly altering the fit of other BB components causing the clicking. 25 years is a long time to run one set of bearings.

My MTB has a Deore XT headset with 1/4" bearing. I regrease it with Finishline regularly but when I took it offf the bike the other day, the lower set had a matt finish and looked noticeably smaller than the top ones; this was after about three years hard off-roading .

I'm betting that a chainring bolt is hitting the chainstay

STEP RIGHT UP LADIES AND GENTLEMEN !!! We're offering 5-2 on worn bearings, even stevens on a loose chainring bolt, 3-1 on the end of the crank hitting the chainstay and a 15-1 on a small pixie sitting in the bottom bracket shell hitting it regularly with a small hammer - PLACE YOUR BETS NOW !!!

I believe its gremlins.
that said, if its a 25 year old bike I'd check
the crank arms. There was some
discussion on Campy only about cracking and failure on older arms.
bearings become somewhat ovoid during use
and will not run really smooth if
repacked and not replaced.

Marty

Thanks for your replies Guys. I did some investigating last evening and have found that the clicking is in the chainrings--even when the bike is stationary, and I apply pressure to the pedal.

I disassembled the entire chainring set, lubed the bolts and retightened, with NO difference. It's almost like the rings are clicking from the flexing they do when under pressure.

I know it could be a cracked frame, but I see no evidence of that. The bike is 25 years old...maybe I'll just "turn the radio up"!

Good Riding!

Did you grease threads, etc., for the BB mounting when you re-installed?

Well, in your first post it only clicked when you wre going uphill. Based on that I say loose crankset bolt.

Is your left hand crank clicking on the tab of front der cable?

I did grease the BB thread when I reassembled, BUT, I could only get one side off, and that was the left (non-drive) side. I couldn't figure out if the drive side was threaded or what, but it didn't seem to want to budge.

There's no bolts loose in the crankset and Walt, I'm not sure what you mean in your question.

Thanks Guys!

The reason why it wouldn't budge is because it is left-threaded.
Having heard that admission, I would assume that you probably damaged it attempting to unthread it the wrong direction. Get the proper tool, remove the BB, and replace it. I'll bet that the sound will be gone.

Sorry for not explaining better, sometimes after a front derailleur cable is replaced, the end beyond the pinch bolt ends up bent over just far enough to touch one crank or another when you pedal, it creates a faint but audible click.
Most clicks in cranks and chainrings only happen under load, but you commented you could hear it without a chain on so I was looking for the obscure solution.

I took this clicking cycle to our best diagnostic LBS in the area and they could not tell, from listening to it, why it was clicking either. Of coarse they offered to disassemble everything to help find it, but that's the same thing I'm doing.

I'm going back into the BB, reinstall with new bearings, grease the bracket threads, check for pits everywhere, and see what happens then.

Thanks Guys!

The last time I had that clicking, it was in my pedals.

Thanks for your reply Beo, yes I suspected the pedals too and changed them with no difference.

I fixed the clicking noise! The click was coming from the joint of the large chain ring and the crank arm.

I found it by removing my crank-set and installing it on another bike. Sure enough, it was clicking.

The large chain ring and the crank arm are joined together, not by a weld,--they are not one piece--but by some kind of joint. When I ran some penetrating oil in the joint...it quieted down...finally!

Thanks for all your help Guys!

Good Riding!