Originally Posted by
GuttingJob
im having a hard time removing the opposite side of the piece in the top left corner, but i can clean it from inside.
The most likely reason is as Bill Kapaun said, a right hand thread. These have a habit of unscrewing unless they are screwed on tight; real tight! In fact some have been known to place the fixed side flats in a vice and tighten it using the bike frame as leverage. Best to leave it there if you can..
i just put all the stuff back in with some new bearings. would i be able to replace them with a single piece cartridge?
Yes, although not as retro as a loose ball bottom bracket, the cartridge BB just screws in tight on the right side, and a removable threaded ring that screws on tight on the other. Remember you need to remove the fixed cup that is on now.