Originally Posted by
torob
Campag4life (or others), how would I be able to tell if a BB was epoxy'd in? I recently purchased a 2012 Foil frameset and, though it's my first try with press-fit bearings and hammering them out with a BB tool, it seems both sides are *really* stuck. I'm of course a bit nervous to hammer quite hard, but it doesn't seem like it should be THAT difficult to get the bearings out. Am I wrong? If the BB was inserted with epoxy, do I have any chance of removing it, possibly softening the bond with a hairdryer?
Thanks
Torob,
Don't be worried about hammering out the bushings...epoxied in place or not. If you have the right tool which has fingers which apply force evenly around the circumference of the bushings/bearings, just adequately support the frame and give it a good hard wack. Don't do it with the frame mounted on a bike stand...this won't support the frame properly to adequately apply localized force to the BB. A better approach if the bushings are stubborn is lay the frameset on its side on a piece of carpet. If you want to use heat, a heatgunn will give you more heat to break the bond. Don't get it too hot. You can try a hair dryer. But try it without heat first. Don't knock out the bushings/bearings unless you plan to replace them as hammer force will spoil them.
Let us know how it goes.