I was able to get the BB and crankarm separated... by taking them downstairs to the parking lot, setting the crank up with the ball joint fork on top and asphalt underneath, and whaling on the fork with the hammer.

I was hoping that I could at least salvage the bottom bracket, and maybe I did. It looks to be OK, although I don't know because I tried to screw it into the frame and... it no workee. Just like the new one. I don't know how Bike Builder Guy got it in there, but whatever he did won't work twice.

Oh, and the other thing? It's a 107. So the Sugino XD2, which wants a 113-118, just swallowed the spindle like its name was "Jonah." No wonder I couldn't get it off.

Time for the Sunlite. I called around, and a shop one bus ride away had one, a 116mm. Splits the difference between the various lengths assigned to the XD2 at birth. And I didn't have to wait a week or more.

And then, when I'd got it home and was getting set to try to install it, I failed again. The cartridge won't pass through the shell. A quick examination revealed:





The seat tube protrudes just far enough into the bottom bracket shell to stop the BB from sliding through.

So I've ordered a half-round file and 2nd BB tool, which will be here tomorrow.

--Shannon