Originally Posted by
Andrew Duff
I am hoping somebody can assist me with this. I have a COLNAGO CT1 Titanium. It is older bike ~2002 I think. I generally love the ride, feel, handling of the bike, but recently in the last couple of months it has produced a truely nasty grinding/growning sound from the bottom bracket area. I ride with a large group most saturdays - everyone can hear it. I have replaced the grease in the BB twice, it is ok for only a few days and then returns. My LBS says it is "common to Titanium frames" and it is the sound of the Titanium BB thread on the Aluminium of the BB cups. Can anyone confirm this is true? Can I do anything about it? LBS says "nothing you can do it will always return" therefore "would you like to buy this carbon frame"?? Can anyone help?
I have fixed three Ti bikes with this problem by tightening the front derailleur clamp. If it works and comes back later take it off and put teflon tape under the clamp. The teflon tape on the BB threads is a good idea, so is Ti specific anti seize, not just grease.
Be sure every single BB thread has a little anti seize or grease in it. Even if you have to put too much on and then wipe off the excess make sure there is a little in each thread valley. Putting some on the entry threads and assuming it spreads to the other threads as they pass over that grease does not get all the threads.