Oldpeddaller

Can anyone help?

I'm in a real mess with the steel fixed BB cup on an alloy Raleigh Pioneer hybrid bike frame. Just got the bike for free and the BB had a lot of play. I removed all but the fixed cup, which wouldn't shift and put new bearings, spindle & adjustable cups (3 sets in all) on, but still no luck - therefore the fixed cup must be nadgered?

he adjustable cup was a swine to remove as well - that took a wrench and hammer - the cups obviously weren't greased on assembly and seem never to have been lubed or adjusted - the drive side bearing was in bits inside the BB shell so I reckon the spindle was running on the drive side cup.

Tried every spanner I could find, using penetrating oill - no movement. Hit the correct Park spanner with a hammer (sacrilege!) - no joy. I tried Sheldon's nut, bolt & washer method - the whole lot just turned slowly with the cup still jammed. Tried a dremel with a metal cutting wheel to make slots - boy those cups are made of tough metal, wore out seven discs to make a shallow groove.

I don't want to apply a blow torch because I want to keep the paint on the frame.

In desperation I then went absolutely mad and took a 6" angle grinder to the thing, making six cuts across the cup (careful not to cut into the frame). My idea was to knock a section of cup out and ten peel out the rest - no dice. I've ended up using these slots to get a purchase with a cold chisel and slug it with a big hammer in a clockwise direction when I look at the cup with the frame upside down.

It's turning a little now and slowly, but I want to be sure I'm going in the right direction before going any further. Firstly can you confirm the direction of rotation for removal - I'm beginning to doubt myself now. Also, having practically destroyed the cup, any better ideas of removing the mess that's left at this stage without damaging the frame?

By the way - I don't recommend an angle grinder for bicycle work - a spark flew into a bunch of steel wool on my shelf and the whole bundle caught fire! Serious flames, luckily I was able to grab hold of the rest of the steel wool bale and throw the whole lot outside to hose it off.

Any help or advice would be gratefully received, before I resort to gun powder!!!