Installing Hollowtech II
 

I'm rebuilding my 1974 Raleigh International from equipment I've acquired from countless horse trades and other sources. I go an Ultegra 6603 crankset for free as a local bike shop was throwing it out. It had been in a bad collision, and the large and middle chainrings were destroyed. I replaced those with new chainrings. I just bought and installed a new BB60, and I installed one of these before but I can't remember how. I bought the appropriate Park tool to install the bearings. The BB unit came with a plastic ring with internal and external splines. The ring doesn't grab the cups all that hard, and getting purchase on the ring with the Park tool is even harder. Does this unit really not to be tightened down very hard? I imagine that is the case, but I want to check. I couldn't resist using a big channel lock, and I don't mind that I gouged the cups a bit, but what is the normal procedure. I feel fairly sure I'm safe and have only done a little cosmetic damage. And if the cups are tighter than they need to be, I figure no harm done.

I haven't been able to acquire the proper crank fixing bolt for then on drive crank. I understand I'm supposed to preload the arm on the spindle before tightening the cinch bolts, but it really feels I tapped it on well. Since little or no tension is expected on that bolt, am I taking a risk going without it?

That plastic ring goes over the smaller diameter BBR60 cups to allow you to use the standard HTII installation tools and the one that came with mine seems plenty rugged enough. Go to Shimano's on-line dealer manual for installation details.

Here is a source for the plastic fixing bolt for only $3. You should really use it. The plastic "finger tight" installation tool TL-FC16) is nice to have but can be improvised.

Shimano FC6600 - FC6603 Crankarm Bolt | Chain Reaction Cycles

Shimano TL-FC16 Crankset Arm Tool > Accessories > Tools > Crank & Chainring Tools | Jenson USA

BTW, since this is a triple HTII crank, there should be a rubber two-part spacer that must be installed on the non-drive side between the nds crank arm and the bb cup. Be sure you have it. Again, the Shimano manual will give all the needed details. Here is a source for it too:

Shimano Hollowtech II 3mm Triple Crankarm Spacer | eBay

On a slightly different subject, I would definitely check to see if the bb shell needs to be faced on that old International, parallel shell faces are pretty critical with outboard bearing bb's. Having an early '70's International myself, if I were going to install outboard bb bearings in it, I'd be shocked if it didn't need a thorough facing to get the faces parallel with each other. :). Also, FWIW, I'm not one to use a torque wrench too often, but on Hollowtech II crankset installations, I always use one on the crankarm pinch bolts.

On what bikes did Raleigh use a different Thread Pitch than British standard?

Generally speaking, the lower end models made at the Nottingham factory. Higher end bikes like the International were built at the Carlton factory with standard English bb threads. With Raleigh from that era, it does seem like there were exceptions to just about everything, however.

Good advice.

My criteria for HTII crank installations is to carefully insert the spindle after installing the bb cups snug but not fully torqued. If the spindle lines up accurately with both cups, I'm satisfied the bb shell is faced properly. If you have to force the spindle to align it with the second cup, the shell need to be faced. So far, all the bikes I've installed them on (3 Litespeeds and a Surly Pacer) have let the spindle line up perfectly and no facing was required.

I also use a torque wrench on the nds crankarm pinch bolts. Tighten the two bolts in sequence approaching the final torque (~100 inch-pounds) in stages.

The manual for that bottom bracket and crank is at http://si.shimano.com/php/download.p...0E-001-ENG.pdf

The adapters (cups) get tightened to 35 to 50nm or 305-435 in/lbs.

The little cap gets tightened to less than 2nm.


The instructions state this explicitly in step 4. @HillRider gives very good advice here and throughout this thread.

Don't forget the stopper plate either.


-Tim-

Shimano's instructions also call out a specific (low) torque for the NDS cap in order to preload the bearings and seals correctly. Too much and the seals open a little to let dirt and water in and then the bearings fail. That's probably the weakest aspect of HT2 and often overlooked. Newer HT2 BBs may have better seals, but still, follow the instructions.

And make sure the NDS arm slides easily on the splines during preload.

As HillRider says, the plastic adapter ring sits inside the older Hollowtech II tools to allow them to fit the newer BB60 cups. They are smaller in diameter by around 3-5mm. It just saves buying a newer, smaller headed tool. I had to use this tool on two BB's I just fitted for myself and a friend.

Good call regards the NDS spacer, too. My bike is a compact double, my friend's is a triple. I overlooked this spacer at first, so off came the crank arm, on went the spacer and crank arm then nipped up to spec with a torque wrench.

I tend to turn the little crank arm cap finger tight, then a little more and then back off a tiny amount and then tighten ever so slighty again. Just feel the bite and then back off and tighten again. Worked so far for years.

Again, good advice. The torque spec for that nds plastic cap is indeed low at 0.7 to 1.5 N-m. The Shimano tool (TL-FC16) is a plastic disk that is only tightened by hand to be sure you don't overdo it.

The nds arm is keyed to the splines on the nds end of the spindle so it can only go on one way unless you mistakenly really force it. Aligned correctly it does slip on with little effort.

Thank you, everyone. I will follow all of this advice. I might even dig up my torque wrench if I can find it. Honestly, I have never used it on a bike.

[MENTION=197614]fietsbob[/MENTION] this frame is what the British would call "bog standard" in its thread pitches and diameters. Thank goodness for that. I used an aftermarket headset, which went in well. The BB threads have been chased, and the faces look excellent though I haven't faced them.