Hello all.
I am a noob. Please go easy on me.
My bottom bracket on 1999? Specialized Rockhopper was crunchy. So after research, I found out it was a square taper type. I got a Park Tool to remove the crank and expected to see splines (that’s what all videos that I saw) showed.

However, there were no splines to be turned. The drive side had what looked like a large silver washer with slight flat edge on opposing sides. The non-drive side had some protrusions but it did not look as if it was meant for any tool to grab on to.

What is this madness? I took beautiful photos to post but I didn’t have enough posts to attach photos. Any input from those who are knowledgeable would be greatly appreciated.

It sounds like you have the old cup-and-cone type of bottom bracket. Here are a couple of links there are tons more online:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/bbcups.html
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/bbadj.html
You can either service the existing BB or remove it and replace it with a cartridge type, which has the splines you were expecting. There are tips on removing the old one in the linked article, but it might be most efficient to have a shop do the work (or go to a co-op) rather than buy tools that you will only use once, if you decide to install the cartridge type. I have successfully removed the cup and cone type with a large adjustable wrench for the drive side and a hammer and punch for the non-drive side but it can be difficult work with improvised tools.

You have a three piece bottom bracket. You'll need Park Tools HCW-4 or similar to remove the fixed cup, and HCW-5 for the lock ring on the adjustable cup, and a suitable tool (a large crescent wrench often works) depending on the configuration of the adjustable cup. The pins on HCW-4 will fit some.

Look in Sheldon Brown's site for more tools and tips. Pay attention to the left-hand threading on the fixed cup, and you may need penetrating oil, heat, and/or mallet impact on wrench to free it.

Note that it's not always strictly necessary to remove the fixed cup. If you can clean it from the adjustable side, and inspect it well enough, you can just leave it.

Does this look like the DS?

Thanks. Let me look at your links.

One side looked like that. The other side had some curved semi-smooth protrusions.

https://www.parktool.com/category/crank-bottom-bracket

I’m finally able to post photos. So, this is what my bottom bracket looks like. I’m beginning to think that I can’t do this job without buy more tools and that I’m better off taking it to a shop. My question is this: if I take to a shop can they take out the whole thing and replace it with a Shimano drop-in bottom bracket? Also, for curiosity, how does the shop remove the non-drive side?



Non-drive side


Drive side

Yes, a Shimano cartridge bottom bracket will drop right in.

For the right (fixed) side, you use this or a similar tool:

Park HCW-4


For the left (adjusting) side, you use a big adjustable wrench or this tool:

Thanks for all your help. Any idea what a shop would charge to remove the existing bottom bracket and drop in a cartridge bottom bracket, including the cartridge? What would be a reasonable price?

If you‘re lucky, you just need 22 new 1/4‘ balls.

A tenner for labor, or 20 if it's difficult? The BB itself (Shimano UN55, probably?) shouldn't be too expensive, another 20-30 bucks, so should be around 50-ish all in.

Big adjustable wrench, stack of washers, and a bolt that fits the spindle threads. Use the bolt and washers to hold the wrench on without slipping and give it a wack with a hammer.

Would a shop do this as well? And would it be cheaper option than the drop-in cartridge? My kid is headed off to college in a few weeks and I'm trying to save as much as possible. Tuition is not cheap...

This is just brilliant. I'm constantly amazed by other people's ingenuity. Too bad that in my case, a big wrench (which I don't have) and a stack of washers (which I also don't have) will cost me just as much.

I‘m pretty sure they would. Don‘t know the cost, i do that myself. It‘s not difficult by the way.

Pardon me, but your photos or terminology are backwards, or I'm confused. Your photo labelled "non drive side" sure looks like the drive side. I see chain stays and kickstand to the left or rear, and down tube to the front or right. The gears traditionally go on this side. And that's a photo of a traditional fixed cup which goes on the drive side.

The upper photo shows a traditional adjustable cup, without a lock ring or space for one. I wonder about that. You may want to measure the BB shell width in mm. It may be an oversized 73 mm shell, and you may need a new cartridge bottom bracket to fit it. A spindle may not work.

[QUOTE=andrewclaus;21074413]Pardon me, but your photos or terminology are backwards, or I'm confused. Your photo labelled "non drive side" sure looks like the drive side. I see chain stays and kickstand to the left or rear, and down tube to the front or right. The gears traditionally go on this side. And that's a photo of a traditional fixed cup which goes on the drive side.

The bottom photo is the drive side. I think the placement of the labels for the photos is misleading.

Can you please explain this? I'm not sure what you mean by oversized and "spindle may not work."

Thanks

I now see your labeling is correct and I was confused.

There should be a lock rink with external notches on the NDS adjustable cup. Around 40 seconds into this video shows what it should look like. Since there's obviously no room for such a lock ring, I deduce either your spindle is too short or somehow worn down (both unlikely) or the shell is too long (more likely).

Ok. Now I know what you are saying. I bought this bike used. One of the previous persons working on the bike must have used an incorrect size spindle when he worked on the bottom bracket. Since I’m going to have a shop remove the entire assembly and replace it with a cartridge type bottom bracket, I don’t think it’ll be an issue. I am learning a lot about bottom brackets, though.

I need to move to wherever you are! I just visited my local shop. They wanted $35 for the labor and $40 for the drop-in cartridge bottom bracket. $75 plus tax!!!

... and everything in Dublin is expensive!

The whole job shouldn't take more than an hour of labor: taking it out should be 10mins or less; putting in a new one should be less than 30mins. Unless it's an absolute pig or stuck or something weird... maybe they're just quoting for the worst-case scenario.

I took a stripped down frame to my LBS just to get the Shimano cup BB out, because I didn't want to buy the tool for it, and they didn't even charge me - because it took literally 2 mins to do. Then again, they know I'll come back in to buy cables and housings and seatpost binder bolts and stuff like that.

I'm actually quite happy to pay more for good service, people deserve to be paid for their work. So if you like your LBS, then it's worth it, they'll look after you in the future.