My pedals suddenly began wobbling from side to side, so I decided to just completely replace the bottom bracket. The struggle that followed cost me hours and only left me with a broken tool. The bottom bracket hasn't budged at all. I'm literally about to salvage parts from my bike and throw the frame away at this point. There is one last thing I want to try first, but I'm not happy about it. Looking for feedback and advice. Here's my journey:


I did my best to remove the dirt and grime with a toothbrush, spray it away with compressed air, get into the crevices with something small, and lubricate it with some WD-40.

Then I inserted this piece (don't know what it's called in English, so I'll just refer to it as "aftrækker" from here on) into the bottom bracket. It fit well and the hardened steel also stood up well:


So far so good. Unfortunately I don't have a big enough socket wrench or even regular wrench so I used my water pump pliers to hold it:


With that, I could get a very good grip on the aftrækker and I tried to turn it counter-clockwise (since I was working on the non-drive side) but it wouldn't budge. At all. I used all my strength, different angles, I hammered on it, I stood on it, I stomped on it. But nothing. I carried on for a long time, and eventually my water pump pliers got worn out and even broke!


Well, that's a shame because I'm not rich. And shortly after this, I gave up for now. My plan now is to buy a bigger socket wrench with a bit that fits around the aftrækker. This is turning out to be an expensive endeavor because I'll have to invest in new water pump pliers too (it's a great tool that has gotten me out of many hard spots so I gotta have it around). And it might all be for nothing, as I'm not very confident that anything will work at this point.

So my question here is: considering the story I just told, do you think I have any chance with a socket wrench or am I just wasting my time and money? Any other ideas?

You need more leverage than you'll ever get with pump pliers or a wrench.

Instead, clamp the tool (BB cup remover) onto the bike with a long bolt, or using the crank spindle and something on the other side.

Once it's secure, place the tool in a vise and use the frame as the wrench. FYI, it's important that thd tool I'd bolted securely to the frame because there's a tendency to not keep everything square, and you'll tear the cup an/or the tool apart.

You'll also help yourself by soaking the area in penetrating oil for a day or two before trying.

One last note - - - make sure you're turning in the right direction. In some countries both sides have right hand threads, however ISO threading has the right side (chain side) using a LEFT HAND THREAD, so it's possible you've been killing yourself trying to tighten, rather than loosen it.

Are you certain you are trying to turn it in the correct direction? Anti-clockwise on the non-drive side if it is an English bottom bracket. One option would be to put the tool in a vise and turn the bike frame for more leverage.

Yes, I'm working on the non-drive side and I'm sure I've been trying to turn the BB cup remover anti-clockwise. What if I have a weird bike and it should be the opposite?? Have I tightened it so much that I'll never get it out now?

Regular WD40 is not a good penetrating oil. Unless you used

WD-40 Specialist Super Penetrating Oil

get some of that or Cano Kroll penetrating oil

put the frame on the side and apply the oil and let it sit for 24 hours

then follow the above ideas

the penetrating oil lubed the splines, making them slippery. this helped the improperly driven BB remover socket climb out of the splines... if you don't have the correct tools or experience, take the bike to a bike shop before you damage it.

The splines in the BB are already Damaged... any more damage will not be good.

take the bike to a Good Bike Shop before you Damage it .

You should be fine with a big adjustable wrench, maybe a little heat

No sweat on that issue. If it had moved, you'd have noticed and, hopefully, responded accordingly.

This is how I secure the tool.
I have a couple different length bolts in the tool box if needed. (and shorter tool)
Thread is M8-1.0mm.
In the US, M8-1.25mm is more common. I don't know about Europe.

This tool could be your friend if you want to continue doing it yourself. Always make sure you are turning the correct way.

Remove the seatpost and get something down that tube to the bottom bracket that will actually help remove the rust. Maybe try some phosphoric/citric acid with baking soda and water and that could help out. You could also try some heat but I would make sure you do it in a place with good ventilation because everything spayed or poured or whatever in those tubes will heat up and you don't want to breath it in. Generally I find WD-40 to be good for displacing water (hence the WD) but for lubrication I will look elsewhere unless it is a different product from the WD-40 company.

Before you put a tool on anything clean the area well and dry it, you don't want oil, grease or anything that will make things slippery on your tools. Use a good tool with good leverage that will not slip along with the B.B. Socket Holder putting the tool in a good sturdy vise and using the frame for leverage is a good idea from FBinNY You could also make one as others have suggested but I have found the Pedro's tool to be quite handy and easy to use.

Stating the obvious:
Try removing the other side.

There is tool made by Stein.
It is designe to hold the removal tool firmly in place, allowing all effort to me place on breaking the bb free from the shell.
A long breaker bar should suffice to get the torque required, with the tool held in place.
rusty

No. If it moves it moves and even if you turn it the wrong way a bit, it should be easy to get it out if you then turn it the correct way. But there is no standard that is left-tighty on the non-drive side so you can't have got it wrong (unless the frame was built wrong, but that's also impossible because it's a lugged frame).

Water pump pliers are not a good enough lever and will also mar your tool. Use a vice as suggested or a socket wrench (with a tube over the handle to make it a couple of feet long if necessary).

Many people here are suggesting a tool to hold the removal tool firmly (socket holder). I actually improvised something like that, but it didn't help enough. The common thread here seems to be that I need better leverage. I thought it was enough to stomp on the problem with all my weight, but I guess I'll try a tool with better leverage. I'm not understanding how to use a vise in this case, though. Anyone care to show me in pictures?

Not mentioned yet are heat and impact. Use an electric heat gun on the shell, and try hitting a proper wrench with a mallet.

You just clamp the wrench flats of the BB tool in a vise with the teeth facing upward and place the BB on top of that using the leverage of the bike to turn it. Of course, a BAV (Big Ass Vise) is needed for this.

Use a pneumatic impact driver, then you don't have to anchor the frame, and you can put your weight into holding the tool in place.

And the BAV needs to be securely attached to the workbench which needs to be pretty big and heavy or preferably, securely attached to the floor.
It is no fun dancing with the workbench when you're trying to get production done!

There's part of the problem.
If using a wrench, you need to hold the tool with one hand to keep it centered to the BB.
Use a LARGE adjustable wrench. Better yet, a large box end wrench that fits the tool.
You may have some kind of pawn shop/used tool store where you can get one for cheap?

Your getting the best advice there is defo change the pliers and if its a alliminunm frame use a heat gun NOT a flame thrower a good heat gun and keep it on one spot then change to about 3places as that metal spreads the heat u want it to stay at the bracket ✌️youll get it tho u might strip out ive faith tho p s ive a vice going sideways down a bench for such work helps so much

A bike shop will not charge much to remove it. I ran bike shop service departments for years. But I have no problem taking jobs to shops when I don't have the right tool for the job.

I'll just call it partastakamoormuny...

I don't have a picture to show you, but it's simple enough.

Bolt the tool to the bottom bracket cup however you choose to so it cannot climb or twist out.

Then take the whole frame with tool attached, and hold it horizontal tool side down, clamping the tool into your vise. Now with the tool held securely, turn the frame, just as you would a wrench.

Unless you own a three foot long wrench, this is the most leverage you could possibly get.

I removed a fixed cup recently.

Soaked with penetrating oil for 3 days
Fixed tool in place (Sheldon Brown 5/8" bolt in my case)
Apply socket set
Apply 4 foot scaffolding pole extender bar
Place frame on floor and lean on the bar.

It was resisting with a 4 foot handle on the socket then it just gave up.
No damage to anything.

You're definitely under tooled. You have to bolt the tool into the BB, lots of real penetrating oil (not WD40) and big wrenches