Crank removal help
 

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to remove the crankset from my java vesuvio 21 (carbon frame), but the axle is completely seized in the bottom bracket.

What I've done so far:

• Removed the left crank arm and the preload/safety bits.
  
• Completely removed the chain to eliminate any tension.
  
• Cleaned the visible part of the axle which had some grime and minor oxidation.
  
• Applied WD-40 to the interface between the axle and the bearings.
  
• Tried hitting the axle from the non-drive side using a piece of wood as a buffer and a hammer.
  

Despite this, the axle hasn't moved a single millimeter. Since it's a carbon frame, I'm terrified of hitting it too hard and cracking the BB shell.

Are there any hidden clips I missed? Should I risk hitting it harder or is there a safer way to pull it through?

Thanks in advance for any advice!
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5fc0edc06c.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6a8e108f84.jpg

Hidden clips... on my '23 Tarmac's 105 group set there aren't any.

My experience is that the axle does take some persuasion to get moving, but then comes out easily once it's started.

I take it that this is your first attempt at removing it? You its original owner? Decaf cranks (?? Everything I can find tells me Shimano 105 was originally Spec'd on these) may not have quite the same specs as Shimano so you may have some hurdles to jump getting to where you want to be with it.

This bike was bought as second market . The groupset is 105 but the crank is from the chinesse brand Decaf , basically a subbrand of the Java so yeah, i don t really find any videos on yt about how to remove it .. When i bought on all the sites i checked it was spec. with decaf crankset . And yes this is my first time trying to remove it

Agree with having to apply some shock to the axle to break it free of the, likely corroded, light press fit it was supposed to be. It looks like the BB bearings are also a press fit into the BB shell. If so either the axle will slide out of the non drive side and the drive side bearing will come with it, or both bearings will remain in the frame as the axle slides (a gracious term) out.

Have you assessed the current bearings' condition? Do you know if they will be compatible with the next frame? If you damage the bearings as you remove the crank the worst might be having to replace the BB, but for all we know you might have to replace them for the next frame anyway.

Given the stuck crank axle/bearing condition I would wonder about the rest of the bike. Bummer about the bent up ft der cage (nearly always from a jammed shift under power), but this is usually easy to straighten back. Andy.

Tip the frame on it';s side and use some penetrating oil and let it sit overnight, or if you can get a hold of some Carbomove penetrate even better.

Use a plastic mallet or rubber mallet instead of the hammer and wood.

If that fails borrow an air hammer.
Lube. punch twist pull swear!

If that doesn't work youll have to cut it out.

Good luck brother.

I suspect the inner races on one or both sides are fused/corroded to the spindle. Try penetrating oil for a while, then I would forgo the mallet and wood and tap the end of the spindle with a metal hammer to try to the bond - don’t go nuts. Short sharp shock vs brute force.
Is the spindle aluminum or steel? The bearing races are almost certainly steel, so we might be looking at galvanic corrosion if the spindle is Al. Doesn’t Coke or something like that break up such corrosion?

This might sound silly but do you know anyone with a walk in freezer? You might be able to shrink that alloy enough to help.

Carbon doesn't shrink when frozen.

Plastic mallet or dead blow and hold the frame so the impact isn't just moving everything.

Have you tried pulling from the crank side while pushing against the frame? Fingers on chain ring back side, thumbs against frame. I assume so but that’s how I always get these out.

Agree that some chill applied may help but you can also just plug up one end of the spindle and pour in some iced water and let sit for 10+mins then give it a firm wack again. Letting it soak ahead of time with some good penetrating fluid like PB Blaster or similar (much more effective than WD40) for a day will be helpful too.

Or, if available, some dry ice (frozen CO2, about -109 degrees F). You'd probably not have to plug the crank, and it would look cooler as well!
Pro tip: wear gloves while handling the stuff.

the problem is with RUST bonding the Spindle in the Bearings, not the bearing cups in the frame.

hammer impacts impart way more force than anyone pulling on the chainrings can.

i'm seeing rust on several points.

Kroil or PB blaster rust penetrant and time... then get a bigger hammer, and support the bike to minimize force loss.
i use a plastic 3 lb. dead blow hammer... and big blocks of cutoff beam wood with clean carpet remnants on them.

Thank you to anyone who responded to this thread ! Because there are so many comments i will try everyone who came to help and i will come back with a result !

It usually doesn't take this many responses for the obvious answer..........:beer:

Something convenient if you want to try low temperatures :

https://au.jbtools.com/crc-industrie...-11-5oz-05002/

There are other manufacturers as well.

You're new here, right?

Meanwhile, back at the Help Center, look for a can of this stuff -

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6a413c755c.jpg
- at a local auto supply or hardware store.

(Kroil can be had to find at retailers, but is an awesome penetrant lube once you have some!)

This FreezeOff blows COLD LIQUID along with the penetrant lube it carries.

Blown into that hollow crank spindle it may be the ticket for getting it unstuck from the bearing inner races.
Maybe spray a little teensy bit onto the outer spindle surfaces as well where they enter the bearings. Can't hurt.

Yep, should have clicked your link before posting my last thoughts.
That's available here in the US in many retail stores catering to automotive and machinery suppliers.\
Does magic once out of the can....

Seems like a CO2 inflator could be adapted.

Better to use a copper, brass or hide hammer - you want something that will impart shock, otherwise the hammer blows will mostly be taken up just putting side load on the bearings. The hammer needs to be quite hard, just not hard enough to damage the steel axle. Plastic or rubber will likely just get chewed up without making much progress.

I have no experience with CO2 inflators, so I couldn't say if the necessary amount of dry ice could be produced. I haven't heard that super-low temperatures are involved with these inflators, though. There *are* such contraptions for producing "Dry Ice pencils" in dentistry, but they are expensive.
Fortunately, dry ice is available from many sources, such as "Big Box" stores (Walmart, Costco, etc.), grocery stores, ice cream parlors. It's not super expensive.
Anyway, it's just a suggestion.

Youre right. I wasn't remembering the bottom bracket is junk anyhow.

New here but not new. Im old enough to have brought up freezing it ...that you apparently think is worth a try, Help Center.

I've also been around forum boards since 1995, so take whatever approach to newbs that suits you.

Merry Christmas

spclark isn’t the type to be rude to newbies. It was a “self” deprecating joke about the forum and how long it can take here for a sensible answer to emerge, in response to your joke about the number of responses before the obvious “bigger hammer” suggestion.

He was responding to "It usually doesn't take this many responses for the obvious answer..." implying that in this forum the simple solution can be way down the page. It's humour.