I'm having some issues with a couple of BB's for different reasons and I was wondering what others experiences have been.

I've tried sheldonbrown.com already but it didn't answer the problem.

Firstly the FSA BB. I was led to believe that FSA BB's use a Shimano BB tool. It looks like it would fit but when I went to remove it my BB tool wouldn't go all the way onto the spindle. There seems to be some bands on the spindle that prevent the tool sliding on. Does anyone have any experience with this. What am I missing?

Regarding the Token BB. My Shimano BB tool works no trouble but the left side (non drive) cup is EXTRODINARILY difficult to screw in or out. I was thinking that its the wrong thread and went to sheldonbrown.com for info but according to that info there is only one option that would be too tight and I wouldn't get it on as far as I did. It screwed on half way without a problem.

Can anyone shed any light on my problems?

Thanks, Anthony

Some older B/B tools only work with square taper spindles. There is a shoulder inside that doesn't allow it to slide over the bigger Octlink/Isis spindles. Could this possibly be the case? As for the Token B/B, their web site says all their B/B's are 1.37"x24 which is standard english thread. If you have your old B/B, compare the threads side by side. You may also need to go to your LBS to have the threads in the B/B shell chased and cleaned up.

The original version of Park's BBT-2 bottom bracket tool worked fine with square taper spindles but wouldn't fit over the larger Octalink/ISIS spindles. Park made a running design change a few years ago to make it fit the larger spindles but didn't change the tool's model number. The only way you could tell was that the packaging had a yellow sticker saying it was the new design.

One possible expolanation for your problems with the Token bottom bracket is that it is a 73 mm wide bb being installed in a 68 mm bb shell. Any chance that's the case?

https://www.bikeforums.net/showpost.p...82&postcount=3

Thanks for the responses.

I should have mentioned that both BB's were ISIS and the tool works fine with the Token ISIS BB. There's a plastic ring/spacer on the FSA BB that apears to be what's preventing the tool from going in. I tried to remove them but they don't want to budge easily and since I didn't know what they were there for I didn't want to break them.

I supose I will have to get the threads looked at but since I don't have that much experience with cartridge BB's I was wondering if it was normal for the non drive side cup to be very tight.

Regards, Anthony

Well the bit of plastic that's preventing my Shimano BB tool from fitting on the FSA BB is called an anti-creak sleeve so I guess that I need another tool to fit it.

What are others experiences with FSA ISIS BB's? The one I have is VERY tight and rather rough after only 4000 km of use so I think I need to replace it. What's been a good brand for you?

Regards, Anthony

I just used the Park Tool BBT-2 for Shimano on my FSA ISIS BB an hour ago. Haven't got any miles on it yet, but the installation was as easy as it gets. I don't know what yours is, but this one was a platinum pro.

Thanks. I wanted to remove the FSA BB to see exactly what I had and that's where the trouble started. Its also then when I had the cranks removed that I noticed just how tight and rough it was. I guess its off the the LBS.

Regards, Anthony

Composite anti-creak sleeve is between the alloy cups.
The part that your tool won't go over is the Hard Stop.
You probably have an older BBT-2, the newest BBT-2 has a 24.25mm internal bore.

My tool is an actual Shimano tool. TL-UN74. It has an internal bore of 23.6 mm so I need another tool.

I think I need to decide which BB units I will use before getting another tool!

Regards, Anthony

It is a long shot but it is about a 2minute process to chuck up the tool in a metal cutting lathe and take a few light cuts inside the tool to open it up enough to clear the axle. Problem is finding someone with such a lathe. One possibilty is community or trade schools with metal shop training. I am still using my
1998 Shimano tool, had to open it up twice, once for the early splined BB, and again a few yrs later when the current octalink came out. Works fine on my one ISIS bb also.

Here's an update. I went and bought a new Shimano/ISIS BB tool and removed the FSA BB. I also bought a Truvativ BB tool and put an older BB unit I had back into service.

The FSA BB isn't so rough when removed so I'm thinking that it was just from the BB cups being overtightened on fitting. I'll just have to resist the urge to tighten it that little bit more on refitting and see how it goes.

I had a hunch that a Token ISIS BB unit I had was the source of an anoying click so I put the Truvativ BB back into service. BINGO! No more click. Rather anoying actualy since I had replaced a super cheap BB with this Token ISIS unit which wasn't that cheap in the scheme of things so I wasn't realy expecting it to be the problem at first. I thought it was the cheap rear derailer out of alignment. Any way I'm glad the puzzle is solved.

Regards, Anthony