I was going through my shed today and realised that I was only a few bits and pieces away from being able to make a complete bike from an old Alu frame I own. The reason I don't use it any more was that I made the mistake of using a non Campy bottom bracket removal tool on it an it shreaded the splines on the bb shell. Unfortunately the shells sit perfectly flush with the frame so I can't even uses mole-grips to remove the shells.

Help!

Have you considered using a BB tap ???
Go to a bike shop. They will pull it for about $20.

Your explanation is not very clear. Are you saying that the entire BB including spindle is stuck in the frame?

Is it an older style ball bearing unit?

you may be able to file out 2 opposite splines on the cartridge so they are deep enough to take a home made tool, maybe a plate of steel the diameter of the cartridge. Use it like a big screwdriver.

He's referring to the shell splines-most newer BB's use them. He's going to need an 'easy-out' sort of tap, one of a larger diameter, too. Bike shops do this all the time.
I would NOT try using pliers, etc. This is a road bike, and road bike BB shells are not very heavy-you could mangle it and trash the frame. Heavy-handed repair techniques may work with lead-sled MTB's, but road bikes are far too fragile for that kind of abuse.

It's actually the bottom bracket itself which is stuck. The splined tool for removal mashed the splines on the bb.

First let some wd-40 soak into the stuck cups , then get a smallish punch and a hammer and tap it undone ......

Any road bike BB shell will get damaged by such a ham-fisted repair technique. Go to a bike shop.

Sounds like me.....

Rather than WD-40 whixh is a water displacer (WD) I would soak it in a good penetrating oil. My favorite right now is Kroil. Then you can take it to the bike shop or see if there is still a tool that will work or carefully try an easy out.
HTH
Joe

The problem seems to be that the spline fitting( in the BB cartridge) for the tool is FUBAR, so a standard tool wont work. This is the wrong place to use a drift punch, you may damage the BB shell, and cartridges are always a tight fit..
Hence make a new fitting in the cartridge for a new tool.

A:
You may just have room to punch and drill some small holes into the face of the cartridge edge. Fit some small steel pins (1 to 1.5mm diam) into the holes and use them to gain purchase on the cartridge.

B:
Weld a piece of steel to the splines using one of those home workshop electric welders, and use that to turn the cartridge.

Yes Duh Alex, you are right "If YOU are hamfisted!"I have'nt gone into greater detail and I honestly could'nt be bothered, This technique does not use a drift punch !, It does require skill, and I have removed MANY ****ed BB cups without srapping the threads!! so I am telling you It works , But you all want to be "so ****ing technichal for a problem which is not !!!" .....

Hey, Buddy Hayseed:
I'm not worried so much about hurting the threads, but rather ovalising the shell!

I think I removed a lockring from a cassette like that..I didn't have a lockring remover, so I just got a hammer and a screw driver..Worked like a charm.

Yo, DAlex- Caesar si viveret, ad remum daresis

Ride Far Away
Pat

Ovalising the shell ???... C'mon surely , you know better than this drivel, you actually mean ovalising a piece of heat treated steel/aluminum 3.5 mm thick , reinforced by four tubes brazed/welded/lugged into it and only 68 mm wide ??? C'mon are you really an engineer ? an electronics engineer ?? an audio engineer ??? what ?, I merely ask this in interest ,because it seems apparent that you know very little in this field ?? But yet you must give your uneducated ?opininion !.. so I give you this opportunity to enlighten us all with your profession , as you seem very confident in the area of the chosen subject, as stated in the heading of this thread !! please feel free.... go right ahead .... take the stand Mr. Alex, Oh and speak into the microphone ! ... thank you.

3 days later , just as we thought !

If anybody cares, I'm a network engineer.

...and I'm a mechanical engineer (ASME member)

To get vaguely back on topic and stop all the muscle-flexing going on...

Did you manage to get it dealt with? And if so, how? Just for future reference. Don't think I'll have a similar problem, but it never hurts to post the solution afterwards!

Ellie

Excellent! I love the smell of testosterone in the morning!

Michael W's idea is a goodie. Drill holes and use a pin spanner (like for some BB cups to remove) or mole wrench to get purchase.

Depending upon the stubborness of things I have had some success with performing the following:

1) soak the area with a good industrial grade rust/corrosion solvent like CRC or similar, not WD40 or Liquid Wrench. I mean really soak it and resoak it.

2) Use a a protective mallet to tap the assy. here & there.

3) apply "Freeze Spray" which is avail at electronic supply outlets. If none is handy you can invert a can of Dust Off and that will get darn cold too. The electronic component cooler is even colder though. Spray until the bottom bracket is thick with frost. DO NOT spray the bracket shell.

4) tap with mallet again and now use the spanner tool or drift if necessary.

The metal should contract enough to loosen things, provided it wasn't cross-threaded to begin with!!