Hi all,

I have searched the net and this forum's archives but can't seem to find the info I need to help me remove an Ultegra crank.

The sitiuation is this:

Currently have an Ultegra Triple set up and I want to swap it out and put on my Ultegra double set up.

Early problems developed last night when I couldn't preform the simple manuever of removing the crankset and arms.

I have a 2002 Ultegra crank set and it has the auto extracter bolts. I went to one of my LBSs and asked what tools I would need. They said I would only need 8mm hex if I had the auto extracters. But it appears that I need some sort of tool to remove the auto extracter cap. Do I?

PROBLEM - When I loosen the 8mm hex bolt on the right side of the crank it only loosens for about 3/4 turn then begins to tighten again. Same with the left side.

What am I doing wrong? I didn't want to force it because I'm afraid of breaking something.

Thanks,

Homebrew

That's what the auto-extracter caps do. As you "loosen" the hex bolts, they will "push" the crank arm off the spindle. The tighteness after the hex bolt is loosened is the hex bolt pushing the crank off.

Thanks BlastRadius!

That makes sense. I'm going to go home for lunch and pull the cranks off.

Now, is there a trick to getting the Bottom Bracket off?

HB

Yes, you need the right splined BB removal tool. Remember that the left side cup is reverse threaded, so you need to turn both sides towards the back of the bike to remove them.

Be advised, if the cranks are on really tight, the self-extractors won't work (how do I know this?). If the extractors start to come out of the cranks, rather than the crank off the BB, STOP IMMEDIATELY!

Get a pin-spanner (something like this: https://www.parktool.com/tools/SPA_2.shtml) and remove the self-extractor, and use a crank puller tool (like this: https://www.parktool.com/tools/CCP_4.shtml). The mechanic that I asked about the problem I had said that he never uses the self-extractors.

The drive-side is reverse threaded with English BBs and the non-drive-side is standard right-hand thread.

With pedals, the drive-side is standard right-hand threaded and the non-drive-side is reverse threaded.

Besides, the question is about removing the crank arms. I don't think Homebrew wants to remove the BB or the pedals.

Yeah, I know. But, double crank on a triple spindle length = messed up chainline. Besides, you have to take the pedals off the triple crank to put them on the double crank. If he/she already knew then it's just FYI, no harm done.

Sorry about that, I'm a little sleep deprived right now, but Blast is right, the BB does need to be changed.

Hi all,

Well, I went home durning lunch and was able to remove the crank arms. I then set my sights on the BB and was unable to remove the drive side end of the BB. I removed the non-drive side by turning the BB tool counter clockwise to the front of the bike.

When I tried to remove the drive-side end by doing the same thing, turning counter clockwise I was unable to move it. I called the LBS and they said to turn it CLOCKwise towards the front of the bike. I tried but the BB tool kept slipping. The mechanic just told me to be careful and to be more stubborn then the BB.

Thanks again.

HB

BlastRadius is right about the thread directions. I recently changed the BB out on my Raleigh. You really might want to use a breaker bar of some sort; they can be a pain to loosen.

Yeah, the trick is to keep the BB tool from jumping out of the splines. Is the BB a "hollowtech", by any chance? If so, you can put a rear wheel skewer thru the tool and the BB, and set it just so that it will allow you to turn the tool with an adjustable wrench/spanner from the side, but won't let the tool jump out of the BB. If it's not a hollow BB, but it uses bolts (that is, the crank threads on the BB are female), and you can find a bolt long enough, you could put a bolt thru the hole in the tool, and thread it into the crank arm threads, to achieve the same thing. Otherwise, just try laying the bike on its side, and holding the BB tool down on the BB from above. If you have to, put a pipe on the end of the wrench turning the tool (an old steel portion of a vacuum cleaner hose or an unused piece of car exhaust pipe are my fave "scrap" leverage increasers). That way, you can use more gentle force, which will be less likely to make the tool jump out of the splines.

Another way I've used to keep the BB tool from jumping out of the splines is to use a Grip Clamp, the kind you use for woodworking. Clamp the BB tool and the other end of the spindle and torque away.