Italian or English BB?
10-27-09 | 12:05 AM
#1
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From: Montereyish
Italian or English BB?
Is there a way to tell if a BB is Italian or English threads without taking it off? Frame is a Bianchi. BB is a Shimano 7400 36x24T. Also is stamped PH. Oh, and it's a 68mm.
Last edited by rothenfield1; 10-27-09 at 12:09 AM.
10-27-09 | 02:54 AM
#4
cab horn
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From: Toronto
Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione
10-27-09 | 08:56 AM
#6
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From: Montereyish
There is some play in tip of my Park tape measure. Remeasuring does appear to be 70mm. The BB seems to be stuck and I wanted to confirm which way I should be torquing it to remove. The adjuster ring on the crank(left) side threads on righty-tighty though?
10-30-09 | 08:13 PM
#8
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From: Montereyish
Again, how do you know that without removing the BB. I had the shop measure the shell with one of those fancy digital micrometers and it read 69.25mm. I guess that's a tad closer to 70 then 68. Is the BB shell width the determining factor of being Italian versus English. They used penetrating oil and torqued on the right side in the "conventionally threaded" direction with the standard Park BB wrench without a budge. The thing the bothers me is that I remember reading someone posting on this forum that Bianchi was the only Italian Manufacturer that used English threading on some of there bikes. I'm afraid that if I "really" cranked on it in the wrong direction, I could risk cracking the shell. I guess I'll just have to live with this BB and buy new cranks.
10-30-09 | 08:38 PM
#9
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
It's not just the width of the bottom bracket shell that determines the bottom bracket type. If yours is engraved "36x24TPI" it is ITALIAN, period. Italian bb's are the only ones with 36 mm diameter cups and 24 tpi thread pitch. Nothing else is the same.
All Italian bottom brackets are right hand threaded on both cups. To keep them form spontaneously loosenening, Italian drive side cuts are torqued VERY tight so that may be why yours is hard to break loose.
All Italian bottom brackets are right hand threaded on both cups. To keep them form spontaneously loosenening, Italian drive side cuts are torqued VERY tight so that may be why yours is hard to break loose.
10-30-09 | 08:47 PM
#10
Cat 6
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From: Mountain Brook, AL
And if it has the original spindle it should be 113mm.
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72 Frejus (for sale), Holdsworth Record (for sale), special CNC & Gitane Interclub / 74 Italvega NR (for sale) / c80 French / 82 Raleigh Intl MkII f&f (for sale)/ 83 Trek 620 (for sale)/ 84 Bruce Gordon Chinook (for sale)/ 85 Ron Cooper / 87 Centurion IM MV (for sale) / 03 Casati Dardo / 08 BF IRO / 09 Dogma FPX / 09 Giant TCX0 / 10 Vassago Fisticuff
10-30-09 | 08:49 PM
#11
cab horn
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 28,353
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From: Toronto
Bikes: 1987 Bianchi Campione
Again, how do you know that without removing the BB. I had the shop measure the shell with one of those fancy digital micrometers and it read 69.25mm. I guess that's a tad closer to 70 then 68. Is the BB shell width the determining factor of being Italian versus English. They used penetrating oil and torqued on the right side in the "conventionally threaded" direction with the standard Park BB wrench without a budge. The thing the bothers me is that I remember reading someone posting on this forum that Bianchi was the only Italian Manufacturer that used English threading on some of there bikes. I'm afraid that if I "really" cranked on it in the wrong direction, I could risk cracking the shell. I guess I'll just have to live with this BB and buy new cranks.
This thread was ended on post #2, no offense.
