Super seized bottom bracket titanium frame
 

So... I have tried everything and now I am here for any other suggestions.
I have a 1996 Litespeed titanium frame that has a seized bottom bracket.
I have tried WD40, liquid wrench, heat, electric impact wrench, my LBS, etc... and am unable to remove the BB.
Just wondering if anyone else has had success with any other methods.
Has anyone had a machine shop remove a seized BB?

***UPDATE***
I finally got the stubborn BB out...
Put PB Blaster down the seat tube and let soak for 3 days
With the BB tool in the BB, smacked the tool very forcefully multiple times
Heat the BB Shell
Long breaker bar finally loosened the BB (note, still took a lot of effort to finally remove the BB)
This was my last attempt before trying to cut the BB out, thankfully it worked. There was a huge amount of sludge and iron corrosion upon removal of the BB.

Thanks to everyone for all your help and suggestions.

Have you tried a secured bb tool with a really long breaker bar?

Which side are you having trouble with? You do know that the right fixed-cup side has left-hand threads right? Meaning it spins clockwise to loosen. Here's a BIG BOLT tool used to get a REALLY BIG wrench on the cup. Use an 18" breaker-bar and it'll come off easily. You can actually apply enough torque to rip the threads out of the BB-shell with that much torque.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips...btool-bolt.jpg
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/bbcups.html

Either that or use the Big Bolt tool that Danno showed and clamp the tool in a large bench vice. Once secured, use the frame as a lever to break it loose from the BB cup.

I have the commercial version of that. I call it the Doomsday Tool :D

what type of bb/tool interface? locking the bb tool and the big wrench works fine for me. grab the big 12/15 inch shop wrench and crown race setter. put the wrench on and slide on the crown race setter for even more leverage. have someone hold the frame and turn in the proper direction. works every time.

I'm sure you can find something that's < $80 MSRP new to do that with...

The TA fixed cup tool is my favorite for older bottom brackets, but for something that doesn't cost a fortune, bolting on a tool is best. For Shimano cartridge BBs I always use the Shimano TL-UN74S over any of the Park tools because the flats are closer to the splines, for better directed force. A 12" or 15" adjustable wrench, assuming it still has flat and parallel jaws, and increasing lengths of breaker bars should get any Shimano BB out.

I haven't had quite as good luck with this method with Campagnolo cartridges of either persuasion, for the older external notched type you absolutely need the correct Campagnolo tool.

The "medium duty" breaker bar around here is an oversized steel downtube sawed from a cracked frame. The "heavy duty" is 6 feet of forced hot water pipe, conveniently scavenged from the wall in the basement.

I hope the person who paid for the crown race setter has never seen you use it as a breaker bar.

It would help a lot if the OP told us what type of bottom bracket he is trying to remove and which side(s) is/are stuck.

on a '96 litespeed it's most likely a cartridge

The BB is a shimano square taper cartridge type...
I am positive I am turning the BB in the correct direction. As well, both my LBS and my shop have tried the frame levering method. After putting the electric impact wrench to it, I am nervous about applying more torque and damaging the frame.
Both sides are stuck.
Has anyone encountered a BB that they were unable to remove?

Ok. (1) you have the tool firmly bolted to the BB cup so it can't slip, and (2) you still cannot move either cup even when using the frame as leverage. That's bad. If the BB cups are aluminum, you may be able to "eat" them out using lye. It may take several days or longer to dissolve the aluminum.

Obviously, consider this a "what do I have left to lose" technique, since the first thing to go would be the splined removal section of the cups.

is the bb Italian threaded? ti does have a tendency to gall

Litespeeds were never Italian threaded.

Many years ago, the shop where I worked received a Cinelli frame that the owner had chromed. Since he wasn't a bike mechanic, he took off all he could, leaving the fixed cup in place. That's right, they chromed the whole thing with the Campy BB cup still stuck. After several tries with various wrenches, we finally resorted to surgical removal- I think it took a dozen carbide hacksaw blades to reduce the cup to 4 pieces... and several evening's labor. We got it out, though. Eventually returned the bike to service, too

Surgical removal may be your only alternative. If it's an aluminum cup it should be pretty easy to kerf the cup from the inside and then collapse it. Saw carefully and you won't damage the threads, but be prepared to chase them afterwards.

And use anti-seize next time!

+1

The final method is to start taking a hacksaw to the bb shell, and be careful + be prepared to use lots of sweat.

I've never used one, but serious machine shops have a tool that sets up vibrations in fasteners that supposedly will cause any fastener to release.

I finally got the stubborn BB out...
Put PB Blaster down the seat tube and let soak for 3 days
With the BB tool in the BB, smacked the tool very forcefully multiple times
Heat the BB Shell
Long breaker bar finally loosened the BB (note, still took a lot of effort to finally remove the BB)
This was my last attempt before trying to cut the BB out, thankfully it worked. There was a huge amount of sludge and iron corrosion upon removal of the BB.

Thanks to everyone for all your help and suggestions.

I keep hearing about this pb blaster stuff and I have a bike in the shop right now with a fantastically stuck BB as well. Where to get it in Toronto?

"Iron" sludge? Or just dull-red colored goop?

What kind of BB was in it, anyway? It sounds like it was an unlubricated steel cup, someone mucked it up during the original installation, or it was Locktited into place.

In any case, clean and chase the threads really well and use anti-seize!

I video of that would have been pretty cool.

canadian tire

It was bright red goop... was a shimano cartridge BB. I don't think that locktite was used, just no anti seize.
There is still a fair bit of corrosion in the BB shell and the threads... what is the best way to remove this? I have tried with a steel brush but it isn't cleaning it off.

Naval Jelly is what you should use. It preferentially eats away rust much, much faster than the bare steel underneath.

Heat the BB Shell. I hope you were cautious with the heat. Ti must be in an inert atmosphere when heated above about 900 degrees F or it will absorb nitrogen and become brittle.