ibo

Hi,
I am working on a vintage English Viscount road bike.
Never seen this type of bottom bracket.
Can't take any cups of, at least don't know how.
Looks like a sealed bottom bracket with the bearings running in a groove.
There is a spring sitting around the spindle near where a cup should be.
Instead there is a rubber "ring", that can be removed and you can see the bearings.
Would keep the bottom bracket but it is a tiny bit shaky/loose....
Can this be tightened, if so how?
Anyone seen this and worked on it?
Any help would be great.
Also can this be removed and replaced with a standard bottom bracket?
Seems like there are cups pressed into the bottom bracket shell from both sides. I guess there are no threads in the bottom bracket???? Question, questions...
Thanks.
I.

Jeff Wills

This will get you started: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/lambert.html

The BB is a square-taper spindle running on sealed cartridge bearings with circlips holding things together. There's no threads in the shell, so a standard BB won't work. It may be possible to install a "no-thread" BB like this: https://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...=YS-BB99368113 . The bearings are standard industrial cartridge bearings.

Cartridge bearings tend to have a little play in them. As long as they turn smoothly, I would leave them in.

Iowegian

There really aren't any cups. The BB is just a couple of 6003 cartridge bearings and a spindle. The bearings are pressed into the shell and the spindle is pressed into the bearings.

The spindle can be either a normal square taper or more often just a square with no taper. If you have the square with no taper spindle, you can't change cranks. If you have a tapered spindle you can put a regular square taper crank on.

You might be able to re-grease the bearings by removing the rubber seal, installing new grease and putting the seal back on. Otherwise, just replace the bearings, they are not expensive.

Iowegian

Pics here

Ex Pres 

Nice mitering inside that BB shell

ibo

Hi and thank you very much!
the spindle/bearings have a little play but I will actually go with the suggestion of leaving it as it is. But that was a lot of help! So it's possible to replace it.....
It came with cranks that were removable.
Thanks again.
I.

Roll-Monroe-Co

Huh? How/why do the cartridges stay in place in the 'after' pic? Just tapped into place and held with tension? Really?

Roll-Monroe-Co

Warning: Don't click on the link on the bikecult page that says "See the 2004 update here." It's like some kind of horrific Nazi medical experiment.

Drakonchik

Here's a number of options for upgrading that Viscount/Lambert bike BB:

1) go to www.reset-racing.de and look for the "fur Klein, Storck, Cannondale" section of this German website (these brands used some threadless BBs). I believe these are complete BBs, cartridge type.

2) go to www.biketoolsetc.com and search for "YST THREADLESS". Pretty cheap and lots of widths but requires re-chamfering the edge of the BB shell.

3) go to www.philwood.com. Download the pdf that covers "SPEC'D PREMIUM BEARINGS" and look for Part # PW003 which is the 35mm bearing units for "Klein, Fisher, Fat Chance etc". This is not a complete BB but just the cartridge bearings only 35mm x 17mm .

4) go to bikepartsplace.com for the Wheels Mnfg cartridge bearings by themselves, 35mm x 17mmm:

https://www.bikepartsplace.com/discou...ring-6003-2rs/

5) finally your Lambert BB shell, since it has 35mm ID, can be re-threaded for Italian 36mm. Not the best option.

Or overhaul the original bb replacing the 6003 cartridge bearings. That's the full rundown that I'm aware of!

Steve530

Yes, really. And it works very well.

Steve530

Also, Phil spindles or Klein spindles will work if you need a different length or a different taper.

ibo

Hi,
thanks a lot.
How do you take this off? How do you get the cartridges out.
What's the first step?
Remove the "lockring,clamp"? I did that but what's next?
What is the run down of taking it apart? I was able to remove the plastic protection to see the beraings, etc....
Thanks.
I.

Daytrip

You have to drive the shaft out one way or the other after removing the lockrings. Probably a good idea to replace the bearings after you do that. As mentioned, if the bearings seem to work, don't try to remove them. The shafts tend to fail when the shaft breaks at that groove point.

I restored my old college ride, a Viscount from the late 1970s, but can't get used to the ride, compared to my Giant OCR-1. Pretty noodly.

velo-orange

The YST and similar threadless BBs will not work in the Viscount until the Seat tube and down tube are mitered properly. So, quick and dirty is to replace the sealed bearings. if the spindle is OK, then it's a pretty cheap and easy fix. if the spindle is worn from improper maintenence (unlikely) then hacking at the crappy miters will be necessary to run a threadless BB.

Yes we sell a threadless BBset.

enjoybikes 

I wondered if any of you Viscount owners out there could measure your spindle length. I want to buy a threadless BB and don't have my old spindle to measure. I see on one thread a 119 mentioned in passing. Wondered if someone in possession of one could measure. That would be awesome. Hope to get this baby running again.... love their story, love the weight, excited to see how it rides. Thanks,