Help! Bottom Bracket Question.
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Help! Bottom Bracket Question.
I just inherited a Gary Fisher Paragon Steel Frame Mountain bike. It has nice components but the only problem is the bottom bracket is toast. It has the press in style bearings/bracket. The bracket/bearing has backed itself out about a 1/4 inch. I think the bottom bracket housing has become slightly enlarged due to bottom bracket changes over the years. Does anyone have any suggestions on a fix. (i.e. oversize bearings, threading the bracket to accept a more common type bracket etc. I hope someone has run into this before and solved the issue.)Thanks
#2
bike whisperer
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Posts: 9,537
Bikes: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=152015&p=1404231
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1523 Post(s)
Liked 716 Times
in
508 Posts
Pics?
I have no idea what sort of BB you mean (surely not ashtabula), but then I'm not down with MTBs...
I have no idea what sort of BB you mean (surely not ashtabula), but then I'm not down with MTBs...
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: West Yorkshire, United Kingdom
Posts: 5,773
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 453 Post(s)
Liked 104 Times
in
87 Posts
Take it to a Garry Fisher / Trek dealer, they will have specific knowlage for this product if it's a press fit BB.
Don't think you have a press fit BB, these are normally seen in Alu and CF frames, and yours is steel. You probably have an exteral bearing BB, even if this had become loose, the shells are made from aluminium, and so should not have demamged the steel frame, at worse, you may need to get the BB faced & tapped.
Would also be worth checking exactly what your bike is (re-decaled?), as accorcing to bikepedia, the Paragon was only avaliable with a steel frame back in 1993, if this is the case, if orginal, the BB will be a normal square taper cartridge, comments for the external BB also apply
Don't think you have a press fit BB, these are normally seen in Alu and CF frames, and yours is steel. You probably have an exteral bearing BB, even if this had become loose, the shells are made from aluminium, and so should not have demamged the steel frame, at worse, you may need to get the BB faced & tapped.
Would also be worth checking exactly what your bike is (re-decaled?), as accorcing to bikepedia, the Paragon was only avaliable with a steel frame back in 1993, if this is the case, if orginal, the BB will be a normal square taper cartridge, comments for the external BB also apply
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: England, currently dividing my time between university in Guildford and home just outside Reading
Posts: 1,921
Bikes: Too many to list here!
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
2 Posts
Pics would also help
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I am not sure of the year. Here are some pictures I hope they help. I know the paint is in pretty bad shape on the bike but with a little clean up and paint I think it will look pretty good.
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
That's the old-school Fisher setup. It's proprietary. I'd suggest using Loctite 680 to retain the new bearings.
Last edited by mechBgon; 05-08-11 at 01:37 PM.
#7
Biking Viking.
Can't tell from the pictures, but I want to assume that the BB is a standard screw in type. If so, just unscrew it however possible.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Above ground, Walnut Creek, Ca
Posts: 6,681
Bikes: 8 ss bikes, 1 5-speed touring bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 86 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
from the last picture, it looks like a common (probably english threaded) bottom bracket. it may have been installed wrong or is the wrong bb, because the drive side looks like it is missing the lockring, but the driveside is not subbposed to have a lockring. or, more likely, you are correct, and the driveside cup just backed out about an quarter of an inch. if it was mine i would tear it apart and see what's up, but it may be prudent to send it to the LBS and let THEM tell you what's up.
huey...
BTW, it may be that somebody put in an 72mm axle in a bb made for a 68? (is this even possible) and had to leave the driveside cup out a few millimeters to compensate.
huey...
BTW, it may be that somebody put in an 72mm axle in a bb made for a 68? (is this even possible) and had to leave the driveside cup out a few millimeters to compensate.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
Actually, you're seeing a proprietary Gary Fisher bottom bracket there. The bottom-bracket shell is an unthreaded tube. At one point Klein also had something similar to this.
Likes For mechBgon:
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Above ground, Walnut Creek, Ca
Posts: 6,681
Bikes: 8 ss bikes, 1 5-speed touring bike
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 86 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
4 Posts
mechbgon,
i have no doubt that you know more about it than me.
it's not the first time i've been wrong!, nor the last i suppose...
huey
i have no doubt that you know more about it than me.
it's not the first time i've been wrong!, nor the last i suppose...
huey
Last edited by hueyhoolihan; 05-08-11 at 02:35 PM. Reason: poor grammer
#11
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 47
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Mechbgon- Your right, I found a site online illustrating a parts breakdown for an old style Gary Fisher BB. It is pushed in and I got it out, my concern is on the drive side the bearing does not press in as tight as the other side. It does not take a lot of pressure. Is there any "fix" for this? Will loctite be strong enough even if the bb casing is slightly worn? Any suggestions gladly welcomed.
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
Mechbgon- Your right, I found a site online illustrating a parts breakdown for an old style Gary Fisher BB. It is pushed in and I got it out, my concern is on the drive side the bearing does not press in as tight as the other side. It does not take a lot of pressure. Is there any "fix" for this? Will loctite be strong enough even if the bb casing is slightly worn? Any suggestions gladly welcomed.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: England, currently dividing my time between university in Guildford and home just outside Reading
Posts: 1,921
Bikes: Too many to list here!
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times
in
2 Posts
I think there's a loctite compound specially designed for situations like this, I just can't remember what it's called.
Edit
mechBgon beat me to this post, and managed to remember the name too.
Edit
mechBgon beat me to this post, and managed to remember the name too.
#15
Rolling along
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: SE Alabama
Posts: 411
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I would be hesitant to use JB weld, unless you didn't intend to ever remove it. It may be more prudent to find a replacement BB IMHO.
#16
Senior Member
If this works it may be a better idea. https://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...r-Spindle&q=&s=
The bottom of the page for the ones that are not threaded.
The bottom of the page for the ones that are not threaded.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 6,956
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 6 Times
in
5 Posts
If this works it may be a better idea. https://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.cg...r-Spindle&q=&s=
The bottom of the page for the ones that are not threaded.
The bottom of the page for the ones that are not threaded.
I would be hesitant to use JB weld, unless you didn't intend to ever remove it. It may be more prudent to find a replacement BB IMHO.