Nikko Special Bottom Bracket
 

Hello,
I have an old Trek road bike with a Nikko Special bottom bracket that seems loose. When I move the cranks side to side there is a tiny bit of play. Its not much though and I am wondering if I should even worry about it. Is there an easy tightening fix or will it need to be replaced? I haven't done any BB work but would like to learn. Thanks for any help you can give.

I assume this is a standard "cup-and-cone" bottom bracket and readjusting it is pretty straight forward. Park Tool's web site has a tutorial for this job here:

http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-...racket-service

If it is loose you will need to readjust the "adjustable cup" ( on the non-drive side of the bike, that is the side without the chain) and lockring. If the bottom bracket has not been serviced in a long time, an overhaul, cleaning and relubeing should be considered.

In either case some specialty tools make the job a lot easier but there are some work-arounds. .

Can you take photos? That will help tremendously if you want some specific advice to your bike.
is it a NECO bb? How old is the bike?
Neco is a Taiwan BB and headset maker. They typically supply OEM's with cartridge bottom brackets but to have some super low end legacy cup and cone units. These days, loose ball cup and cone BB's are made for retail after market sales.

First thing you will need to do is to remove the crank arms. You'll need a crank arm removal tool (Park CCP-2 or similar). Then a BB removal tool. Different styles and brands of BB's will require different tools. Photos will help.