Old Crankset Removal
 

Hi all,

I am in the process of trying to convert an old Centurion Cavaletto into a single speed. I am having trouble identifying the correct tools to remove the crank set. Pictures included for reference. Is it simply purchasing a crank removal tool? Looks like I need to remove a nut first. Can someone point me to the correct tool(s) I need to acquire to remove the crank? Can I replace it with any old single speed crankset (on Amazon) for example, or is there anything special I need to consider? This is the one I had ordered on Amazon "Retrospec Bicycles Fixed-Gear Crank Single-Speed Road Bicycle Forged Crankset" (not allowed to post URL's with < 10 posts!)


Sorry for the noobish q's and thanks in advance for the help!

you'll need to take the nut out first which should be a 15mm bolt. Then the crank extractor threads in and can be used to pop them off

The nut comes off with a 14 mm or 15 mm socket (not sure which). A lot of cheap crank pullers come with one. For example:

Crankset Crank Wheel Puller Removal Repair Extractor Tool For Mountain Bicycle | eBay

If you're in a hurry, don't order a crank puller that has to come from China, though. They can take a while to arrive.

Thanks for the quick responses! I'll grab a crank puller and look for one with a 14/15mm socket or borrow one from a buddy.

Most likely 14mm

Vintage Campy used 15 and it required a thin wall socket.

Crank pullers are standard with only a few exceptions

Typically that is a bolt and not a nut on a threaded stud. Haven't removed one like that so can't offer a solution except that maybe the puller has a hole for the stud to fit in when you thread the puller into the crank.

It doesn't make a difference. Just unscrew middle part of tool further.

Remove the nut(it's a nut) and the washer under it. It is 14mm. Use a standard crank puller. Make sure you thread it in all they way. You likely will need a new bottom bracket that is the correct length for the new crank. You're gonna have chainline issues otherwise, especially with a single speed conversion.

When you get your tool, be careful not to cross-thread the extractor while screwing it in. If that happens, you have created another problem.

+1. And do not buy a cheap crank extractor. Cheap could mean sloppy threads and tolerances. You're carefully screwing a steel tool into aluminum threads. If the cheap tool does not fit REAL nicely you can easily strip those aluminum threads and you then need to cut the crank arm off.

And clean the tool well and clean the threads in each crank arm well. I use an old tooth brush and some mineral spirts. Nice and clean then get the tool started very carefully as stated above.

This article on Tapered Crank Pullers might prove a bit helpful. I tend to use my Campagnolo puller, most of the time, but the Shimano one works just fine. The only thing to watch for is French crank set that use a different size puller, but that is not the case with the crank set presented by the OP. This puller has two sizes but most do not...

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe...k_Puller_1.jpg

Thanks all for chipping in.

What's the best way to decide on the bottom bracket? Install the rear cog, then measure out the bottom bracket shell to decide? The single speed freewheel I ordered and crank puller tools should arrive Friday, after which I should have a bit more clarity on next steps. Looking online at older posts sounds like best bet is to take to the LBS so I can make sure I buy once :roflmao2:

See what the crank you are using calls for. Bottom bracket lengths are specific to the crank.

[MENTION=469087]coupdegrace[/MENTION] - I think you got it right. The hub and location of the sprocket are fixed. Determine distance from center line of the bike to the outside or inside of the sprocket then determine the right BB and Crank to match.

I was surprised how sensitive my SS was to chain line alignment. I had to play with sprocket spacing and wheel dish to get it right.

You will have to sight down the sides of the installed chainring to see where to go from there in terms of chainline.


Spacers used under the bb cup or to either side of a single cog are typically needed to fine-tune chainline so the chain won't fall off.

These series of articles I wrote on How To Build A Single Speed might prove helpful...

http://www.mytenspeeds.com/My_TenSpe...Done_Drive.jpg

Thanks all who have contributed again. I managed to successfully remove the crankset and generally prep everything for a new one. Turns out the BB i have on the bike is too long and likely will need to get a shorter one to get a proper chain line.

On that note, I wanted to inquire about the rear wheel and hub spacing. I removed the cassette and have purchased a single speed freewheel, but as you can see in the picture the spacing is too far to the left as a result of it being a lot thinner than the original cassette. Now based on [MENTION=84826]randyjawa[/MENTION]'s excellent guide it appears I can simply respace the hub and re-dish the wheel so that the freewheel can be aligned with the crank. I did take it to the LBS as I was hoping they could help me with these last few steps but they seemed to suggest this was impossible without getting a new wheel and a chain tensioner, citing my "vertical dropouts" would be holding me back. Based on the above guide and most of the stuff I've read I feel like this is doable with the current setup and just some tweaking. Am I SOL as the LBS suggests? Was thinking I perhaps needed some spacers to plug onto the other side of the hub to slide it over, and then redish the wheel to straighten it out.

Attached are images for reference. Thanks in advance.

Ummm, how to say this politely - your LBS is full of it. You have traditional forward-facing horizontal dropouts (slightly angled to keep the brake pads positioned correctly no matter how far forward or back you pull your rear wheel). In other words, you have exactly the right dropouts for a single-speed or fixed-gear conversion. You do NOT need a chain tensioner. Frankly, if you took it to your LBS for them to look at and they looked at it and told you this, you need another LBS. Period.

With that out of the way, randyjawa's guide gives you the information you need - if you desire it, you can trawl Sheldon Brown's writings on fixed-gear conversions would augment that.

That's what I figured...just wanted to get confirmation. Thanks! Randy's guide looked exactly like what I needed but was a little surprised to hear that from the LBS...bet they just aren't as familiar working with old 10-speed conversions!

Just in case you are trying to do this on the cheap ( which I often am so I mean no offence) you can sometimes make the chain line work with an existing bottom bracket by flipping the spindle around. It just means your non drive-side crank arm will sit a little outboard. I've done this many times, sometimes it works out better than others it depends on the spindle.

Really nice frame by the way.

Thanks! Does anyone have suggestions on types of spacers for this type of hub?

If your doing this on the cheap a lot of times you an switch the spacers from one side to the other and redish the wheel to get enough difference to pull a OK chainline.

Doesn't look like there are removable spacers on the current setup...the plan was to get some to put on the left side of the hub which would effectively slide the rear wheel to the right of the axle so that the installed freewheel would be closer to the drive-side chain stay. With this kind of hub the spacer I'd imagine would be of a narrower sort that I've seen online for free hubs, is there any kind in particular to buy or any that would fit that bolt?

The last time I re-dished a road hub for single/fixed used, I think I just used some scavenged washers to space things out.