Removing Stripped BB Retainers
#1
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Removing Stripped BB Retainers
I have a ‘97 Trek 7000 with integrated sealed BB unit. This one has nylon plastic retainer rings and the one on the NDS is stripped to the point where the splines are broken off. I’ve been putting this off for the last 2 summers and now I know why 
I love this bike frame so will have to be careful not to bugger up the fine threads. Any of you had to deal with this? I hate plastic for this. Cant wait to try the fixed side.

I love this bike frame so will have to be careful not to bugger up the fine threads. Any of you had to deal with this? I hate plastic for this. Cant wait to try the fixed side.
#2
Bikes are okay, I guess.



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Nope, but I'd try a heat gun (begin on a low setting to save the paint) and try prying the plastic out once softened. Good luck!
#3
Go ahead and try the drive side first. Remember it's reverse threaded. I always find a way to bolt the BB tool down when I start to keep it from hopping the splines. After the pressure is off, the NDS might spin free. Even if it was installed without grease I don't think there's any way it can fuse to the shell, can it?
#4
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I have a ‘97 Trek 7000 with integrated sealed BB unit. This one has nylon plastic retainer rings and the one on the NDS is stripped to the point where the splines are broken off. I’ve been putting this off for the last 2 summers and now I know why 
I love this bike frame so will have to be careful not to bugger up the fine threads. Any of you had to deal with this? I hate plastic for this. Cant wait to try the fixed side.

I love this bike frame so will have to be careful not to bugger up the fine threads. Any of you had to deal with this? I hate plastic for this. Cant wait to try the fixed side.
This once again brings up the BB conundrum of not removing it for service until something goes wrong. This is a perfect example of that. Now you have more of a problem than you want. IMHO BB's should be completely disassembled whenever servicing any part of them. This especially includes driveside cup removal for thread service to help avoid problems like this later. I know many disagree on this and that is fine, I will always do it as a proper service so there are less of these posts.
#5
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Go ahead and try the drive side first. Remember it's reverse threaded. I always find a way to bolt the BB tool down when I start to keep it from hopping the splines. After the pressure is off, the NDS might spin free. Even if it was installed without grease I don't think there's any way it can fuse to the shell, can it?
#6
SE Wis

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Bikes: '68 Raleigh Sprite, '02 Raleigh C500, '84 Raleigh Gran Prix, '91 Trek 400, 2013 Novara Randonee, 1990 Trek 970
most cartridge cups have a 1/8"or so lip on the DS that you can often get a pipe wrench on.
#7
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#9
Wow, having cut, drilled, ground, and sawed frozen spindle cups out of BB shells, your challenge seems rather tame to me. What I would do is heat up a thin crappy (don't use your good one) screw driver with a torch and then push it into the plastic. It should melt right in. If you think you have good purchase with it you could try tapping it tangentially with a mallet to break the threads free. If it won't come free, just use the hot screwdriver to melt completely through the plastic retainer in a few places. Then with a bit of strategic chiselling, the thing should come right out.
#10
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Wow, having cut, drilled, ground, and sawed frozen spindle cups out of BB shells, your challenge seems rather tame to me. What I would do is heat up a thin crappy (don't use your good one) screw driver with a torch and then push it into the plastic. It should melt right in. If you think you have good purchase with it you could try tapping it tangentially with a mallet to break the threads free. If it won't come free, just use the hot screwdriver to melt completely through the plastic retainer in a few places. Then with a bit of strategic chiselling, the thing should come right out.
#11
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Wow, having cut, drilled, ground, and sawed frozen spindle cups out of BB shells, your challenge seems rather tame to me. What I would do is heat up a thin crappy (don't use your good one) screw driver with a torch and then push it into the plastic. It should melt right in. If you think you have good purchase with it you could try tapping it tangentially with a mallet to break the threads free. If it won't come free, just use the hot screwdriver to melt completely through the plastic retainer in a few places. Then with a bit of strategic chiselling, the thing should come right out.

The hot screwdriver sounds like a pretty good idea.
Last edited by merziac; 12-29-18 at 07:58 PM.
#12
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#13
Wow, never had to cut, drill, grind, saw or otherwise butcher any cups, ever, which is key when the offender is odd, rare or otherwise should be saved if possible which imho is always. With my method they always come out, never damaged a frame, cup, tool or otherwise. Only been doing this for about 50yrs so maybe I haven't seen it all. 
The hot screwdriver sounds like a pretty good idea.

The hot screwdriver sounds like a pretty good idea.
Although I was ready to give up a few times, I am glad that I persevered. That frame is now one of my favorite bikes (650B conversion). Since then, I have gotten 2 other free frames with rust welded BBs. Neither of them responded to 2 hours of work (now my guideline for this sort of thing) so they went for scrap. The lessen in all of this is to use anti-seize or grease for any BB installation. I am not sure that removing the BB every few years would be necessary if you grease the threads, but it's easy enough to do.
To OP: sorry for the slight diversion. Glad you found success.
#15
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There is no lip. This is a newer cartridge unit that takes a splined tool to remove it. I will have to take it outside and burn the nylon lockring out. I have tried to be nice with it and now I’m going into destroy mode. My last hope is that the metal lockring on the driveside isnt fused. Good thing I saved the extra matching paint. This wont be pretty.
#16
There is no lip. This is a newer cartridge unit that takes a splined tool to remove it. I will have to take it outside and burn the nylon lockring out. I have tried to be nice with it and now I’m going into destroy mode. My last hope is that the metal lockring on the driveside isnt fused. Good thing I saved the extra matching paint. This wont be pretty.
Use a Crescent or other wrench on the tool, and strike it firmly a couple of times with a dead blow or other hammer to break any corrosive bond in the threading with impact. Once you have the drive side and the BB sealed unit out, you'll have better access to the plastic cup you're having trouble with, and maybe you can just cut it in a couple of spots and break it out from there.
#17
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...stop right now, take a break, have some coffee, and relax. Then whenever you restart, apply some 50/50 acetone/ATF mix penetrant to the drive side threading, give it 15 minutes to wick in, reapply and attatch your cup removal tool firmly to that side using a bolt threaded the same as a crank bolt, but long enough to reach out past the removal tool, with a fender washer outside of that tool so you can firm it up.
Use a Crescent or other wrench on the tool, and strike it firmly a couple of times with a dead blow or other hammer to break any corrosive bond in the threading with impact. Once you have the drive side and the BB sealed unit out, you'll have better access to the plastic cup you're having trouble with, and maybe you can just cut it in a couple of spots and break it out from there.
Use a Crescent or other wrench on the tool, and strike it firmly a couple of times with a dead blow or other hammer to break any corrosive bond in the threading with impact. Once you have the drive side and the BB sealed unit out, you'll have better access to the plastic cup you're having trouble with, and maybe you can just cut it in a couple of spots and break it out from there.
Thanx for all the tips and suggestions.

#19
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#20
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Honestly there is no reason to remove the NDS first on a standard UN type BB. It isn't a "lock ring" per se, more of a centering and stabilizing ring that doesn't attach to the DS and cartridge.
I normally do try it first as then the tool can be bolted into the axle to hold it in place, but not required. On a plastic cup NDS removing the DS first allows destructive removal of NDS much easier.
I normally do try it first as then the tool can be bolted into the axle to hold it in place, but not required. On a plastic cup NDS removing the DS first allows destructive removal of NDS much easier.
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