V-O french-thread BB....
 

OK, I just want to make sure I'm not missing something here...... Recently got a V-O French BB for a build. Labeled French on the box, on the body of the BB, the flange of the drive side says "FRENCH 35x1 REMOVE COUNTER CLOCKWISE", but....... the threading on that side of the BB is left-handed. It should be right-hand threaded on both sides, right? Will contact V-O, but just want to be sure I'm not somehow confused...

Yes, French is right-hand threaded on both drive and non-drive side, and it should be removed by turning counter clockwise. Which bike is this for? Are you sure the bike is French threaded?

Yup, Valgan Vitus 971 frame. The Stronglight BB that came out of it (tragically very pitted...) is right-handed on both sides. Seems like maybe there's been a factory error with the BB.....

Swiss threading is 35x1 and fixed cup left-hand.

Check that the adjustable cup fits, if it does, Swiss is what you need.

Threading in the BB shell is right-handed on both sides, so yes, the right-hand-threaded NDS/adjustable cup fits (both sides). Problem is the labeled-as French BB from V-O is left-hand-threaded on the drive side.

You might be the only person in history to "mistakenly" get a Swiss-threaded bottom bracket. One of the 17 people on the planet with Swiss-threaded frames may hunt you down.

This happened to me two years ago.

Also from Velo Orange?

How is it possible that the only two remaining Swiss BB cups on the planet BOTH went to the wrong place?

Wait! Maybe it is the same set of BB cups...

The VO French threaded BB I bought a while ago was correct, "RH" thread both sides.

I tried to use it but on TA cranks - the cranks walked in too much. The spindle is polished and plated on mine. I prefer coarser machined.

I never took it up to torque, 45 nm

As a follow up- contacted V-O and they sent a correct BB & return shipping label for the mis-marked, wrong one.

In both cases, however, the bearings seem really stiff. Like, really stiff... Is that normal for sealed bearings in a BB?

This whole ordeal is not an atypical Velo Orange experience, unfortunately….

Not unusual for new bearing cartridges. Until the seals wear in, they can feel stiff. But unloaded stiffness from seal drag really has no effect on loaded performance.

That's what I was hoping/thought.

think of all those lost watts in the seals scraping.

17? I bet there are thousands of pre-'79 Motobécanes out there.