Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

Stubborn BB question...

Search
Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

Stubborn BB question...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 04-17-07 | 09:10 PM
  #1  
braingel's Avatar
Thread Starter
one word, not two
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 828
Likes: 0
Stubborn BB question...

I'm overhauling a Motobecane Nomade for someone, and at one point it was upgraded with a new BB and a cotterless crankset. When I went to remove the fixed cup, it wouldn't budge. I know they're supposed to be in really tight, but I've never failed to get one out...anyway, I let it go. When I went to remove the adjustable cup, though, it too wouldn't budge. If I try any harder I'm going to snap my BB tool. But here's the thing...the lockring spun right off, and the grease on the threads is still fresh...so the cups were greased, and it wasn't in the too distant past either. My guess is that someone shoved a BB in with the wrong threading...problem is they didn't even bother to get the adjustment right Any other thoughts on what could be going on, or is that probably it?
braingel is offline  
Reply
Old 04-17-07 | 09:18 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,754
Likes: 17
Might be cross-threaded. If it's French thread, an English thread cup will go in on the left but not the right. So if they match they are probably the right cups.

Try taking a small drift that will fit in the holes of the adjustable cup and tap loose with a hammer. Heating it with a propane torch and letting it completely cool first will help as well (on both sides).
Otis is offline  
Reply
Old 04-17-07 | 09:26 PM
  #3  
vpiuva's Avatar
*
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,458
Likes: 2
Which way are you turning it? If you're assuming French and RH thread on both sides you may be wrong, Motos are often Swiss threaded, adjustable RH, but fixed cup LH like an English BB, but with french size/pitch threading. If they stuffed an english BB in a french/swiss shell, it still should come loose as 1.37" = 34.8mm, french/swiss is 35.0. Butchered but still should come out. You have the lockring off - do you have another BB as a reference that it will thread onto?
vpiuva is offline  
Reply
Old 04-17-07 | 10:01 PM
  #4  
braingel's Avatar
Thread Starter
one word, not two
 
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 828
Likes: 0
I was trying the fixed cup as if it were French threading, but regardless the adjustable cup won't move. The worst adjustable cup I've ever had to unscrew was still "easy"...this one is seriously frozen. And your post made me think to actually clean off the faces and look at the threading (duh)...which is 1.37. They're Shimano cups. The lockring threads onto Japanese adustable cups just fine. Loctite maybe?
braingel is offline  
Reply
Old 04-17-07 | 10:17 PM
  #5  
vpiuva's Avatar
*
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,458
Likes: 2
Originally Posted by braingel
I was trying the fixed cup as if it were French threading, but regardless the adjustable cup won't move. The worst adjustable cup I've ever had to unscrew was still "easy"...this one is seriously frozen. And your post made me think to actually clean off the faces and look at the threading (duh)...which is 1.37. They're Shimano cups. The lockring threads onto Japanese adustable cups just fine. Loctite maybe?
Sounds like a good guess. Time for a bigger wrench and/or torch. Hopefully they used the blue and not the red.
vpiuva is offline  
Reply
Old 04-17-07 | 10:24 PM
  #6  
unworthy1's Avatar
Stop reading my posts!
20 Anniversary
Community Builder
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 14,008
Likes: 2,206
Originally Posted by vpiuva
Sounds like a good guess. Time for a bigger wrench and/or torch. Hopefully they used the blue and not the red.
If they red loctite-d it then the torch is what you need, cause red loctite needs HEAT to soften enough to unscrew...but I think you just need a "bigger hammer" such as a big bolt/bunch of lock washers/nut and two sockets/wrenches with a big washer to hold your wrench on the fixed cup and...a dead blow mallet...works every time!
unworthy1 is offline  
Reply

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off



Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.