flammenwurfer

Yes, I think so. I attempted to use a socket in the same manner when I was removing them.

flammenwurfer

Well....I've made progress but I'm pretty sure I've also screwed up. I got new bearings and got the bottom bracket greased and put back together, but the adjustable cup seems to be in cock-eyed. I think the threads are messed up because I took it out and put it back in a couple times and it's just crooked. I'm wondering if it wasn't like that when I got it though because there was never a point where it felt like I was stripping anything or forcing anything. It wasn't any harder to screw in than i would have expected.

noglider 

D'oh!

flammenwurfer

Tell me about it. I'm not too bummed about it though. I still got a nice set of MAFAC "Racer" brakes, a decent kickstand, an original pletscher rear rack and cheap but good shape campognolo front and rear derailers and shifters that I can use in the future. Plus, even though I didn't get it completely rebuilt, I learned a lot about bottom brackets. Now that I've mostly done it though, I think I will try it on my Takara that is in better shape anyways.

rhm

Hold on, I don't think your frame is totaled yet.

First of all, does the crank spin freely? Possibly the BB was just never faced right. I can't tell.

On the other hand, if your cup is screwed in cockeyed, the amount of damage to the threads is not necessarily that great. If you can get the cup to thread in correctly, then it will probably hold just fine.

flammenwurfer

The crank does spin freely. I tried taking it off and putting it back on 2 or 3 times and couldn't get it to thread in straight. Any ideas on how to get it to?

miamijim

b.s......100%

flammenwurfer

I got a universal lockring wrench that has a hinge in the middle of the curvy part for $5.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

From this pic it looks like the adjustable cup isn't screwed in far enough. You shouldn't really see that much thread above the lockring.

I can't tell from the pic but its possible that the cup is threaded in straight and the Lockring is threaded on cockeyed to the cup. Or of course the other explanation is that the whole cup is in cockeyed

I'd back the lock ring all the way off the cup, then back the cup out and thread them on seperately if you didn't before. do it slowly and before you screw the cup or the lockring in, give it a couple of turns in the opposite direction first to help line up the threads.

rhm

Well, if it spins freely... maybe it is in straight, and the frame was never faced properly. A good bike shop should be able to fix that.

Don't get me wrong: You have a problem, and I'm not prepared to diagnose it. I am 100% in favor of DIY bike mechanic stuff, and applaud all you've done so far; but you have to accept that it has its limits. There comes a time when you have to go to a good shop and have a professional take a look. If you find a competent mechanic with the right tools, s/he should be able to fix this. Be aware you may find a professional bike mechanic who is an idiot who will total your frame if given a chance. So talk to him/her before you let him/her do anything.

flammenwurfer

I did it multiple times threading them on separately and slowly, but I'll try again. The lockring threads onto the cup very easily so I don't think it is cock-eyed on the cup. I'm fairly certain it's the cup that is cock-eyed.

There's my dilemma. I doubt I will go that far as this was only a $15 bike and is not a high end bike either. I don't really want to go to a shop and spend $50+ on fixing this. There is easily $15 worth of parts I can use from the bike and I'm perfectly fine doing so. Is there any chance fixing this issue would be under $50? How would you fix the bottom bracket threads being off-center?

rhm

Don't call it a $15 bike. That's like saying "I got it for free, so it must be worthless." What it cost you, and what it's worth, are not the same thing.

As for not wanting to spend $50, I hear you. Okay, let's do this ourselves!

If you are convinced the cup is in lopsided, you are probably right. At any rate, it shouldn't be too hard to figure that out; do you have a caliper with which you can measure the distance between the outside of the fixed cup and the outside of the adjustable cup?

Okay, now let's assume your diagnosis is correct: the cup is in lopsided. IF you can get it to thread in right once, you can do it again. So take it all apart and try again. I haven't tried this, so I'm just thinking out loud now: take a big piece of threaded rod, like 1/2" or 5/8" rod, the thickest thing that will fit through the holes in the cups. Lock the adjustable cup onto this with two nuts, one inside (maybe with some washers on the inside so the nut doesn't interfere with the races) and one outside. Tighten the two nuts against one another (with the cup in between) so the rod holds the cup really really tight. Now install the cup again. The end of the threaded rod should stick out through the fixed cup with so little side to side play that the cup cannot deflect as you screw it in. Make sense? Apply some grease, because if you do get the cup threading in right, it will be tough going as the cup straightens out the mangled part of the threads. If it gets tight, back off, regrease, try again. Once you have it all the way in, back it off again and put it in again a few times to make sure you can do it again. If you can do all that, then you can probably reassemble the BB correctly.

Obviously, wait a little while before you do this... perhaps some other forum member will have a better idea!

flammenwurfer

Ok, so maybe it's worth more than $15, but I still don't think it's worth all that much.

I do have a caliper. This is an interesting idea rhm. I don't have any threaded rod that would be that big, hopefully I can find some cheap at the hardware store. I think the hardest part is being able to tell if it's going in straight or not, but I guess the caliper can help with that.

I'm not real convinced it can be saved, but I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the ideas rhm.

Jracer6

I just want to extend a huge thanks to all that have submitted posts in this thread. I too am new to Bike Mechanics and installing a bottom bracket is next on my list of tasks for my project bike. I've learned so much by reading here.

I do have a question though that seems to tie in with this thread in its current state. My bike was just a bare frame that I'm building up and I'm wondering if there's a good way to face the BB shell at home before I install the BB? I keep seeing massive tool sets for this in all the literature I've read, but is there a way to do it at home without the tool set? My threads in the shell look very much in tact, but Im not sure the best way to prepare them for a BB install.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

to the OP: A good neighborhood bike shop should at least take a look at it and give you a diagnosis. If its as simple as them threading the cup on for you I can't imagine they'd charge you more than 10 bux. I have my LBS do quick little stuff for me like remove a fixed BB cup, or tap off a fork crown race and I just toss em 10 bux or a 6 pack of beer and they are plenty happy. Beer goes a long way as currency in a shop. Not budweiser...good beer. Go down to your LBS and ask...thats always free. If they tell you to buzz off they're dicks and you know not to go to that shop. If they can help ya out, help them out and buy a little something..spare tubes or whatever or beer.





@Jracer6 - If the BB has been faced in the past it probably doesn't need it again. If this is a new frame never been built before and not faced from the factory its best to have your LBS do it...its the kind of thing you don't wanna risk screwing up.

flammenwurfer

How much does letting the LBS face it or fix it run?

rhm

Don't ask us, ask them!

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

the better question is "Does this need to be Faced or Fixed at all?"

Take the whole frame down to the shop and start with that. If they start talking about you spending lots and lots of money, take your toys and go home.

Jracer6

Thanks craven. Its a mid 70's fuji and definitely has been built up before. But the shell is in immaculate condition and the threads look awesome. Just didn't know if there was anything specific I could do to prep it at home aside from grease when installing the bottom bracket.

Panthers007

Take it up with Harris Cyclery. They were having to grind them prior to sale for some time. Then the quality fell further. Now they won't touch them. Care to back up your petty diagnosis?

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

There's nothing you need to do except wipe it clean, grease the threads and go.

helicomatic

We still have one of the old ones here at the shop, the build quality is great, and it's still in good shape after years of heavy use. The newer ones wore out noticeably faster, and the quality was going down, while the price kept going up.

Panthers007

Me too. I bought mine in 1984. It works beautifully.

flammenwurfer

Well, I seem to have gotten the cup to thread in straight. But in the process of taking everything apart again I've dirtied and lost most of the bearings and mangled the threads on the cotters . So I need to get more cotters and bearings before I put it back together. Hopefully I can get it to thread in straight one more time with everything in place.

Now, I'm going to start on the wheel hubs. For anyone that wants to follow along with my progress here's my new thread about the hubs. https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...32#post9856032

Oldpeddaller

Well done flammenwurfer! (Great name, by the way!)

I thought fishing required patience, perseverance and luck - until I discovered bike wrenching............