Re-face bottom bracket or not?
 

Some years back when building up a Gitane TdF frame, I took it to the LBS and had them face the bottom bracket shell and chase the threads. When I built it back up with the original French bottom bracket, I could never get it adjusted properly. If I removed all the play, the crank would bind slightly at one spot--would "index" in that position if you gave the crank a spin. I don't think there was any damage to the cups--the bearing surfaces looked very smooth. I don't know if the bike had that problem when I got it, since the crankset was set quite loose.
I eventually sidestepped the problem by installing a cartridge bottom bracket. But now I've moved a bunch of parts around and want to go back to a cup-and-cone bottom bracket--not the original, but a NOS French-thread Sugino. So here's the question--was the binding I experienced before a result of the shop improperly/inadequately facing the BB shell? That would seem to be one likely cause. Or was it perhaps a bike-boom era manufacturing defect with the original bottom bracket cups?
I could just build it back up with the new BB and see what happens, but being naturally lazy I hate to think of having to install and then remove the fixed cup if it does bind again. On the other hand, I don't want to have the shell faced again if that might not be the problem.
Any advice? Good advice preferred, but all advice accepted.

I am of the mind that if there hasn't been any oxidation or damage in that area, I'm not doing anything to it. I don't chase threads or face the shell. If a cup is overly difficult to remove, then I'll consider doing some work on the threads.

It could have been the cups, spindle, bearings or the BB shell. The only way you'll know for sure if it is the shell is to install the new bottom bracket and see if the problem recurrs. It may take a little longer but at least you'll have peace of mind and not wonder whether you spent money on an uneccessary facing .

Thanks, T-Mar, that sounds right. And if it does bind with the new bottom bracket, I guess it will be safe to assume that it's a facing problem.

Jon, I suspect that if after a reface and chase of the BB shell, that if the old BB still had the issue and the new cartridge did not, that the problem was most likely the old BB. I've seen a bent spindle exhibit the symptom you are describing. Unless something adverse has happened to the BB shell since the reface, I find it difficult to imagine it needs it again.

good luck!

I'd guess that any binding you had in the original BB might be more to do with a faulty spindle or cups (but you say they looked good) or the threading of the BB shell. Having good parallel flat surfaces on the BB shell is really only a factor in getting a good tight fit for the conventional fixed cup and the lockring: if the threads were not cut accurately (on-axis), a well-faced shell will do nothing to straighten them out. Good tight fit IS important with a FR or Ital BB, and the conventional wisdom is that an "open" BB allows for more slight misalignment that a sealed unit.
If you had no binding with the sealed unit then I'd look at the old one (and probably the spindle) as the culprit...and if you run sealed units like a Shimano, the facing need only be done on the fixed side, run a Phil-type BB and it doesn't have to be faced at all.

Oh well, Thrill Bikes beat me to it on some of this, but we both agree^