Vintage BB help
 

I am having a tough time removing the fixed cup side of the BB on my newly purchased 84 Ciocc. It is a Campy adjustable BB, nice and clean inside. The adjustable side came apart no problem but neither I nor my local shop can budge the fixed cup side.

I became a little concerned with the methods they were using at the shop so it is back in my shop and I will need to buy the tool for removing the fixed cup. I can't find it on the Park website..any suggestions where to get it?

Thanks

Mike

Unless you are going to replace it with a cartridge; I'd just clean it, pack it and use. Especially if it is as good as you say.....

Without a picture of the fixed cup, impossible to tell what tool you need.

You and the shop do realize that Italian is right hand threaded, so lefty-loosey on both cups?

Never, ever had one that wouldn't come off with leverage and penetrant.

Don't remove if you don't have to. Clean and lube it with it in place.

+1 to all responses so far.

only remove it if you're going to have the frame powder coated. and even then, it might be possible to leave it in place.

on new builds, i try to remove it, but if it doesn't budge, i leave it alone and clean it real well.

It is all cleaned and lubed and feels great..it even looks good.

Leaving it in really limits my choice in cranksets is the deal but I may leave it in unless I can find a professional removal tool.

Anyone have a good quality (Ultegra for instance) crank for a square taper BB for sale?

Mike

Sounds like it is a Campy NR or SR (vintage) crankset/BB. Not sure why you would want to change the crankset, as those are nice. The Park tool for that should be this

http://www.parktool.com/product/cran...t-wrench-hcw-4

Take a look at Sheldon Brown's page on bottom brackets, and the tool you can easily make for removing a tight fixed cup. I take mine out all the time (yearly) for cleaning, but mine are English threaded and come out pretty easily. On a tight one like yours, I would do as advised and leave it alone unless you absolutely have to get it out. And then I would spray the threading with PB Blaster or the like, and let it soak in for a few days.

Also note that Campy uses an ISO taper on their spindles vs. JIS on Shimano and most others, so if you did replace the crankset, you would also want to use a suitable bottom bracket for the particular crankset.

I agree! There is a reason they are called "fixed cups" they are not intended to be removed for routine maintenance.

It's called a fixed cup because it's non adjustable!

Obviously.

I thought it was because it used to be broken.

somebody may have done you the "favor" of using LocTite RED on the fixed cup threads. This is sometimes done on RH-threaded Italian and French cups to really insure against them unscrewing in use...but it's overkill. If RED was used you will have to heat the cup up with a torch or heatgun to break the bond, it has to get pretty hot but not so you'd scorch the paint.
And as others say if you don't HAVE to remove it, don't. (but someday you might)

+1 Very likely someone used loctite or some other bonding agent when it was intalled. I would leave it in unless you absolutely need to remove it. You can remove it using a torch but I would avoid doing this or get someone skilled in framework to do this since you run the risk of wrecking the paint or even damaging the BB frame if not done properly.

+1

You can look inside from the NDS side and probably be able to see the thread direction.