~3000 km. 2 bottom brackets. Both Campagnolo 36x24. Never thought they're so brittle. I don't stomping on the pedals much, so why they break so easily?

What broke exactly?

Didn't check because I don't have BB spanner that'll fit but by character of the sound it makes and how pedals are scrolling under any amount of load, shaft split in half. After first BB death I have sent my bike to local serviceman who was stupid enough to chip some paint around BB shell. He told threads were stuck and he found nothing better than screw-out cups with chisel and a hammer. Don't wanna deal with him again.

To turn this thread in right direction, I'm asking for anyone's experience with Campagnolo bottom brackets (ITA standard 36x24). Maybe I should start searching for Shimano? They're rare to find in good condition. Campagnolo is easy to find new where I live.

Without knowing what broke it is hard to say. It's unlikely they are the rare ti spindles. Unless you are a clyde with gobs of power.. it's seems very strange to have broken 2. If you assume the spindle is broken I wonder if it is failed bearings? You would know if the spindle was broken because the arms would be all floppy, so if you are assuming.... well then the spindle isn't broken.

Who did the last service on the BB? were both cups tight? many factors here. These are the best cup and ball type of BB you can find, they rarely fail.

This sounds like service error.

H-m-m, then I will have the wondrous quest for ITA BB spanner. Was asking for it since the last summer. None found.

If there's no special tools that are required to make servicing DIY, it's hard to check and tell if serviceman did his job right.

You need this for the adjustable cup on the non-drive side of the bottom bracket.

Park Tool Co. » SPA-1 : Pin Spanner: Green : Bottom Bracket

You first have to remove the lock ring, which can be difficult. Park tool makes a spanner that doesn't work all that well, there are a couple of threads on that. I loosen the lock ring with a few taps of a hammer and metal punch then use the Park spanner to finish the job. You should be able to remove the bottom bracket then and see whats going on. Years ago, on a different brand bottom bracket with caged bearings, the cage got chewed up and made a god awful racket. Maybe that is what's broken on yours.

The older Campy bottom brackets are generally long-lasting, but require regular maintenance, especially as they are more susceptible to water, dirt, etc, that can get inside the BB shell.

Thank, you, Spaghetti Legs. I'll try to do what's possible.


So it's surely possible for water to get through the drain hole.

I found good mechanic who disassembled and re-assembled BB in a matter of 30 minutes. Paid $5, LOL! After repair pedals seem to spin a tad easier, so that leads to suspicious question: didn't manufacturer forget to put proper amount of grease?

If these are cup and cone square taper bottom brackets,
Then it is up to the person installing it to properly grease it up, and set the correct tension.

This.



Gladly, problem solved. From what I can see, it was mechanic's fault (who installed brand new BB last year).

I've heard few claims by fellow cyclists that some new BBs (not those disposable cartridge type and not necessarily Campagnolo) come with little to no grease at all, so it's up to the person to disassemble, grease up, assemble and install what has to have "slap it and ride" attitude. Why would manufacturer do that?

That would be as expected.

If you have a hub, it is completely assembled.

The old cup and cone style of bottom brackets were not. They may look like one unit in the photos, but they completely disassemble into parts, and must be disassembled to install. The sleeve is merely to keep dust out (many bottom brackets have holes to let water out).

One can probably keep it cleaner by limiting the final greasing to the assembly stage.

Of course, a new bike should have the proper amount of grease.

I like to pack as much grease as I can into stuff, but perhaps one should limit the grease to what is needed to fill the races. Certainly with a bottom bracket, there can be a lot of empty air space with no reason to fill it from side to side with grease.

I bought what are supposed to be NOS caged bearings from Campy, and they appear to be pre-greased. I will have to clean it all out before installing.

Lesson learnt. Thank you, CliffordK!

Campy AC-S bottom bracket, sealed. If you can find one of these Centaur BBs the next time (if there is a next time), they are a better BB. Supposedly these have 3 sets of bearings in them instead of 2. And from my limited experience with sealed bearings, it seem as though the bean counters run the greasing program, as some don't have much grease in them.

You are correct in that water can get in to the bottom bracket shell, but a hole or cut out underneath actually is pretty useful. This allows water to drain out rather than sit there and wash around the bearings. Water will seep in around the seat post, so if you ride a lot in wet weather, many recommend a thin coat of grease on the seat post to help seal it.