cyrano138

Theirs seem to run from 250 for a single tap, up to 400 or 500 for a set. I ask because I worked on a bike yesterday with not so great threads and, even though I made it work I realized I might need something to clean up threads for real at some point. I would have hated to scrap a frame for lack of a tool but in this case I could have bought two frames for what the tool costs from park.

Thanks for any help!
Jack

Barry2 

Like these ?
I've never used them, I just remembered seeing them.

Barry

rccardr 

If you’re just cleaning up existing threads, find yourself a good steel bottom bracket cup and cut two or three grooves across the threads from the inside to the outside.
We used to call these a ‘poor man’s tap’ and they work surprisingly well if you are careful.
Use a lightnoil and back it out every turn or so to clean out anything taken out of the BB threads.
The grooves give the removed bits somewhere to go.

3alarmer 

.
...the best cheaper alternative for a piloted tap used to be out of Europe. Cyclus makes a decent quality, one for "home" and one for "professional" use. But for some reason you need to order the from a European supplier, like Holland Bike Shop. Which involves postage that can add to the current pricing. But there is something on Amazon and ebay now, shoowing up, that appears to be coming out of Taiwan, that was going for less than a hundred bucks last time I checked. It only comes in standard threading. The Cyclus ones used to be available in both standard and Italian.

For French metric BB threading, the best I can do new is to buy a standard plug tap, in the appropriate diameter and threading. Those are like 40 bucks, because it's a large tap. YOu can clean up stuff with those, which is about all you'll ever need to do on French threaded BB shells.

3alarmer 

Hollandbikeshop.com has the Bottom Bracket Bicycle Tools you’re looking for.

Bike Bottom Bracket Tapping Thread Tool Aluminum Alloy Bicycle BB Part Tool

canopus 

Hozan C-402

JoeTBM 

You may want to also looking into a thread file

https://www.webbikeworld.com/repair-...0file%20sides.

dedhed

I've found for myself personally, that when a specialized expensive tool is needed, I just pay the LBS to do it. Things like chasing & facing or freewheel tool I'll never need again. Probably maybe a handful of times in the last 10 years.

TiHabanero

I have built 5 frames thus far and have used the Hozan BB thread chaser tool C-402 on each one of them. Works wonderfully well. We also use the Hozan at the bike shop since 1980. They are now dull, but better than using a threaded BB cup with a slot cut in it to chase threads.

Andrew R Stewart 

Taps and most other frame cutting tools can be sharpened. I've had my Campy ones sharpened a couple of times over the 40ish years i've had them. Once by someone in the bike world and the other time by a tool and die world guy. Both times the difference was worth it.

The concern in using a simple tap or made to chase BB cup is that the fine thread (for the diameter) is easy to start crossed up. Also without a pilot shaft keeping both taps (an English BB has two different thread directions thus two taps needed) coaxial this chance to start a tap crooked is far greater then a piloted tap set.

I do pretty much agree with dedhed in when to let the LBS do the work. But some of us just love tools so... Andy

JohnDThompson 

The problem with the Hozan C-402 is that the taps are unpiloted; this makes it hard to keep both sides coaxial. Hozan does offer piloted bottom bracket taps (C-405), but the price is comparable to Park, VAR, etc.

Thread files can help with external threads, such as on a bolt, axle, or bottom bracket cup, but they're not much use in internal threads, like inside a bottom bracket shell.

I've seen these on eBay; for less than US$90 and piloted, and what appear to be titanium nitride coated taps is quite remarkable. I have no idea of the quality, but they're likely adequate for dealing with at least a few frames.

Somebody should buy a set and report back…

3alarmer 

.
...I can recommend the quality of the Cyclus piloted taps out of Europe without reservation. I've used the park set at the bike co-op here, and the Cyclus pro level ones (which is what I bought when I stopped showing up over at th co-op regularly, and started working more from home.) And I, too, would love a report on those Asian produced ones at less than a hundred bucks on ebay.

Honestly speaking, though, I use a Hozan fixed cup tool a lot more than I use either set of bottom bracket taps. But I do use all of them, from time to time.
Owning a set of Italian piloted BB taps has saved at least one frame, a Ron Cooper with a severely rusted bottom bracket and a threadless BB installed some time in the past.

It was worth whatever I paid for them, back when the dollar was strong against the Euro, just for that one job. I really like that bike.

cyrano138

I have thread restoring files. Unless I missed something obvious they only work when the file is parallel to the threads, not the transverse way.

I really appreciate all the helpful responses. I'm leaning towards the hozan tool because honestly any threads that were so damaged that they needed piloted taps I think I wouldn't mess with anyway. This would just be to clean threads or repair very minimal damage.

I've used taps to do that on relatively fine threads before and I didn't have a problem avoiding cross threading. I learned the hard way (many times) not to force things.

canopus 

I understand that as a problem with the Hozans, but the were not made for threading a shell, the were made for chasing and cleanup which means the BB is already threaded and should in theory already be coaxial.


If I ever get the opportunity I will let you know how my set works. I bought one years ago but haven't needed it yet.

TiHabanero

No question there are situations where the Hozan taps are not going to work well. I suppose that is where experience comes into play, but for most BB threads that simply need a cleanup the Hozan works very well.

gearbasher

I have a Cyclus bb tap like the one in the link below.. I've used it to chase threads on 4 new frames. Worked great.

https://www.bike24.com/p2275889.html

JohnDThompson 

Point taken, but given that the cost of the unpiloted Hozan taps is comparable to that of the piloted Chinese taps on eBay, I'd be sorely tempted to get the Chinese taps.

JohnDThompson 

A nice thing about the Cyclus set is that you can get both Italian and English thread spec; the eBay Chinese taps are only available in English thread.

Italian thread allows you to convert from either English or metric (French, Swiss) thread in the event that the original threads are hopelessly buggered.

gearbasher

Being all I own are Italian bikes with Italian threads, I bought the Cyclus with Italian taps.

daniell

Do they make a facing tool?

wesmamyke

This only shows an external thread file, you can get an internal file in metric. I have one, but I don't think it has the correct thread pitch for a BB.

Edit: Actually, do you need a non-metric file because it's 24tpi? I just confused myself there.

gearbasher

Yes they make a facing tool. Mine came with guides for English, Italian and French threads. I wasn't too impressed with it. The cutter on mine became dull rather fast. I had it sharpened at a place that sharpens tools. The guy said he never did anything like it, but he gave it a shot. I think it cut better than new after he was done.