Thoughts on using blue loctite with crank puller?
 

So...I've been stripping an old bike that I got for free and when I tried to take off the left crank arm, the threads stripped a little bit and the crank puller pulled out. It has been suggested that I rechase the threads, but I don't really have a means for doing that. I was thinking of using some blue loctite on the crankpuller to try and keep it snug in there.

Is this a terrible idea?

if you don't care about the crank, sure. you might be able to get just enough of a hold on the threads to pull it.

If you're going to use loctite, just use red. Crank puller is what. $5. The inconvenience cost of stripping the threads and THEN having to remove the crank.... a billion dollars.

Are you reusing the crank or BB? If not I say introduce Mr. Mallet to the situation and problem solved.

I really don't think loctite will help. Loctite is a thread-locker, not an adhesive. If you want to use an adhesive, I'd use some JB weld with the crankpuller and let it sit for 24 hours. Then that crank will (hopefully) come off. But that should be a last resort.

Clean the threads on the crank. Thread on the crank puller as far as possible. Use a wrench. Then try and pull it off. Every 1/8th of a turn, tap the crank with a hammer to try and loosen it up.

I don't think you've seen red loctited parts before. JB Weld however, is also a good idea. I'd do this right off the bat instead of a last resort. I can't think of any method which would be less expensive and time consuming.

And risk your frame as well - whereas the alternative is a million light years safer.

It has been said but go with red! I just converted an old raleigh JV into a fixed gear. left crank arm had allot of wobble to it and i had to run it suicide style pedal backwords and it un-screws it self.

I used red locktight on both and so far everything is fine.

Yes, Make SURE the treads are clean and bottom the crankpuller with a wrench. I also may help if you tickle the crank with a little heat form a torch.

Dumb question. If you JB Weld your crank puller into the crank, how will you get it back out after removing the crank?

I think the idea is that you won't be reusing the crank or the crank puller since it's an inexpensive tool.

If you're already looking at spending a few bucks on a sacrificial part like a crank puller and some jb weld, consider picking up a cheapo puller from harbor freight or somewhere. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=8832 or similar. Pulled off my stripped cranks no problem.

you must not have had the puller seated all the way

+won

Those crank pullers from harbor freight won't work. I've been down that road with no success. Just from my experiance. let's try seating the puller and maybe with some jb weld. And mallet taps.

how about you pull the drive side crank arm and the bb without damaging the non drive arm the clamp a large wrench to your work bench to brack the arm the strike the bb spindle with a mallet and save the arm for another day it may be stripped but it is still usable just use loose ball bbs with it so you can take it apart this way in the future

OK, a few things--

Red loctite may help if there are some threads left, but I doubt it. It's not reinforcing the aluminum of the threads, just sticking the puller to them, so if the crank is on hard enough to pull them off when it was screwed all the way in, you're probably hosed. Unless it wasn't screwed in all the way in the first place, the first shot you take with a crank puller is your best chance.

JB weld might work but will be a mess. If it's a non-cartridge BB, I would just try to get the spindle, L side cup, and crank arm out as a piece with channel locks or whatever and then throw the whole mess away. If you need to get the arm off, you can try a pickle fork or the mentioned bearing pullers mentioned above, but you're kind of entering a world of pain with any of these.

Hmm, how did it not work? Hooks wouldn't grab the spider or what?

but that (and loctite) will mess up the crank puller too. the crank is already a write-off, so leave the bolt out and go ride it around for a bit. The crank will eventually work off the cotter and fall off on its own. may take a little bit of time, but its free and shouldn't damage anything else.

That's the point

why destroy a tool that could be reused when there are other options?

That particular puller won't work very well, but if you find a 2 jaw puller, it will work just fine. Like this one. I know it looks like it has 3 jaws, but if you look closely, there is an unused tab which allows you to convert it to a 2 jaw puller.

hey man

how much stripped out?
if it was less than half the threads, i'd just clean them out and seat the puller 100% and try again. worst that can happen is you'll be back to the other options. second would be trying to disassemble the bb because odds are you should get a new one anyway. bulletproof cranks at higgins are cheap once you have these off.
locktight and jbweld should be a last resort. ever since you told me about that it seemed like a bad idea.

worst that could happen is the rest of the threads get ripped out and you can never get the cranks off (unless its not a sealed bb)

never say never. just use jb weld and it won't matter if there are threads or not.

last resort is always taking an angle grinder to the BB axle...