I bought a shiny new Hope press fit BB, hoping to do my usual garage based bodging to get it to fit.

This one

I’d planned to use my homemade headset press and then get a nut or bolt of some description to fit it and screw the other cup in. The Hope tool is 40 odd quid and I’d likely only use it once. I know I could take it to my LBS but I like a bit of a spannering bodge* and I’m not in a massive hurry.

The space across the inner flats on the BB is 25mm. I’d planned to use a bolt but the closest is an M16 @24mm.

Anyone any ideas? I haven’t had much luck looking for a 25mm Allen key :).

*bodge must not destroy BB

Nothing to add except I’ve got a hope press BB in my zesty and it’s lasted unlike my other press fit BB

M16 bolt and araldite a coke can shim to each flat?

I like your thinking, appeals to my bodge-ometer. Anyone know a cheap place to get an M16 bolt? I just need 1 when I was looking on eBay it was buying 100s.

I have about 90 M10x100mm if any use?

The tool from winstanleys is £35. And it really makes it a doddle to fit.

Where are you based?

If near me you can borrow the tool for the price of a couple of pints. Difficult to lock the 2 halves of the BB together without it, and that’s the whole point of why the Hope PF41 BB is supposed to last a lot longer than a normal one.

Hi,
In Glasgow (fingers crossed….). I’d normally buy the tool (bought numerous bearing pushers and a tool to fit the bushing on my rear suspension) but it really looks like I’ll only need it once and from then on it’s pushing the bearings out and in.

Stu.

A shimano cassette lock-ring tool is 24mm across the flats.

Simply use a rear wheel as a handy lock-ring tool holder, and a chain whip to wind the tool.

This may make ” *bodge must not destroy BB ” difficult 😉

There’s an interesting bit of trivia. I’ve a rubber strap for tightening up plumbing fixings that might grip the lockring tool. Bodge coming together nicely :).

I’ll admit I’m relying on the BB tightening up easily. if it’s a bit of an effort I might just get the tool from Winstanleys. Much cheaper than I’ve seen it elsewhere.

Out of interest for anyone that’s got the tool, does it make pressing the bearings in/out easier? I’m assuming the removal is “old handlebar to hammer them out”.

I bought the tool for 2 reasons, 1 was that none of my lbs had one at the time and all were going to charge full rrp for the BB as a special order item and then £25 for fitting. It worked out cheaper to buy the BB and tool online and do it my self. 2 was with the thought it would be usefull for replacing bearings How ever I am not to sure how you would go about removing the current ones before pressing in new ones.

Think it’d have to be a drift of some kind 9mm bar or such like to get through the centre tube at a reasonable angle to get at the bearings. Don’t know if you could undo the centre tube to push the bearings out or not.

As I said I’m not against buying a tool. The problem is I’d prefer to buy the Park one that includeds something to push the bearings out. This one.

That I’m likely to use again. Curently thinking through the hyperglide bodge.

Why not ask if someone who has one can lend/post it to you for a small charge?

It’s not difficult to fit but Hope are quite specific about how it’s done in their instructions

Mt ‘tool’ consists of an M16 bolt with a layer or two of insulation tape wrapped around a trimmed nut to give a square edge with a second locking nut behind it.

Also a 10 or 12mm form A washer and then a large repair washer worked a treat on my length of threaded bar hugely expensive headset press to get the cups in… the form A washer sits inside the housing lovely and keeps it all lined up.

Worked perfectly

I’d send you a bolt but the postage would be more than you’d get a bolt for locally… (try a towing place ;))

Motorcycle front wheels often use a short length of hex bar as a removal tool. Not sure on sizes but you could have a look at something similar.
Like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BMW-MOTORBIKE-FRONT-WHEEL-REMOVAL-TOOL-R1200GS-R-RT-ST-S-K1200S-R-GT-F800R-/161199062031?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts_13&hash=item2588367c0f

Buy the tool, use it, sell it on ebay.

Orbital fasteners will sell you single bolts up to M30 for next day delivery, and don’t charge the earth either.