OK, it isn’t *that* old, but the BB in my SS has been in situ for the past 17 years. It’s evidently given up the ghost, and needs to come out.

So, can you help me with idetifying what tools are needed to remove it. I can’t show pics, but I can give a description:

It’s an old lockring and 2 pin affair – the lockring has six notches in the outside of it. On the drive side, the (I assume) cup has two flat edges.

So, before I resort to the LBS to remove, I figured I’d have a go at budging it.

What do I need?

Cheers

🙂

A hammer and a large screw driver 👿

Hammer and screwdriver will sort that.
And a pipewrench.

Or a set of campag BB spanners, and then rplace the bearings and the BB will run for another 17yrs. I’ve still got an old Campag BB in my winter bike that runs a lot smoother than the current sealed units available.

Where are you based?

I’m in Manchester, Joxster.

The cranks will turn but are very notchy, suggesting the bearings really have had it. I’m assuming the BB is a Shimano (rather than Campag).

If I can get new bearings in – assuming the cups aren’t badly pitted – then I’ll happily stick with it.

Joe/Brant – cheers for that. Maybe I’ll give that a go tonight. With the nice warm evenings, I want to ride the old thing..!

bear in mind when hammerign that one of the cups will undo the ‘wrong’ way.

Depending where in Manchester, either try Neil Orrel (sp??) cycles or Withington Cycles. They’ll have the tools either to sell or do the work. I wouldn’t trust bigger shops not to just tell you it’s stuffed and try to sell you a new chainset and BB because yours is out of date and they’d make money out of you that way.

You can remove the fixed cup with either a big adjustable spanner or use a vice to grip the flats and use the frame as a lever. Then you can see the state of the bearing surfaces and if they are ok then buy the tools for the other side and service the BB once a year.

Just remember that the driveside is a left hand (other way to normal) thread.
Non driveside is standard.

Joxster – Withington are just up the road (i.e. a mile) from me. The shop has been sold, though, since Malc Cowle owned it. Not been in since.

There’s plenty of places who could do it – it may well be easier to get someone else to get it out. I’ve plenty of choices (though not Eddie McGraths – they’ve a massive backlog of repairs at the moment: the world and his wife wants their unused-for-12-months bike to be serviced now the weather has turned nice).

I had assumed that the fixed cup wouldn’t come out unless I’d taken the lockring off the non-driveside. Not correct?

Cheers all.

The fixed cup will come out without needing to remove the adjustable cup. How long ago was Withingtons sold, has it been with in a year. The last time I was there they guys were pretty clued up and they’re MTBers. One of the owners/partners is a mad Irish Doc

Cheers Joxster.

No, it hasn’t been sold since then. In fact, it was sold to the current owners (one of whom, as you point out, is a surgeon I believe) by Malc Cowle. I figured you knew of the old Withington Cycles, described by binners on here as like Steptoe’s yard.

I haven’t been in for a while, though do travel past it every day. Next time I pass when it’s open, I’ll pop in for a chat with the guys and see what they’re stocking these days. I tend to use Rick Green Cycles in Handforth as my LBS, but it would be good to have somewhere useful close by again (Cyclesurgery in the Snow+Rock is about the same distance the other way, but I’m not sure I’d entrust much there…).