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It serves me right for trying to revive an old road frame to turn it into a fixed commuter.
Drive side crank arm is solidly seized onto the square taper axle, and has resisted all attempts at removal (including, in my rage, managing to strip the thread of the crank arm when using the crank puller).
So, I've now concluded that my options are:
1. I re-attach the NDS crank arm, and complete the build around the two chainrings I have available (thus abandoning the nice stronglight chainset I have just bought and also having potential chainline issues).
2. Trying ammonia/caustic soda, which doesn't sound too pleasant.
3. Incurring the wrath of Mrs North by trying to heat it over the gas hob.
4. Trashing the seized on crank arm by sawing through it to unseize it.
5. Locating an open ended tool capable of removing the fixed cup of the BB. This seems logical, but a normal fixed cup spanner won't fit and I've already trashed a suitably sized adjustable spanner.
6. Sawing through the exposed part of the BB axle between the crank arm and the frame (risky and requiring a tough as nails hacksaw blade, not to mention highly labour intensive).
7. Taking the frame to the nearest LBS and hanging my head in shame....
Help me..!
I've done the cutting through the crank arm before. Didnt take much effort and came off straight away. If you want to keep the crank just put it over the gas hob when Mrs North is out, but be careful of melting the bb or frame paint, as the misses might notice the drips all over the cooker!
get hold of a bearing/gear puller and use that to pull the crank off the BB. (friendly local garage/engineering shop may have one?)
I did this last week...
I took a hacksaw to it!
Put the NDS back on and ride around on it - without the bolt in the DS - this'll usually loosen it up, but dont go to far from home.
Er, not much help if you've just got the frame though??
kojak is right, that'll work
Ball joint splitter?
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Blowtorch around the crank/BB area, then hit the crank from the other side with a hammer. Helps if you have a vice.
Ball joint splitter best option as you get to [s]****t the sh1t out of it repeatedly and violently with a large hammer[/s] gently lever it off.
I'd cut through the BB.
Cheers all - looks like a victory of "engineering encouragement" (hitting it with heavy stuff).
Might trundle down to the local garage some time and see if they'll assist with a bearing puller. Trouble is, it's an old chainset, with the big ring integrated into the crank (no spider), so I've no idea if the puller "arms" would fit.
How's a ball joint splitter work then?
"How does a ball joint splitter work?"
The first pic I posted - - pointy end of the fork between the spider and the frame and just thwacked with a hammer
The second type the fork behind the spider and something for it to press on on the end of the spindle and it winds off - however if you cannot remove the rings it might not fit.
heat the spider first if it is stuck - always!
You might be able to shock it off as well - heat the cranks / spider up and get two hammers and simultaneously hit both sides of the crank arm at 90 degrees to the spindle - the idea is to make it ring like a bell and the shock wave might dislodge it
TJ - I'd had a moment of hard thinking when I asked my first question - it seemed obvious how they two types work when I looked..!
Shocking method sounds interesting.
I think heating seesm like a common option. I'll have to track down something suitable. Camping stove? Oh, and I shan't be doing it in my cellar - there's enough GT85, Plusgas and goodness knows what else down there....
Thanks
Tom
just use the first one he posted and thwackit forget heat or anything else it will be fine...the nois emay make your neighbours think you are burying a body though.
A puller also works well but is far less fun.
A puller also works well but is far less fun.
Oh, we need some fun involved....
😀