So, I've got a square taper BB that is thoroughly locked in place and requiring a bench vice and lots of oomph to get it out. It there a best side to apply this oomph, ie. do you work on the locking sleeve (non-drive) side or the fixed (drive) side
All wisdom appreciated
A good application of penetrating oil first might help, it has for me.
Depends on some the Non drive is plastic so i would probably start on that with a drill or perhaps burning the plastic if I was really angry 😕
I think i would start that side first anyway as do we not screw in drive first then tighten the non drive in installation
Yup, usually best to start with non-drive-side...
ok, non-drive side it is. I might soak the threads in some more WD40 tonight.
Any idea if it's possible to get it going with a chisel and big hammer with the frame sitting on the ground if the proper tool doesn't work? Just looking for ideas. It wouldn't be a great loss if the frame goes in the end as I've had it a very long time now (it uses cantilevers and Suntour thumbies) but it's my pub bike and there is a small emotional attachment
are you using a QR skewer or bolt to hold the BB tool in tight when you attack it?
was using bolt but the skewer is a good idea. I borrowed an even bigger tool as the last one kept slipping out of the vice but it is too big for the bolt so the skewer could be a winner
runs off to try
If you get really, really stuck then a hole saw is the way to do it...
In the past I have used 8" leverage poles on stuck square taper BBs, no joke. They had been fitted for years, not my bike... Using something to hold the tool in is essential.
A little heat helps get things moving
may be stupid question, but have you tried a huge lever on the bb tool? I used a two and a half foot lever to get mine moving...
lever? I've got the tool in a bench vice and i'm using the frame as the lever 🙂
Success - sort of. With the skewer to hold the tool in place I can now use the larger tool. Unfortunately even though the lock ring is alloy it appears to be an alloy of emmental and gruyere so it stripped 🙁
The surprising news was that the drive side came out using the same technique, leaving the BB stuck in the other half. Nothing a large hammer couldn't fix.
So I've got a stripped locking sleeve stuck in the BB but I'll soak it in WD40 overnight and try and cut it out gently tomorrow. I'm a happy man
If you've just got the LH collar left, you can just use a hacksaw blade to slot it and get it out that way.
If you get really, really stuck then a hole saw is the way to do it...
Out of interest - how would you get it out using a hole saw? It sounds like there would be a lot of work involved
you can just use a hacksaw blade to slot it and get it out that way
Great - that's just what I was going to try next. I smell victory
kettle full of boiling water on the frame
kettle full of boiling water on the frame
Interesting idea. I've always tried using a hot air gun before but it's never really worked. Hot water would be able to dump heat in faster so could be a winner. Don't need it now but stored in memory - tx
(I've also tried with hot air on the outside and freezer spray on the inside. Invariably a waste of freezer spray)
Out of interest - how would you get it out using a hole saw? It sounds like there would be a lot of work involved
33mm hole saw, drill bit in the middle goes down the axle as a guide - the saw cuts out the BB cups neatly, leaving the threads behind. I love doing it that way - I quite often get people bringing me bikes with stuck BBs, often after other shops have had a go and given up, and I get it out in 15 minutes 😉
I wondered if that was possible but mistakenly assumed that there wasn't space for a saw. Turns out there is lots of space (as long as you have a really deep hole saw). Brilliant idea 🙂
I probably shouldn't keep telling people how to to it as it's been a good money spinner, but meh 🙂
I promise not to tell and there is another thread going about girlfriends so no-one else will see this