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  • 2008 Rockhopper Octalink replace – Help!
  • tallmart10
    Full Member

    I have a 2008 Rockhopper frame to which I need to fit (according to Specialized) a 68mm x 118 ES51 or ES25 Bottom bracket. I bought the frame with no BB so I don’t know what was there before, but if I screw the drive-side of the BB in tight with my torque wrench to correct settings, the plastic non-drive side will not go in all the way. The BB is not an “E” type, btw. I nearly mangled the splines from the fitting tool slipping just trying to tighten it in, but it is not even close. It sticks out by about 2 mm, and the tool is barely long enough to fit over the splines cos it touches the end of the bb spindle.

    Is it meant to be really tight to fit it in? or should I be fitting a spacer onto one side to get it to fit? And if so, which side, as this will affect the chainline…

    I have measured the frame shell and it is exactly 68mm. My BB is new, but out of the bike I can only get the 2 sides to be 70mm from flange end to flange – hope this makes sense! Does the plastic end deform when fitting to give a tight seal?

    If anyone has a 2008 Rockhopper, does their BB have a spacer on either side please?

    And no I don’t want to upgrade the octalink xt cranks I have and use a hollowtech – I am skint 🙂

    Thanks in advance guys

    Posted 11 years ago
    wilko1999
    Free Member

    How bizarre, I just changed the BB on my 2008 Rockhopper at lunchtime. Fitted an ES25 BB. Both the adaptor and main part of the BB should go in all the way, no spacers required. So what is your BB if its not an E type? If its 70mm wide between the flanges then this could well be your problem

    Posted 11 years ago
    orangeboy
    Free Member

    It’s not unuseual for the left hand plastic cup not to bottom out on the shell
    Have you tried fitting everything together to see if the cranks are ok

    One other thing bb length is crank specific not frame

    Posted 11 years ago
    davidtaylforth
    Free Member

    No spacers required I wouldnt have thought. Have had this with a cartridge BB before though, the plastic spacer would bottom out on the BB without screwing all the way in.

    Posted 11 years ago
    tallmart10
    Full Member

    Wilko – As I understand it the E type is when an e type derailleur is fitted that clamps to the bb rather than the frame itself. So mine is not an E type, just a standard ES51 68mm x 118mm type.

    Orangeboy – I haven’t fitted everything together yet. I am building an upgrade from my old ’98 stumpjumper so the cranks are still on my old bike. I wanted to get the BB and headset fitted before taking my old bike apart.

    Maybe I just need to get a better fitting tool. The one I have is this one –
    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BICYCLE-BIKE-SHIMANO-PRO-CRANK-EXTRACTOR-BOTTOM-BRACKET-REMOVER-TOOL-SET-Z057/181006959309?rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3
    and cos it is designed to be used with a 24mm spanner, the axle doesn’t actually fit all the way through it, so the tighter the cup gets, the less of the tool splines fit into the cup… It is from the Ministry Of Cr@p Design

    Posted 11 years ago
    wilko1999
    Free Member

    ES51 adaptor and main body should go all the way in, I’m 99.9% certain of that. Take them out and give the threads a bl88dy good clean (sorry if you’ve already done all this), look for signs of any swarf/debris in there etc. Its a fine thread so the tiniest little bit of metal could jam the whole assembly up. Also, a better tool would probably help!
    EDIT: Also, try just screwing the adaptor all the way in on its own, if it spins right in, then you’ll know if the main BB body is stopping it

    Posted 11 years ago
    kcal
    Full Member

    check the cranks on your ’98 Stumpjumper – mine are original (only thing apart from frame) and they’re square taper. Of course if you’ve upgraded since then ignore that!

    Posted 11 years ago
    tallmart10
    Full Member

    Thanks for your help guys.

    I have cleaned up both threads and can individually screw them both into the frame with no probs, just not together. I have decided that my limitation is the tool I am using so I have just splashed out on a park tool Park Tool BBT32C Bottom Bracket Tool from Tweeks Cycles.

    If at first you don’t succeed buy the right tool, as my Dad used to say.

    I will let you know how it goes when I get the tool 🙂

    BTW, one last thing. My BB has a little round silver sticker on it with the letters “LE” on it, right next to where it says “68” under the “BB-ES51”. Is this just a quality control sticker, or does it mean something else? It looks just like the ones on this page
    http://www.mtbr.com/cat/drivetrain/bottom-bracket/shimano/es-51-bottom-bracket/prd_426855_104crx.aspx (but with different letters)

    Posted 11 years ago
    tallmart10
    Full Member

    Thanks kcal, I have upgraded – I have Deore XT M751’s on now.

    Posted 11 years ago
    tallmart10
    Full Member

    Just a quick reply to finish up and let everyone now how I got on.

    I got my new Park Tool BBT32C Bottom Bracket Tool. Now the axle can pass right through the tool – my other cheapo one had a 1/2″ square socket connector on the end and was not quite long enough to allow the axle enough space so as I tightened, the splines had less and less grip on the cup.
    Anyway. New tool fab. Old tool cr@p. Plastic cup now fully in place. Shame it is not an al. one like the old XT ones but never mind.

    Many thanks to Wilko1999 et al for your help.

    Cheers

    Mart.

    Posted 11 years ago
    wilko1999
    Free Member

    No worries. Hope you didn’t overtighten the plastic adaptor and snap it in half. Like what I did 😳 Luckily I had a spare one

    Posted 11 years ago
    bigyinn
    Free Member

    Just reading this for the first time and thought straight away that the BB tool was bottoming out on the axle!
    Sorry I missed this the first time around.

    Posted 11 years ago
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