OK so my very ancient Trek Fuel ex could do with new bottom bracket

So the original Octalink bottom bracket isn’t moving. This is where I’m at. It’s a pain because this is probably new bike time but I would like a test ride, not really possible at the moment. It’s not the bikes only fault it has a touch of play in a couple of pivots. These were done not that long ago and may have enlarged the holes they sit in.

This is what I’m trying, am I missing something

It’s the drive side cup. I’m trying to turn it clockwise (normal pedalling direction)

It is currently laying on the garden table wheels off tied down

The area has been sprayed with wd 40 a few days ago

The correct tool is in the splines with a g clamp round it to try and stop it jumping out

The tool has an 18 inch adjustable spanner on. The spanner has over 4 feet of tube extending it. I’ve pulled really quite hard and even tried a kettle of boiling water over it

What’s next?

Put a vice on a solid workbench, put the spline tool in the vice, turn the frame around vice as a lever once you’ve triple checked you’re turning the right way. Use gradual increasing force, not sharp force – some older carbon treks had bonded in aluminium threaded inserts, the bonding can fail…learnt the hard way.

If the whole bottom bracket it still in, you could also try some penetrating fluid down the seat tube, plusgas type stuff.

Maybe smacking the axle with a few sharp hammer blows – carefully of course – might help break it.

If it is just the cup in the frame and hasn’t budged after lube and 4 foot of leverage, I think I’d be trying to cut it with a dremmel or file then try again. Hopefully it might weaken it a bit and collapse, allowing you to pull it out.

Something down the seat tube might help. It’s a catridge so the whole thing is still in, less the other plastic cup, is in place. I might have to order some plus gas

As above depending on what’s in there, plusgas or a good whack to the axle might help. I’d imagine cutting in with a Dremel would be.difficult, although you might get the flange off? Much easier if aluminium.

Diesel fuel is actually a splendid fluid for penetrating and helping with seized items.
It may mean you can start today

I can’t see cutting being an option. It’s steel in Aluminium

Just get an lbs to do it.mine removed a seized square taper one after I turned it the wrong way in the vice..oops.made it worst and damaged it.try penetrating fluid first though make sure you turn it the right way but I doubt it will shift if it’s bad.omly cost 25 pounds and that included a ream of the threads

Soak the whole bb in a bath of coke for 24hrs

Use a 2m lever.

I had one a couple of months ago that wouldn’t budge. I even broke my vice trying to get it out with the tool in the vice and turning the frame!!
Got it in the end with the tool clamped into a massive sash clamp that my dad had. We did torch it and whack it a bit first so maybe that started it off, but I think just the really long lever did the trick.

Coke could be added to tomorrows shopping list so I like the sound of that

Forgive me if I am being thick but to unscrew a drive size cup you normally turn anti clockwise ie towards the rear of the bike ?

Was going to say the same thing, my threaded bottom brackets are just a normal thread, so turn anticlockwise to loosen.

Er – No – English thread drive side tightens anti-clockwise – OP is correct it’s clockwise to loosen the drive side

I stand corrected – thanks.

Know anyone with a 1/2 drive impact driver you could borrow? Sounds brutal but works a treat.

For any bottom brackets with the internal splined tools, I gave up trying to use a spanner to turn it out as the bottom bracket tool keeps jumping out of the splines.

So now I will only use my dewalt impact driver to change bottom brackets. Not even 10 seconds and it’s out. Tool doesn’t jump out of the splines either.

+1 for diesel
I used to build narrow boats and getting a perfect leak free weld on a diesel tank was a badge of honour.

I have also had this problem on an old rotter shop bike that was stored in the garden.

I made a ‘dish’ around the bottom bracket with bluetack filled it with diesel and Left it for a couple of days to penetrate.

BB in the vice and used the frame as it’s own leverage,,, mission complete 👍

Driveside on an octalink is the “whole” BB shell, isn’t it ?

Have you got the other side out already ?

I’d be dribbling some penetrating oil/diesel/lion piss down there from the other side – it’ll run down the side of the bb shell and next stop is the threads

I’ve tried squirting from the other side. I’ll see if I can find a way of giving is a soak

Has it got lock out? Can you put the wheels back on and jump on the spanner?

With BSA BBs – spanner pointing towards front wheel and push down. Don’t bother with Coke, it’s phosphoric acid which is pretty useless with corroded alloy as you need a strong alkali to breakdown the corrosion. Something like ACF30 would be more effective or a weak caustic soda solution

Bottom brackets and pedals, and the way to turn to loosen or tighten….

Left is right, right is wrong. Never failed me yet.

So in this instance, right is wrong i.e. clockwise to loosen.

Bottom brackets and pedals, and the way to turn to loosen or tighten….
Left is right, right is wrong. Never failed me yet

Have you ever successfully fitted or removed a pedal ?

Have you ever successfully fitted or removed a pedal ?

Never failed me. Depends which way you look at the pedals. Mine tighten via an allen key so I look at the pedal from the back and the principle works.

Put a vice on a solid workbench, put the spline tool in the vice, turn the frame around vice as a lever once you’ve triple checked you’re turning the right way. Use gradual increasing force, not sharp force – some older carbon treks had bonded in aluminium threaded inserts, the bonding can fail…learnt the hard way.

Penetrating oil and this!

WD40 has it’s uses but it’s not really a penetrating oil. Some very good suggestions above on how to tackle the BB.👍

Don’t run out of gravy mix.

Same problem in a road frame.
A mate welded a steel bar to the bottom bracket steel edge bits, it came straight out.

Drive side now sat in a cup of paraffin. I didn’t have much joy getting paraffin either through the non drive side or through the hole where the cable guide bolts on.

Mean while I’ll be browsing new bikes

i got one once with more like 2m of lever, but was a steel frame.

don’t forget to turn a little in both directions, back wards and forwards, gradually increasing, and tending toward unscrewing obviously, if you do get it moving.

and try to be patient with whatever you do use as penetrating fluid (like i manage to be all the time). my brother just got some awkward bolt out of an engine by applying wd every day for a week or 10 days. it just came eventually.

Heat the frame up and spray the bottom bracket with some shock unlock or other freeze style penetrating oil stuff.

One of the other should work as well.