Remove stuck bottom bracket

[cwah]

Hello all,

I'm doing a mission impossible now:

It's completely stuck, I hammered my wrench but no results. The picture isn't correct, I'm doing it on the non drive side anti-clockwise...

Doesn't work, it's damn stuck. Looked at youtube video and they talked about a cheat bar... which I don't have.

Any idea?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Have you used a bolt to hold the tool in to the bottom bracket? I can see something there, but I can't see what it is. The bolt will hold it in so that you have both hands and feet free to turn your wrench.

Make sure that you turn it the right way. The right hand side has a left hand thread. It will move if you stamp on your wrench.

 

[Cyclezee]

Do as D8veh says and if your removal tool has a large circular hole in the end as well as the bolt use a large diameter washer with a hole large enough for the bolt.

What is that threaded part sticking out of the end of the removal tool?

 

[eHomer]

What is that threaded part sticking out of the end of the removal tool?

It looks like a stack of washers, maybe from the bag laying on the floor underneath. I guess Cwah is using a bolt to hold the socket on, with the washers as a spacer to avoid shortening that bolt.

 

[Cyclezee]

It looks like a stack of washers, maybe from the bag laying on the floor underneath. I guess Cwah is using a bolt to hold the socket on, with the washers as a spacer to avoid shortening that bolt.

Ah, I see what you mean, I would have used the crank bolt, the ones on the floor look a bit like coach bolts

 

[cwah]

Ah, I see what you mean, I would have used the crank bolt, the ones on the floor look a bit like coach bolts

the crank bolt are too short to hold the bottom bracket removal tool. i needed something long enough to go through the tool and screw into the bb

 

[JohnCade]

You have the right tools so assuming the bike is well clamped and you are turning it the right way something has got to give with enough leverage. Six feet of scaffold pole?

 

[cwah]

You have the right tools so assuming the bike is well clamped and you are turning it the right way something has got to give with enough leverage. Six feet of scaffold pole?

don't have this pole (or any) in hand :/

 

[Cyclezee]

the crank bolt are too short to hold the bottom bracket removal tool. i needed something long enough to go through the tool and screw into the bb

Understood, obviously your tool is longer than mine

 

[Cyclezee]

I would also put a piece of carpet, thick cardboard or something similar between the bike and the floor otherwise the floor is going to get scratched to hell.

 

[eHomer]

I think I'd favour shock tension rather than leverage to get it moving.

Cwah mentioned already hitting the wrench with a hammer, but what sort of weight ?

With the socket nicely bolted on as has already been achieved, I'd belt the end of the wrench with a one pound club hammer. The kinetic force of the shock about a foot from the pivot would be greater than a much longer lever being steadily pulled.

Also, my BB removal tool has a half inch square drive internally as well as the external hex, so I'd use a half inch T bar, rather than the adjustable wrench.

It's surprising how much the kinetic impact is cushioned by the slight flexing in the adjustable spanner jaws.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You can't use the 1/2" drive because there would be no way of holding in the tool. It'll jump out and you lose your knuckles.

While I think about it, Cwah, don't forget to loosen the holding bolt as soon as the BB starts to move because it will stop it from unscrewing outwards. This only applies to the left side. The bolt shouldn't be tight. Do it up until its holding everything together, then back it off about half a turn.

 

[tommie]

Got a Blow Torch handy ??

 

[eHomer]

You can't use the 1/2" drive because there would be no way of holding in the tool. It'll jump out and you lose your knuckles..

Yes, true, though I've found that these modern multi splined fittings don't tend to jump out if they've not been allowed to skip much already, (as long as you're using the impact method, rather than a steady strain.)

I googled around for ideas to the problem and found this one with quite good illustrations.

http://www.808.dk/?stuck-bottom-bracket-removal

It made me think of something else too,

In CWAH's photo, he has the bike upside down, whereas the maximum torque and impact loosening with a hammer is better with the bike the right way up and the bottom bracket resting on a solid block. That way the force is not dissipated in the bike frame.

 

[jerrysimon]

I recently had to do this and used an extended car wheel brace and something call Plus Gas which I sprayed on left over night and it seeps into the threads. No hammer required

As others have said it important to secure the tool onto the BB so you can work on leverage rather than trying to hold the tool in place.

Ps if I recall I took the frame off the stand and put it on the floor to get the leverage I required.

Jerry

 

[jerrysimon]

finished job with new BB and single crank to bring an old Raleigh 501 frame back to life.

 

[cwah]

Thanks guys for all your advice, I'll do it the other way around on my bike with hammer. You can already see from the first picture how much the hammer dented the wrench already!

A bit late tonight for my flatmate

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Your hammer is too small. You need a heavier one. Try stamping on the wrench. Looking at that photo, I'd say that you're trying to knock it the wrong way too. The dents should be on the other side of the wrench. It's a left hand thread - clockwise to undo.

 

[jerrysimon]

Agreed looks like you are trying to turn it the wrong direction and tightening it!

Jerry

 

[eHomer]

I thought that too from CWAH's opening post picture, but in the text he did say "The picture isn't correct, I'm doing it on the non drive side anti-clockwise...", so it sounds as though he is trying to loosen it the right way.