Burred BB cup

[Captain Blake]

Hello again,

Ok my driveside BB cup is fucked. The tabs are all shitted up.
Now does anyone have any suggestions on how I could get the cup off? Any bush mechanic tips?

Cheers in advance.

[Deniss]

you could try welding /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ like that all around the cup once and by doing this it should shrink it and should just pop out or the good old cold chisile

[Captain Blake]

Then I should add, i'm no where in the mood to buy a new BB.

[Deniss]

you could buy a bearing remover you can buy them from any tool store

[j5ive]

Is it an ISIS bb and you've bunged up all the groves for the special 8 tooth tool?

haha. have fun :D

[Captain Blake]

Is it an ISIS bb and you've bunged up all the groves for the special 8 tooth tool?

haha. have fun :D

ISIS yep, the tools are fine, but the grooves are fucked, im thinking maybe file them down?

[Rik]

Then I should add, i'm no where in the mood to buy a new BB.So you have a fucked cup that you need to remove, but you don't want to buy a new bottom bracket?
Hah, good luck again :D
This is a job for hacking shit with power tools.

[Captain Blake]

Ahhhhhhh, fuck.

[j5ive]

Stilsons may be the go. Have to be darn careful. And is it the right or left BB cup? Remember right is the drive side and is a reverse thread.

[Captain Blake]

Stilsons may be the go. Have to be darn careful. And is it the right or left BB cup? Remember right is the drive side and is a reverse thread.

Right side, and I know it's a reverse thread. What's a stilson?

[Rik]

What's a google? (http://www.diydata.com/tool/spanner/spanner.htm)

If you file two flat sections in the outside, then hit it with a stilson wrench, you may have luck. Otherwise you're in for some fun with a hacksaw or dremel.

[Dim]

i was in the same situation, BA came to the rescue :)

[j5ive]

Right side, and I know it's a reverse thread....

Oh sorry, you obviously know what your doing. :D

[Captain Blake]

Oh sorry, you obviously know what your doing. :D
Hahaha I can see what you mean, but it wasn't my fault for the fuck-up.
I got my brother to try get it out because it was on dang tight, and he just got there straight away, and fucked it up. Didn't think twice about me saying that the cups are very soft.

[j5ive]

got a pic? Are their any groves left?

[milne]

try a big pair of fuck off multi grips. should be able to grab the outside of the cup and get it off. Use a bit of persuasion if its to tigh (rubber hammer)

[wombat]

ISIS yep, the tools are fine, but the grooves are fucked, im thinking maybe file them down?
Is it XTR tool (Truvativ) ISIS? Or is it interior spline (FSA etc.) ISIS?

[2 smooth 4 u]

Is it XTR tool (Truvativ) ISIS? Or is it interior spline (FSA etc.) ISIS?

it is an xtr tool he is using my tools blake dont burr the tools

[Captain Blake]

it is an xtr tool he is using my tools blake dont burr the tools
The tools are fine. I'll get a picture soonish, I put everything back on, i'll get a picture tomorrow when I can be fucked, too tired now.

[Grip]

Captain, your problem is one thing, your attitude to it is entirely another (because the bottom line is that if you can't actually come up with ways to get the thing out, then you're not the best person to actually get the thing out! and you should bite the bullet and take it to an expert) but the topic itself has opened up a whole other can of worms and that is WHY ARE CYCLISTS SUCH TIGHT ARSES?

[Captain Blake]

You actually made me laugh with that one grip.

I'm a tightarse because i'm not working anymore, I need to sell some stuff to get money. And so on.

I've decided on 2 options:

1) Leave it in there till I get a new frame and then take it out.
2) File 2 sides of the cup so you have 2 flat bits and then get a big fucking spanner, or one of the things suggested upwards.

[Pete J]

I found that by using a quick release (through the BB axle) and washers to suit, the BB tool stayed in place much better and didn't want to slip as much therefore preventing the burring. Oh, and a long spanner or something to extend the spanner length will help a bucketload with extra leverage.
However before i figured this out i majorly screwed up one particular BB! :o
Once i finally got it out it was all she wrote for that sucker. Not much chance of ever tightening it up again properly, or even getting it out either.
Moral of the story, buy a new BB afterwards.

[Spooky]

With my truvativ BB, the teeth were burred and i had no luck in holding the damn tool in place without it slipping. What i did was get a huge long bolt, stick it through the BB and throught the end of my tool, then did it up with a nut.
That held the tool to the cup and meant i could undo it easily. I actually can't picture what you mean, but this may help. ^^

[luke.b]

i did the exact same thing, ended up getin my LBS to hacksaw the cups right next to the frame, all the way throught the bb. This allowed the isis spindle to come out, and then hacksaw from inside, so the cups could fold inwards. cost me 50, and i had to buy a second hand bb.

(i had to go to these extreme lengths after all else failed)

[Dumbellina]

In terms of great tips for home mechanics, the Park tool website is great.

Normal cartridge BBs:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=94

And external bearing BBs:
http://www.parktool.com/repair/readhowto.asp?id=95

The advice is practical - that where I learned the QR skewer in the BB tool trick (also do the same for cluster removal tools) - and well explained. Some websites no longer have their workshop manuals on-line (eg Mavic) and other manuals are incomprensible (eg Shimano).

I don't think industry-types should be so critical of home mechanics. I mean I stripped the T7 screws on the Magura Marta brake lever because the screws, and in particular screwhead were so tiny. I also stripped the tiny 4mm brake pad bolt on the calipers because the bolt ceased on (aluminum + iron + salty water + air = ceased parts). There comes a time for industry to look at the design of the stuff home mechanics are trashing before being critical of mistakes. I almost choked when the bloke at a bike shop (not my LBS) when he said magura brakes were easy to work on - has he ever done so!

Yes home-mechanics are tight-arses and whingy ones at that. But I have had so many bad experiences with shoddy bike shops, that I'll do the straight forward stuff myself and only let trusted shops (and mechanics) do the major stuff (new seals in the headshock for example).

[naz]

thanks for the sig.

[Captain Blake]

This message is hidden because naz is on your ignore list.
Say again?

[Grip]

I don't think industry-types should be so critical of home mechanics. I mean I stripped the T7 screws on the Magura Marta brake lever because the screws, and in particular screwhead were so tiny.

Err no... actually you stripped them because you didn't know what you were doing with them... not because of their size.

I also stripped the tiny 4mm brake pad bolt on the calipers because the bolt ceased on (aluminum + iron + salty water + air = ceased parts).

Well... you allowed it to cease (sic - try "seize")


There comes a time for industry to look at the design of the stuff home mechanics are trashing before being critical of mistakes.

Please try and remember my comment was NOT about mistakes, but about the tightarse attitude of MTBers. I don't have any problems at all with people making mistakes... it's one of the best ways to learn.


I almost choked when the bloke at a bike shop (not my LBS) when he said magura brakes were easy to work on - has he ever done so!

Probably... and he's actually right... they are.


Yes home-mechanics are tight-arses and whingy ones at that. But I have had so many bad experiences with shoddy bike shops, that I'll do the straight forward stuff myself and only let trusted shops (and mechanics) do the major stuff (new seals in the headshock for example)

And again I remind you of just what my original comment was about. TIGHTARSES who do ridiculous things to save a dollar... often putting themselves and their precious bike at risk in doing so... I never once said anything about making mistakes. Mkay?

[nicklouse]

nice one grip.

dumbellina all hydros are easy if you follow the instructions and have the correct kit

what is the saying "a bad workman blames the tools for their bad work". or something similar.

spend a bit more time on park tools site and read about tightening concepts and torque settings.

[Dumbellina]

I bought the Marta bleed kit. I followed the workshop manual step by step. I used the tiny tools contained in the kit - including the microscopic T7 wrench. I have read and re-read the Park tool information on threads and tightening torque.

The bleed itself was a easy, when following the manuals instructions (the instruction in the bleed kit were confusing). The size of the parts not so easy. The bolts are soft and very tiny (the tightening torque was 0.6 Nm!) and torx (meaning large contact area with little actual metal = very easy to round out).

I am extremely careful about stripping threads but to strip the screwhead with such ease concerns me. There are three other little suckers waiting to be stripped. [The manual warns against replacing these, despite being vulnerable to stripping]

My point was the part designers have to consider home mechanics, and bike shops not critical when we make honest mistakes - so I accept Grip's comments.

I also accept Grip's other criticism in the thread was about tight-arse bodgy repairs. I am opposed to these too (I spent $300 on a new lever when I stripped it).

[wombat]

The bleed itself was a easy, when following the manuals instructions (the instruction in the bleed kit were confusing). The size of the parts not so easy. The bolts are soft and very tiny (the tightening torque was 0.6 Nm!) and torx (meaning large contact area with little actual metal = very easy to round out).
Torx head bolts should be more resistant to rounding out that an equivalent size allen head, as the surface that's supporting the load is much more normal to the load's line of action.
I have found though that the fit of the tool is crucial for torx bolts; cheap, ill-fitting tool bits are a sure way to round out the head.

[bradh]

cheap, ill-fitting tool bits are a sure way to round out the head.
Funnily enough, the same could be said about cheap allen keys.

[Rik]

And cheap mechanical work/skills.

[wombat]

Funnily enough, the same could be said about cheap allen keys.
It most definately can be said, but torx bits were the ones in question.

[bradh]

It most definately can be said, but torx bits were the ones in question.
true. just making an observation.

[nicklouse]

the biggest cause of rounding allen/torx is not having the tool in the bolt axis.

i always use a bit in a ratcheting screw driver and only use a key for final "torqueing" if real low or a bit in a square drive adaptor for sensible toque levels.

using a "key" for all un/screwing causes too much damage with the tool going of the bolt axis.

[Dumbellina]

In respect of the tool being used it was small "L" torx key - the one supplied in the bleed kit. It was fiddly as hell to use, so maintaining the angle with the bolt axis was obviously an issue.

I agree that torx are generally less prone to rounding out than allen heads - because of the greater surface area over which the force is applied (ie lower pressure). But in the case of these screws the surface area was large but the amount of metal supporting the contact area was very small.

It was the combination of both the small tool and inadequate amount of metal in the screw head that caused it to strip so easily.

Has anyone else stipped the Marta T7 reservior cap screw? Or am I the lone sucker on this.