Bottom bracket woes

[Rhythm Thief]

I sold my ancient Kona Lavadome to one of the other drivers at work a while ago. When I heard he'd stripped it and painted the frame, byt then done nothing else with it, I bought it back again (for twenty quid less). In the month or so that he owned it, he managed to:
cut the chain (nearly new) off with an angle grinder, istead of buying the proper tool;
do a really shite paint job (when there wasn't much wrong with the original), and;
try (and fail) to remove the Campag - style BB using a hammer and a large screwdriver. See above comments about "proper tools" (in more ways than one!)
The BB could do with replacing, but thanks to him, my BB removal tool (not a hammer and screwdriver) won't move it. Anyone got any hints for removing a BB abused by an idiot colleague?

 

[Steve Austin]

Is it a BB with an internal spline or one with flats on the outside?

 

[Rhythm Thief]

It's the old square taper BB.

 

[Mr Pig]

Is it a plastic cup on one side or metal?

I would suggest 'two' screwdrivers! You'd need a hand obviously but a screwdriver on each side so that you could hit both at once. I guess you know that the two sides unscrew in opposite directions?

What a shame. Looks like you would have saved money by not selling it to him!

 

[jimboalee]

Another method is to go to LBS and look at a peg-tool for the bracket end cups with two diametrically opposite location holes. Measure across the pegs.

Punch two centre pops with hardened punch at the dimensions of the peg tool. Then get some small grinding points from a model shop or hardware store. Grind two holes in the face of the end cup.

If sucessful, go and get the peg tool.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Tricky ... I have bought the proper tool for the job, but because it's a cheap BB (I presume), the end pieces are plastic. So I'm pretty much resigned to having to destroy it to get it out.
I suppose I could just grind the end cap off and remove it that way.

 

[fossyant]

Those plastic lock nuts on cartridge BB's are horrible - I just re-use my alloy ones....

 

[Mr Pig]

I suppose I could just grind the end cap off and remove it that way.

I don't think that'll work. You'll be left with the tapered part threaded into the sides, still holding the BB in. You'll need to unscrew it, somehow.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I don't think that'll work. You'll be left with the tapered part threaded into the sides, still holding the BB in. You'll need to unscrew it, somehow.

I suppose that once I had access to the threaded part I could (carefully!) hacksaw through it and get it out that way. Whatever happens, I'll wait until it's worn out, which with the amount of MTBing I do will be in about three million years anyway.

 

[Mr Pig]

I suppose that once I had access to the threaded part I could hacksaw through it and get it out that way.

No. It's inside the frame between it and the outer edge of the BB itself. If you cut the face off the locking ring you will 'really' have a job getting the rest of it out!

Are you sure it won't unscrew? Your mate, if he knows as little about bikes as you suggest, has probably tried to unscrew the plastic ring anticlockwise. It unscrews clockwise. I would have thought that a few smacks on the edge with a big screwdriver would move it, maybe after letting some WD40 soak into it for a bit.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Nope. He's tried to unscrew it the correct way, but he's knackered up the recesses the tool should fit into. I'll get it out somehow ...

 

[mickle]

I could bring my tool box when I come to collect my new frame. I'll get the sucker out.

 

[LeeW]

Depending on the tyre of BB, you maybe able to use a hacksaw to cut two flats on the cup and then use a large spanner (headset spanner) to unscrew it.

 

[mickle]

It's either staying in because there is still life in the BBearing or coming out because it's had it.

If its coming out; two or more hack-saw cuts down to the threads at ninety degrees to the bike and peel the shrapnel out with a screw driver.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

I could bring my tool box when I come to collect my new frame. I'll get the sucker out.

Hey, good idea. I'm sure between us we could shift it.