bottom bracket seized.

ok, so i’m starting to think my bottom bracket has seized. anyone have any tips to get it out?

Did this happen gradually over the past fortnight, since No Sleep 'Til Brunswick…?

What sort of BB is it? Are both cups reluctant or just one?

Some options:

  • penetrating oil
  • heat
  • a persuadertron
  • large mallet

That happened to me once - just take some Metamucil and push till your red in the face. Hurts a bit, but once it’s out it feels great.

Flip the bike on its side and fill the Bottom bracket with metho or degreaser (or just use a little at a time). Once you get it out make sure you clean everything real good before regreasing and reinstalling. That is if it is a cup and cone setup. If it is a cartridge just throw it.

nah, it’s been a problem for a while, but i’ve been too lazy to address it. been making a lot of noise lately, so it’s time for me to get off my ass.

tried the heat - shifter dan told me to pour boiling water on it. no love. will try the metho technique next…

metho = fail.

anyone know when shifter is back in town?

Metho isn’t a lube. Neither is WD-40 or degreaser for that matter.

Get some penetrene/kroil or other penetrating oil and soak that puppy. A bit (less than 100ºC) of heat wouldn’t hurt either.

Then the PersuadorTron can be applied (remember the threading directions!)

What type of BB is it? i.e. what tool to remove it? If you can bolt the tool in place (like an axle nut over a freewheel remover) it’ll prevent it from torquing out and allow higher force.

Next week would be my tip.

it’s a sugino cartridge bb, if memory serves. just uses the shimano bb tool.

the shell, unfortunately, is pretty much sealed, so it’s difficult to for any liquid to penetrate it. i’ll check out penetrating oil eitherway. even though it sounds dirty.

Doesn’t matter, you don’t want to penetrate the cartridge, you just want to get the lube into the BB shell threads so you can loosen it. Hence my suggestion to soak the bastard in a bucket of penetrene!

Then you can fit the BB tool and bolt it in place with a crank bolt and large washer and go to town with a long lever, Archimedes style.

Of course your other option, if the BB cups are aluminium and the frame is steel, is to soak the BB in a bucket of lye and dissolve them…

The sugino cartridge BB cups are shockers to get out if they were installed in-house. eg. KHS frames.
Frame in a vice, bolt up the BB tool with a crank bolt and use a pipe extension if needed.
Evan