Help with bottom bracket

General Help
1

Hi All

I’ve tried searching this issue with no success.

Background - I have a steel frame with an italian thread bb. Originally had a loose ball bb installed. Im trying to upgrade to a modern group and want to install a campag sealed bb to suit rest of groupset.

Problem - When I screw the sealed unit into the drive side, it goes in crooked(facing upward about 1-2mm). However it goes in easy with no force. When i put the NDS cup on, it wont go past the bearing, unless I apply some force to lower the sealed unit enough to fit the NDS cup over. This results in the bb spindle not moving at all because of the pressure on the NDS bearing.

Questions

  1. Anyone come across a similar issue?
  2. Will facing the bottom bracket shell fix it?
  3. Has anyone seen a loose ball bb with a ~102mm spindle?

Ill see if I can take some photos tonight if the above doesnt make sense…

2

Spindle dead straight?

3

Are you using the right tool?

We used this with a Campy Veloce BB. It was the wrong tool.

4

But in all seriousness, I can’t help you.

Sorry.

5

rethread bb shell?

6
  1. Nope.
  2. I wouldn’t think so. If it’s threading in crooked then it hasn’t hit the side of the shell yet.
  3. I’ve only ever seen (and used) sealed 102mm BBs.

Is it possibly cross threaded?

Maybe you can try putting the NDS cup in first and maybe that will help guide the BB in straight, being careful to try and thread the BB in straight to start with (which you would’ve tried already).

See if you can get some pics of the drive side thread and/or see if the threads are good.

7

Thanks Snowflake, yea ive tried to thread it in all possible ways with no luck. Threads do look ok, but will take another look.

8

If you still have the old BB try and see if it installs correctly. This should give an indication the threads on the shell are ok.

9

Unsealed bb goes in, but only 1 side of the nds cup touches the shell, with 1mm gap on other side. This isnt really an issue through as unsealed is a bit more forgiving.

10

Another obvious one…is the thread on the new BB good?

11

Something wrong with the threads in the BB shell. They need to be chased, or the shell faced to straighten everything out.

12

Old BB cups thread in about 1cm (if that), new cups and sealed units thread in much further and if there’s any poorly finished mitering or extra sloppy welds that sit a little high it won’t thread on correctly or interfere. Nothing that 2 minutes with a dremel and a proper re-tap (deeper) can’t fix. I’ve even seen this on new frames so it’s not just the older ones with this issue.

13

This explains a couple of things that have bugged me for a while.

14

Have you tried turning it off and on again?

Find someone with an Italian BB threading tool and get them to run it through the shell

15

^---- You worked on an IT helpdesk Mr Kumo?

I had an issue on a new steel frame with the cups going in further than there was clean threads.
Patience and a Dremel will work. BB chasing tool is a better solution as mentioned above.

16

17

Phil wood bb may be a pricey but worthy option in 102mm as it has only 1cm of thread each side…

18

Get the shell retapped by a shop with the correct tools. Not a cleaning tap, you want both threads tapped at the same time on a common axis.

19

He said Italian, not English.

20

omg lol