My Raleigh frame seems to have a weird thread in the BB shell, even though it has the standard 68mm width. I think the thread is weird because I had a lot of trouble screwing in a new Shimano cartridge BB.
I’ve got buckley’s of finding a replacement old-style BB at a reasonable price, so I reckon the best idea is to get the BB shell retapped to the 24TPI ISO thread.
Does anyone know of an LBS in Sydney that can do this? According to Sheldon it’s not something every shop is tooled up to do.
If it’s 68mm and hasn’t been faced down from the wider 26tpi Raleigh shell already (in which case it should have been rethreaded to 24tpi at the same time), then it could already be a 24tpi BSC 68mm shell, and your problem is corrosion / debris / previous cross threading.
Any good LBS will have a tool to chase and face the BB. Try somewhere like Cheeky Transport.
What’s the age / model of the Raleigh? My '74 Super Course Mk II had a BSC BB, but it was Carlton built, not Nottingham.
threadless bottom bracket which screws into itself
Thanks for the replies.
My Raleigh is a “Pioneer Spirit 18” hybrid that I bought new in the UK c. 1992:
The BB shell is 68mm wide and even has “68” stamped on it, so it hasn’t been refaced from a wider type. Everything I’ve read on Sheldon Brown indicates that it should already have an ISO or British thread, but the Shimano BB stubbornly thinks otherwise. It screws all the way in if enough force is applied, but it doesn’t screw in straight.
As for the thread being corroded or blocked, the original BB shells came out easily enough once I’d loosened them, so I don’t think that’s the problem (unless the Shimano has a longer threaded section than the original BB, good point).
In any case, I think the solution is the same; get the BB shell retapped (which if it’s just dirty or corroded will still clean it out nicely). Turns out the LBS near my work (Pedals Plus in Bondi Junction) can do this for $25, so I’m in luck.
That threadless BB might be my fallback solution if the retapping doesn’t work. Do you have a brand or model name for it please?
Your bike is definitely doesn’t have the old Raleigh BB threading.
Skip the YST threadless BB if you can, more problem than they’re worth.
Just chase the threads, lube them up and slide in your new BB. Don’t force anything.
Well I dunno if the planets lined up right or what, but when I tried screwing the BB in tonight (2nd attempt), it went in nice and easy. I have two working theories why:
[ul]
[li]the first attempt cleaned out the threads ready for the second attempt[/li][li](less palatable) I had the BB round the wrong way (could I even have got it all the way in in this case?)[/li][/ul]
Anyway, problem solved; onto the next one, whatever it is…
just to tack onto the back of this thread (pardon the pun), and that I searched and couldn’t find a definitive answer, can you tap a french thread bottom bracket to english?
i have a peugeot that i need a bottom bracket for 
Simply google your exact question: “can you tap a french thread bottom bracket to english?”
And you’ll find people who have done it before:
http://www.cyclingforums.com/archive/index.php/t-358763.html
And others who say you can’t:
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-421862.html
Several french bbs on eBay, and if you can find one that fits, don’t retap it?
How so are they trouble?? ive used a few in the past without issue??