Any tips for removing the RH BB cup on an old steel bike?

[uart]

I'm pulling down a (I think) late 80s Apollo to give it a bit of a refurb and get it on the road again. So far everything has disassembled quite readily, with nothing being totally corroded or frozen in place or anything like that.

That was until literally the very last thing I tried to remove which is the right hand BB bearing cup (the fixed one). I know that it's definitely just the standard (for this part) left hand thread, being either Japanese or Taiwanese and late 80's era it's got to be. But I cant get it to budge even with a length of water pipe over the end of my spanner for leverage.

At this point I'm thinking about just leaving it alone. The spindle still runs smoothly enough so I doubt that the cup is damaged (though I haven't yet inspected it). And I can always disassemble it from the left hand (adjustable) side to repack and adjust, so it shouldn't be an impediment to making it run nicely.

It's just annoying that it's the last thing and I can't get it to budge, I wonder if anyone has any tips?



BTW. Here's the bike before being pulled down.

[Clydesdale Scot]

skip to 3:24

[10speedsemiracer]

Are you using a bottom bracket wrench like this :

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Tly19mAQzI/S ... SET+BB.JPG

Is really difficult to keep a normal spanner or shifter on there and use any force. The fixed cup is left hand threaded, so reverse of normal.

When the adjustable cup, axle and bearings are out, blast the inside of the fixed cup with WD40 or whatever penetrating fluid you have, let it sit, fit the wrench and use a rubber/wooden mallet to rotate the wrench clockwise.

[Thoglette]

First, make sure you're trying to move it the correct way. Most RH BB cups are LH thread but not all

Second, grasp the BB cup in a bench vice and use the frame as the lever. If I don't know which way the BB goes, I give it a little wriggle in both directions. It becomes very clear very quickly. More options from Sheldon here

[uart]

skip to 3:24

Thanks. Good tip about the bolt and pipe. I think that you'd have to be careful with the diameter so that it didn't contact on the bearing surface though?

[uart]

Are you using a bottom bracket wrench like this :

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8Tly19mAQzI/S ... SET+BB.JPG

Is really difficult to keep a normal spanner or shifter on there and use any force. The fixed cup is left hand threaded, so reverse of normal

Yes in truth I knew that this is part of the problem. I've got a massive big shifter but I don't have the correct tool. This makes it hard to use any impact such as a mallet. I could till get a huge amount of torque on it with the water pipe "cheater", but just not impact.

[uart]

grasp the BB cup in a bench vice and use the frame as the lever.

Thanks, that's a good idea. I've got a large vise so I think I'll try that one first. That's the same technique I use for removing stubborn freewheels.

[LG]

Clydesdale Scot is on the money. I use about an M12 bolt with wide washers. Insert bolt from the inside with a socket and extension, tighten the nut on the outside until it grasps the the BB cup. Keep turning the nut clockwise and it'll unscrew the cup. Wipe off any grease first though.

If you use mild steel washer/bolt it'll provide a bit more resistance against the cup and is much softer than the bearing surface so won't cause damage.