Cross threaded: FSA Energy BB386 cold forged crank

[rp]

Hi Guys

In all my excitement to get onto my new bike, I have cross-threaded the left pedal and it's stuffed.
I need to buy a replacement left crank arm (and new left pedal)

Does anyone know if the FSA Gossamer left crank arm will be compatible with the right crank arm? It seems like it should be (Gossamer seems like it's inferior to the Energy but I just want to be able to ride my bike without forking out a fortune).

The Gossamer left crank arm 172.5mm (my size) is available on ebay for $38.

Thanks for the advice!

[dunamis]

You can get the thread tapped out and a bush screwed in and salvage the crank but you'd probably need a LBS to do it because the kit to DIY is expensive.

[eeksll]

if you haven't mistyped that, ie you want use a left crank arm on the right side, wouldn't that have the wrong pedal thread?

[ValleyForge]

You can get the thread tapped out and a bush screwed in and salvage the crank but you'd probably need a LBS to do it because the kit to DIY is expensive.

And you only get one go at it to get it right.

[Duck!]

if you haven't mistyped that, ie you want use a left crank arm on the right side, wouldn't that have the wrong pedal thread?

You're misreading it. The question is if the left Gossamer crank is a compatible spline pattern to match the Energy right crank and integrated spindle. The answer is "probably" but I'm not intimately familiar enough with FSA's intricacies to be certain.

[Duck!]

You can get the thread tapped out and a bush screwed in and salvage the crank but you'd probably need a LBS to do it because the kit to DIY is expensive.

And you only get one go at it to get it right.

If the thread is not too munted it may be possible to retap it to the standard size; I have salvaged threads before. Otherwise oversize tap and helicoil rethread is the go.

[rp]

Interesting re. helicoil

Does anyone know a bike store in Perth that would do this?

Thanks!

[RichB]

How bad did you stuff the threads? cross threaded only the first few? I'm all for timeserts and helicoil kits, but if the former, any reason why you can't simply "chase" it through from the inside out, with a tap being careful not to oversize it, thus restoring the outside facing threads? Pretty economical even compared to 38 big ones.

[uart]

How bad did you stuff the threads? cross threaded only the first few?

This is a good question. Sometimes you can clean up a thread by just screwing the pedal on and off a few times from the wrong side of the hole.

Cross threading Al parts is a pita though. If you've done it before you become pretty careful to always try and get a few turns finger tight on whatever the part before breaking out the spanner or other tools.

I often remove my pedals to transport my bikes (laying flat in the back of a hatchback) and I've got one combination of crank and pedal that's a little tight on the thread. I often can't quite start it finger tight, and it's always a nervous moment when I have to take a spanner to it to get it started. I really hate doing that.

[rp]

Nah it's stuffed. Managed to tighten it on trying to get it off (rookie error).

The Gossamer is on its way but the FSA rep I emailed doesn't think it will fit

"The Energy crankset you have is of the MegaExo standard and has a 24mm spindle.
The Gossamer crankarm in the photo fits the BB386 standard with a 30mm spindle"

GRRRR

[Duck!]

That definitely won't fit.

[rp]

Damn. Waste of $38.

Next idea - can I just weld the pedal to the crank? My dad has an arc welder....

Not liking the idea of getting a new fsa crankset for 289 euro

[Duck!]

Plan B: No - the crank is aluminium and the pedal axle is chro-moly steel; you cannot weld dissimilar metals.

You should be able to get the correct left crank arm.

[uart]

When a crank gets damaged it's often the right (spider) side, so there are probably quite a few orphaned left cranks laying around. If you're not totally worried about aesthetic matching, then ask over in the wanted to buy sub-forum and see what people have.

[ValleyForge]

Nah it's stuffed. Managed to tighten it on trying to get it off (rookie error).

"That's why we can't have nice things in this house"

[rp]

Haha ok cheers.

Yeah will do so, aesthetics don't matter much. I was thinking the attachment bit might have been some sort of steel whilst the rest of the crank is hollow aluminium. I'll just have to try source a left crank arm.

Thanks guys.

[baabaa]

I would, (get the L/H arm) while they may cop flack FSA cranksets are really quite good and the energy level being hollow is well up to and above 105 standards. The FSA BB on the other hand are pretty much rubbish. I tend to think that FSA drive train days are yet to come. Shame the adventure level kit is still hard to find.
While we are at it if use a compact crankset and can still find a or several FSA energy front derailleurs, just do they are the best long lived, no fuss front derailleur I have found (so much in fact bought and use three myself...)

[rp]

Hi Guys, eventually had it re-threaded by LBS for $60. It seems to be holding...

Cheers!

[jackthelad]

i bought Xtools pedal taps for cheap on c r c
hardly use them, but good to sort out old or new cranks, before installing pedals on them
And anyone in perth that asks on my local facebook forums for help