I acquired a used steel frame with a chorus bb. The drive side cup (which is basically the whole kit & caboodle) is siezed in the frame. The splines on the BB are stripped too, so the campy removal tool is of virtually no use (no, I didn't do it, it came this way). The BB is relatively smooth, but I don't relish spending $100+ on a chorus 9 or 10 crank (the frame was very CHEAP). So can I get the BB out?

Any thoughts on removing it? Drill holes, stick somthing in 'em and use those as leverage to remove?

All creative thoughtful responses considered and appreciated!

I acquired a used steel frame with a chorus bb. The drive side cup (which is basically the whole kit & caboodle) is siezed in the frame. The splines on the BB are stripped too, so the campy removal tool is of virtually no use (no, I didn't do it, it came this way). The BB is relatively smooth, but I don't relish spending $100+ on a chorus 9 or 10 crank (the frame was very CHEAP). So can I get the BB out?

Any thoughts on removing it? Drill holes, stick somthing in 'em and use those as leverage to remove?

All creative thoughtful responses considered and appreciated!

Are you sure you are turning the right way, depending upon English/Italian threading?

Are you sure you are turning the right way, depending upon English/Italian threading?

Yes, turning the right way. Doesn't really matter though, because the guy who bunged this up stripped the splines anyway, so the tool can't exert much force.

For the sake of full disclosure, the threads have been pretty thoroughly soaked with liquid wrench too.

Yes, turning the right way. Doesn't really matter though, because the guy who bunged this up stripped the splines anyway, so the tool can't exert much force.

For the sake of full disclosure, the threads have been pretty thoroughly soaked with liquid wrench too.

Found this at the Park Tools site:

http://www.parktool.com/repair_help/FAQcartdg.shtml

Scroll down to the photo of the wheel skewer through the removal tool and axle. This may allow you, even with some stripped splines, to get enough grip.

Again, and I've made the mistake many times, make SURE you are turning the right way.

If you can remove the non drive side, do so. Remove any screws that may be holding the cable guide onto the frame. Drive the spindle out of the frame toward the nondrive side. This will leave the cup in the frame. You can leave the cup and replace the rest of the parts if you want to stay with Campy. If the cup must come out, it needs to be sacrificed. Use a hack saw through the bb hole and cut 4 or more slits into the cup toward the shell threads. Go very slowly and stop cutting when you see the tops of the frame threads in the slit. After all the cuts are made, use a punch and hammer and drive the pieces toward each other as if you were trying to close the center hole. The cup pieces should break out and leave the frame fine. You might consider getting the LBS to make sure the frame threads are clean after this.

If you can remove the non drive side, do so. Remove any screws that may be holding the cable guide onto the frame. Drive the spindle out of the frame toward the nondrive side. This will leave the cup in the frame. You can leave the cup and replace the rest of the parts if you want to stay with Campy. If the cup must come out, it needs to be sacrificed. Use a hack saw through the bb hole and cut 4 or more slits into the cup toward the shell threads. Go very slowly and stop cutting when you see the tops of the frame threads in the slit. After all the cuts are made, use a punch and hammer and drive the pieces toward each other as if you were trying to close the center hole. The cup pieces should break out and leave the frame fine. You might consider getting the LBS to make sure the frame threads are clean after this.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Perfect, Curly. The nondrive side does come out, so when you say "drive the spindle out" can I do this with a rubber mallet? And then all that's left is the cup?

This is a "new school" chorus 9/10 BB, not an old school free-bearing kind. Forgive me for the newb questions, I'm a shimano guy.

THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! Perfect, Curly. The nondrive side does come out, so when you say "drive the spindle out" can I do this with a rubber mallet? And then all that's left is the cup?

This is a "new school" chorus 9/10 BB, not an old school free-bearing kind. Forgive me for the newb questions, I'm a shimano guy.
You knock the spindle and whole cartridge out from the drive side,leaving the cup.Might take a real hammer.

As a thing to try BEFORE knocking out the axle and sawing out the cut, try pounding the tool into the cup. Put the tool in place and put a 20mm (or so) socket over it. Tap it into place with a hammer. You may get it buried deep enough in the cup so that you can remove the cup. Obviously, remove the left cup first to eliminate all pressure on the right side cup. If this doesn't work, then you're out nothing.

As a thing to try BEFORE knocking out the axle and sawing out the cut, try pounding the tool into the cup. Put the tool in place and put a 20mm (or so) socket over it. Tap it into place with a hammer. You may get it buried deep enough in the cup so that you can remove the cup. Obviously, remove the left cup first to eliminate all pressure on the right side cup. If this doesn't work, then you're out nothing.
If I had it here I would use the lathe to make plugs that fit on both sides of the cup and then clamp all 3 pieces together with a bolt and then turn the bolt from both sides at once.

You knock the spindle and whole cartridge out from the drive side,leaving the cup.Might take a real hammer.
Either use a soft hammer or a punch made of aluminum bar.

If I had it here I would use the lathe to make plugs that fit on both sides of the cup and then clamp all 3 pieces together with a bolt and then turn the bolt from both sides at once.


I has a simaler problem a while ago.... kinda did a composite of what a few of the people here are saying.

Take the tool and tap it with a rubber mallet as far into the cup as you can. Then use a QR skewer thru the BB shell and tool held in place with some big ol washers so it's all clamped down. Then put the frame and tool into a vise and clamp the tool down and use the frame as your lever arm to turn the tool. If you are not following what I am saying... clamp the tool in the vise with the frame sticking up from the vise and turn the frame to remove the bottom bracket. Remember that the cup is actually clamped down by your QR skewer so you will need to loosen it once the cup moves, but the point is just to get the cup to move.

Good luck

I used a 1 1/8" hole saw and cut the flanges with the stripped splines out.The hollow spindle worked perfectly for the drill guide. After cutting off both flanges I used a rubber mallet ot drive out the axle and bearings. Then I took a hacksaw blade and cut the aluminum sleeve into four pieces and remove it. This left only the cups left in the shell. The cups were seized and they would not budge (this is why they were stripped) so I carefully used a Dremel with a high speed cutter to cut the shells enough so I could collapse them going very slowly and watching for the threads to begin to show. After I got the cups out I took the bike to the LBS to have the threads chased. But a new BB in and everything is perfect now.

I took a little time to get the nerve up to put the saw to it but once I got started everything went smoothly. I also had an old BB in my toolbox that I practiced my technique on before I attempted it on the bike.

Thanks for the help everybody. It worked like a charm. I took off the non-drive side cup, hit the spindle to knock out the cartridge (which came out surprisingly easily with two moderate whacks from the rubber mallet), then proceeded to slice up the seized cup with a hacksaw. The actual sawing took a while longer than expected, but I eventually made six cuts almost down to the threads. The surprise was that hammering from the front, the cup wouldn't budge. So I had to go inside the BB and pound it out from the backside. After a bit of prying I got one of the sections to pop out completely and from there the whole rest of the cup curled up and fell out.

Sweet! Thanks again for the advice. Now it's down to the LBS to have the BB chased and faced and I'm on my way.