Can I replace an old Campy crank with a new Campy Centaur compact crank? Have they used the same style bottom bracket over the past 25 years? The cassette is a seven speed and changing that sounds like a bigger project.

I think I may need to switch, because I live in a mountainous area and I am a mere mortal. My other bike has a triple up front and on really steep, long climbs I use it.

The pre 2007 compact crank still used a square taper. You'll need to make sure that the bottom bracket is the right width for centaur -111mm. However, I have mounted the crank on 109mm bottom bracket with no effect on shifting.

It depends on which old Campy crankset you are starting with and which Centaur compact crankset you are trying to install. The last square taper Centaur cranks require a symmetrical 111mm bottom bracket. The current Centaur cranks use an entirely new setup that has the bottom bracket spindle integrated with the crank arms and requires a new bottom bracket altogether.

I believe it is an early 1980's Record crank. I don't know anything about the old bottom bracket, yet. I was looking at the Centaur C compact crankset at Performance Bike. It uses a 111mm spindle.

Record or Super Record? Early Record uses a 111 mm symmetrical spindle while the older Campagnolo Nuovo or Super Record road cranks require a 115 mm spindle with a 5 mm drive side offset. I'll have to assume Super Record since you said early 80's (Record came out around '89-90???). If that is the case then you will need to buy a new bottom bracket as well.

I bought one of those Centaur C cranksets over a year ago with the 50/34 in a 170 mm length. It's not quite as nicely finished as the '89 Chorus crankset that it replaced but it is nice, nonetheless.