gkeep
I live for the CABE
- Jul 30, 2020
- #1
Last week my daughter and I took a ride of about 15 miles and on the way home I started to get a soft squeak and slight catch at the same spot in the crank rotation.
When I first got this ridable about 5 years ago I was unable to overhaul the bottom bracket because I could not get the crank apart. I took it over to Ridable Replicas a few blocks from me and Greg broke his best crank puller trying to get it free. The Woodruff Key seems to have been forced out the backside a bit as you can see from my photos. Since I couldn't pull it apart for cleaning and lube an engineer friend suggested flooding it through the seat tube with WD-40 or Liquid Wrench until it ran clean and then use aerosol white lithium grease to lube it. That has worked fine for probably 600 miles or more of riding but after 5 years it looks like that's no longer enough. I suspect a bearing is getting ground up now.
Today I put some Kroil in there, tried some tapping here and there and a heat gun. I've left it with some wooden shims putting pressure on it and letting the Kroil soak. Anyone have any words of wisdom? I may be in for a long fight with this beast.
bentwoody66
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
- Jul 30, 2020
- #2
Tie rod spanner?
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bentwoody66
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
- Jul 30, 2020
- #3
Looks kinda like a 2 pronged fork
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SKPC
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
- Jul 31, 2020
- #4
You mentioned a heat gun...try a torch after covering the bb shell with foil of multiple layers...then after heating awhile with direct flame on the gripped metal, use the ball joint/tie rod remover. Leave the foil in place as it may help limit any damage to the shell....the crank itself may get a bit of marring...This tool mentioned above is shown below. This should work. Available at your Harbor Freight or local auto parts store..
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K
Kombicol
Finally riding a big boys bike
- Aug 1, 2020
- #5
I would reconsider the tie rod fork and use a high quality automotive puller + gas heat
You might crack a cup or cone with the fork
SKPC
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
- Aug 1, 2020
- #6
100% agree now that I think about the above comment...The angled fork tangs would put pressure on the metal in only one area on the edge of the BB shell and it could crack the cup if it doesn't budge...auto puller puts even pressure that uses multiple grip arms (2-4) around the inside of the crank only.
Edit: I would imagine that if you took the bike to an auto-repair place, they could remove it in a few seconds. They would also have different sized and designed pullers. Some may not fit between the shell and crank, and if a puller's arms slip off the crank, it will damage or mar the inside of the crank spider. And one last suggestion . If you do get the arms between the shell and spider, you might wrap some bailing wire around them before tightening the pullers' nut. This will keep the arms from opening up and slipping off..
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gkeep
I live for the CABE
- Aug 1, 2020
- #7
Thanks for the replies. I've got a few neighbors who may have the puller, the tricky part is the lack of clearance. Its a very tight fit and the three arms make fitting a two tooth puller problematic. I've got plenty of time to take it slow and steady so no parts are damaged.
K
Kombicol
Finally riding a big boys bike
- Aug 1, 2020
- #8
Plenty of 3 jaw pullers out there
Used one recently on a stubborn Iver Johnson crankset
C
comet
Finally riding a big boys bike
- Aug 4, 2020
- #9
I've done it with cold chisels gently tapped down alongside the spindle, one on each side driven in opposite directions. PB blaster, tap them in and patience.
piercer_99
Cruisin' on my Bluebird
- Aug 5, 2020
- #10
here is what they look like inside.
It is a tapered shaft, no key.
Good luck with it.
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