Mechanics and Fixing Any Questions Answered

Ok, think we have discovered my mistake here...

Not a mistake you’ll make again I reckon.

Opposite way. Otherwise the lockring wouldn't be holding the cog on.

The cog comes off anti clockwise. Ie the opposite to the way the chain would be pulling it if you were pedalling

Thanks, how did I not think of that? I was so sure I was doing it right, didn't even have a cursory Google.

Feel slightly overwhelmed by my own stupidity now!

Ah well. Just hope it comes off after I've spent half an hour getting it super tight.

Yeah, they are both threaded the opposite way. If you look closely they have their own threads. That should solve your problem.

Ok, think we have discovered my mistake here...

Not the first, which is why it was worth asking.

okay hear me out now: why are cottered cranks bad? Seriously, it's been the first thing I've changed when repurposing an old bike for years but really...what is the problem with them? Why do I look at them with such disgust? Are they easier to break, harder to maintain? It doesn't look like it. Are we really, as a society, just discriminating against cottered cranks because they're old?

They're easier to fuck up when working on them than newer styles.

Are we really, as a society, just discriminating against cottered cranks because they're old?

Yes. Old, shit, and don't work very well.

right tool, right direction, sprocket came off quite easily.

who would have thunk?!

It's a mystery.

Many folk insert the wrong cotters, the wrong way, with a hammer, with grease, without grease, who know's. And end up with the cranks out of phase, or working looser and mullering themselves after 20 miles.
I think a lot of the lower end stuff continued with very low end cotter cranks up till late 90's? They were made of the same cheese (or cookie dough) as low end FSA cranks.
Wheras your higher end 30's to 50's stuff made from real metal, were actually quite decent and so long as they were worked on right, will still be oK today? So long as you aren't some 400w beast.

I had a Puch with cottered cranks that was my commute/winter bike for many years and the only issue I had with the cranks was when the swaged on chainring started coming loose.

I think I avoided taking the copters out as much as possible and somehow managed to disable the bb cups enough to squish some fresh grease into the bearings with the cranks still on the spindle.

I must have taken them off when I had the frame powder coated though.

Aiui it’s the cotter pins that are the issue now, they’re all the same shape/size and made of shite metal. Bitd there was a range of sizes and they were more solidly made so didn’t tend to work loose.

Stupid lifeline headset tool. Any ideas for how to non-destructively remove this cup from the tool please?

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Put it in the freezer?

👍 Freezing. I put it in a vice and whacked the join with a chisel, no separation at all.

Update- freezer didn’t seem to help, eventually slowly chiselled it out. No damage to inside of the cups so I presume they’re slightly ovalised with use.

Anyone know what FSA Gossamer 326 seals/spacers are supposed to look like? ie. exploded diagram of them or something?

It looks like one of the seals has failed on the grrl's Sequoia but I can't be sure because I've never taken them off. There's a small amount of play in the BB too so I wonder if I could cater for that with an extra plastic spacer or wavy spacer or if it's just a case of finding a new BB at some stage?

wow...so you pressed the tool into the headset cup 😂

While I'm on the topic of cranks, could I put a Power2Max Gravel crank in a GXP BB that my Quarq DZero Exogram cranks use?

Nah, I think they're 24mm and the GXP stuff is like 22mm on one side, right?

the GXP stuff is like 22mm on one side, right?

Yes. 24/24 is Shimano Hollowtrch II and others, won't work with a 24/22 GXP BB. And I think the Power2Max cranks are 24/24.

Nah, I think they're 24mm and the GXP stuff is like 22mm on one side, right?

Right

Yeah, thought so (amazing what you know after a web search). I guess I could swap the BB as well but who can be arsed with all that? It would be 4T lower front ring.

amazing what you know after a web search

should get this on a t-shirt

I do still like the question drop and run thing. The forum is basically my todo list of bike maintenance.

Currently stripping and waxing our chains, hence the "ooh this BB has got some lateral movement" considerations. £100 says I put the waxed chains back on and forget about the BBs for at least another 6 months.

Does anybody have the Cyclus HT reamer/facer and can measure the diameter of the threaded section?