Knackered Bottom Bracket

Hi Everyone,

Had a quick search to see if anyone has come up with the answer to this before but couldn't find anything.

Basically I bought a Basso Columbus MS Steel frame off ebay a few months back, Gone to fit the BB today and the threads are f**ked I can wiggle the cup back out of the bb shell without undoing the threads, I rang my local bike shop and they said I would need a frame builder.

So I rang Bob Jackson, who told me they would have to replace the whole BB £135 quid, and obviously a respray £75 for a basic one colour enamle(would prob go with powder coat instead though to help keep cost down).

As I don't fancy getting rapped by big bob I thought I would turn to you lot for help. Plus I had a frame re-conditioned there last year and wasn't that impressed, the quality wasn't all that considering what they charge.

Does anyone know if I have any other alternatives to having the shell replaced???, because at the minute the skip is looking very appealing. I hear that there is a method of recoating a thread to build it up again so it can then be re-threaded, and make it good again, but I don't know if that is just urban myth or fact.

Anyone know if that is true?? Anything else I could do to fit it???

Anyone reckopn owt to this gear??

http://jbweld.net/products/jbweld.php

ermmmm i don't understand what you mean. " I can wiggle the cup back out of the bb shell without undoing the threads". if you mean, the bb cups will go into the frame without screwing them in, it sounds like you have an italian or french threaded bb shell, and are trying to thread in an ISO/british bb.

It being an Italian frame makes this extra-likely.

http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product.asp?pf_id=16505&src=froogle

It being an Italian frame makes this extra-likely.

mmm, and i think it would be very unlikely for threads to exist yet not engage at all.

unless some idiot tried to unscrew the bb the wrong way and stripped all the threads, but this is also unlikely, and there would be no thread/a mangled mess visible.

It is an italian bb shell and I bought a miche primato italian bottom bracket, The threads aren't sharp enough to hold the bottom bracket, well so I have been told!

hmm, what do you mean "so you have been told"? might be possible to re tap the threads

Its just on the non drive side, the threads look fine, when I took it into the bike shop he said they had been worn away of something.

Cheers Pifko I will have a look at those! ever used them??

you could use a threadless BB
or
get a frame builder to braze in a new sleeve into the BB shell and then re thread it.
or
use helicoil which just replaces the thread itself which IMO isn't that good, but can work if treated carefully.

thanks Dylan,

Well after speaking with bob jacksons today, I'm gonna give anything frame builder related a swerve!

That hellicoil stuff sounds similar to the stuff I posted above jb weld, says it's sets as hard as steel and can be used to fix nut and bolt treads. Just re-tap the bb after it's set!

Might be with a try as might the threadless bb, do you know if they would work with miche primato cranks? As in length, shortest one I can find is 110mm but miche bb's are 107mm would it make much difference?

miche is ISO taper, as is Campy, take a look here http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbtaper.html

shimano is JIS ..

so if the BB is JIS the cranks will sit further out

If you install an ISO crank on a J.I.S. spindle, it will sit about 4.5 mm farther out than it would on an ISO spindle of the same length

you'll have to just see which one, by experimenting gives you the desired 42mm (i assume it's 42mm) chainline. that means you'll have to measure it too.

track down a threadless bottom bracket! and replace the shell when you fancy a re-spray ? cheapest option for now in my opinion!

:)

You could try the Italian to English thread converters from Ceeway at the bottom of this page:
http://www.framebuilding.com/Sundry-Components.htm

You could try the Italian to English thread converters from Ceeway at the bottom of this page:
http://www.framebuilding.com/Sundry-Components.htm

Yes you could but you still have to braze these in, probably just as easy and cheap to have a new shell brazed in if it comes down to this option.

:)

A new BB Shell is in the region of 200 quid as also requires a respray! the frame isn't worth that anyway!

I called SJS today the threadless BB is a non starter because my frame has an italian BB and they don't make threadless to fit italian bottom brackets!

Anyone ever sent a frame to Argos racing bikes in Bristol for repairs? I hear they can ream out the BB shell and fit a sleave, which can then be re-threaded, just wondered if anyone had, had any experience of dealing with them.

Failing that try and fill up the bb with weld or something have it bored again and then re-threaded.

Option 3 - through it in the skip and buy another and hope the dirty fucker who sold me the frame steps out in front of a bus without looking!

Vaz blowtorched out mine for £5.

It's get a frame builder or someone with brazing kit and the ceeway kit listed above or through out I'm afraid. Through it this way though as I'll have ago at fixing it one day and if I fail it will not matter.

A new bottom bracket shell is 4 tubes quite a big job, think Vaz will do it for £80 plus basic respray £60 but maybe he could rethread it instead you need to let him see it.

Argos prices = ha ha ha.

Vaz blowtorched out mine for £5.

what did he do when he blow torched it??

I heard you can get like an insert instead of a whole new bb, thats what I am going to ask argos about....we'll see!

in the mean time i will check out the classifieds i think!

My ron cooper BB was 30 years old and 'welded' in over time, I tried to drill it out and just made a big mess, his bro torched it out easily enough. Did not need a rethread. Argos would prolly charge £50 for that!

Mario bro work for Roberts, he's the don. Just take the frame darn Sarf to Hither Green next to the station.

serious hither green, thats round the corner from my girlfriends!! whats the shop/place called? Whats Mario's bro called? Luigi?? hahah

foumd this on velosolo dont know if it will help?
www.velosolo.co.uk/shopchain.html

it called YST Threadless Bottom Bracket for Damaged Frames

foumd this on velosolo dont know if it will help?
www.velosolo.co.uk/shopchain.html

it called YST Threadless Bottom Bracket for Damaged Frames

if you read what his problem was and what frame he has you might understand it is italian :) and that YST is english?