Bottom bracket corrosion: can this bike be saved?

  • Thread starter Alexandre Kampouris
  • Start date



A

Alexandre Kampouris

Guest
Dear all,

I've had problems with the bottom bracket of my 2001-vintage touring
bike for the last couple of years. I'm already considering acquiring a
new bike, but I wonder whether the old one is absolutely beyond repair.

Here are some pictures:
http://radio-bip.qc.ca/Palier/photos.html

The original Shimano cartridge-type bearing assembly began to wobble
about two years ago (pictures 13 and 14). This initial trouble was
caused by the ball bearing itself.

I thought it would be a simple matter to replace the faulty part, but I
was wrong.

I purchased a replacement cartridge (not cheap, if I remember well), and
the corresponding crank extractor (pictures 2 and 3), and attempted to
remove the crank.

After screwing the tool into the crank (pictures 4-6), I carefully
started rotating the wrench in order to pull the crank, but to my horror
I realized that I was actually very carefully stripping out the thread.
(I think it was more a design flaw than an error of mine).

I tried in vain to extract the crank using other means, so ended up
bringing the bike to the shop. The part was replaced, but the mechanic
told me he cussed a bit during that job.

The old bearing showed signs of aluminium [a.k.a. aluminum] corrosion
[pictures 8-13], see the pitting on the ring, in addition to the rust
desposits from the frame on the threads, or what seem to be left of
them. I remembered at that point my engineering school lectures and the
stern warning putting dissimilar metals into contact. But, hey, if there
are millions of bikes like that out there, why should I worry?

I had no complaints about the replacement bearing until it conked out
around Christmas 2007. The threaded fastening cup on the replacement
Shimano part [which played the same role as the one on picture 9] was
made of plastic, and now that I thought of it, the mechanic hadn't
screwed it in entirely, probably because the rust prevented him. Now the
bearing assembly was resting on only one side, and there was a huge
amount of play.

This time I was decide to do it myself. I tried to remove the crank, but
the thread was still gone from the time before, and no amount of
cajoling or violence could get the crank unstuck (pictures 15-16). I
tried heat and WD-40, too.

I bought a replacement Shimano crank assembly of a different design for
about 55 EUR, including which seemed of a better design (see pixes
17-25), and included cranks and sprockets.

Here's an exploded view:
http://radio-bip.qc.ca/Palier/EP1342656.pdf

Since I had a replacement for everything, I felt I could let loose my
butcher instincts, and hack away at all that junk which had made a
pedestrian of me for some weeks (pictures 29-38).

With the old bearing assembly out of the way, I was finally able to
inspect the damage (pixes 39-41). I had never before disassembled a
bottom bracket, so I wasn't sure whether this amount of rust was normal.

Ah yes, the pictures also explained why the lighting system shorted out
a few weeks before the trouble with the bearing reoccurred. I had
attached a new wire on the frame's surface with tie-wraps a few weeks
earlier.

After cleaning the socket with a wire brush (#47) and applying some
rust-remover, I was able to see that many threads were entirely gone
(pixes 50-51), and the ones which remained were not in very good shape.

I installed the new assembly (discovering that there was a prescribed
torque for the screws and cup). The cup on the drive side had very
little thread to catch, so I put two of the three O-rings on the left
side. The third one was not necessary for the socket width.

The result can be seen on pictures 52-54.

Alas, the repair held only a few weeks. The right cup fell out of its
thread, but is still held in by the crank, so the bike can be ridden
[pictures 62-63]. So I'm back to wobbly cranks and front sprockets
perpetually stuck at the middle setting.

So what can I do now? Is the thing ruined forever? Is the bike
dangerous? I can ride around the neighbourhood on that thing, but not
much more. It's a shame, as I think I maintained this bike generally
correctly. (Some tell me my problem stemmed from a manufacturing error,
as the socket should have been drowned in grease. Others tell me I
should have regularly greased the saddle tube to prevent water from
seeping in, an idea which I found rather curious in earlier days).

Another mechanic suggested I drown the thing in two-component epoxy glue
formulated for metals - that would last me for the remainder of the
bike's useful life. I found a product in the Uhu catalog, but no
retailer seems to carry it. I found a putty of the brand "Pattex", but
the load would quite probably exceed its specified limit, and there is
the problem of properly filling the gap between the cup and the socket
with something of the consistency of, well, putty.

Any ideas? Is there a way to save this bike. BTW, I'm a big, heavy, and
strong guy.

Thanks,

Alexandre
ps: sorry for the saga-like explanation, I could have started with the
current situation, but I thought that the full story would better convey
my current, frustrated, state of mind.
 
On Apr 27, 10:56 am, Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
> Another mechanic suggested I drown the thing in two-component epoxy glue
> formulated for metals - that would last me for the remainder of the
> bike's useful life. I found a product in the Uhu catalog, but no
> retailer seems to carry it. I found a putty of the brand "Pattex", but
> the load would quite probably exceed its specified limit, and there is
> the problem of properly filling the gap between the cup and the socket
> with something of the consistency of, well, putty.
>
> Any ideas? Is there a way to save this bike. BTW, I'm a big, heavy, and
> strong guy.


In the States that epoxy comes branded as JB Weld, and it's fun stuff.
Glue your cat to your dog to your Mercedes--but I don't know if I'd
trust it to keep a bottom bracket in place on an extended tour. It's
cheap enough to experiment with if the frame is otherwise shot.

If it were mine, and I was on a budget, I'd swap all the parts onto a
commodity frame like something you can get at Nashbar on sale right
now at $175 USD--an aluminum frame, which might be a plus as it looks
like you're in a maritime environment.
 
On Apr 27, 9:55 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Apr 27, 10:56 am, Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Another mechanic suggested I drown the thing in two-component epoxy glue
> > formulated for metals - that would last me for the remainder of the
> > bike's useful life. I found a product in the Uhu catalog, but no
> > retailer seems to carry it. I found a putty of the brand "Pattex", but
> > the load would quite probably exceed its specified limit, and there is
> > the problem of properly filling the gap between the cup and the socket
> > with something of the consistency of, well, putty.

>
> > Any ideas? Is there a way to save this bike. BTW, I'm a big, heavy, and
> > strong guy.

>
> In the States that epoxy comes branded as JB Weld, and it's fun stuff.
> Glue your cat to your dog to your Mercedes--but I don't know if I'd
> trust it to keep a bottom bracket in place on an extended tour. It's
> cheap enough to experiment with if the frame is otherwise shot.


Does JB Weld really work with cats? I have had a hard time finding
anything that really works well with gluing cats to my car. I am also
considering gluing some squirrels to my forks as a warning to others.

> If it were mine, and I was on a budget, I'd swap all the parts onto a
> commodity frame like something you can get at Nashbar on sale right
> now at $175 USD--an aluminum frame, which might be a plus as it looks
> like you're in a maritime environment.


It looks like he went scuba diving with the the bike. The options are
adding some brass to the BB and re-cutting the threads or using some
gunk like JB Weld or that void-filling LocTite. The first option will
ruin that fine paint job, I suppose there is a third option -- a
threadless BB -- but that would mean buying a new crank. BTW, I would
also check the steerer just to make sure that thing is not rusted
through.. -- Jay Beattie.
 
On Apr 27, 12:43 pm, Jay Beattie <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Apr 27, 9:55 am, landotter <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Apr 27, 10:56 am, Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]>
> > wrote:

>
> > > Another mechanic suggested I drown the thing in two-component epoxy glue
> > > formulated for metals - that would last me for the remainder of the
> > > bike's useful life. I found a product in the Uhu catalog, but no
> > > retailer seems to carry it. I found a putty of the brand "Pattex", but
> > > the load would quite probably exceed its specified limit, and there is
> > > the problem of properly filling the gap between the cup and the socket
> > > with something of the consistency of, well, putty.

>
> > > Any ideas? Is there a way to save this bike. BTW, I'm a big, heavy, and
> > > strong guy.

>
> > In the States that epoxy comes branded as JB Weld, and it's fun stuff.
> > Glue your cat to your dog to your Mercedes--but I don't know if I'd
> > trust it to keep a bottom bracket in place on an extended tour. It's
> > cheap enough to experiment with if the frame is otherwise shot.

>
> Does JB Weld really work with cats? I have had a hard time finding
> anything that really works well with gluing cats to my car.


Absolutely! Just make sure to get JB Weld Feline, it's strawberry
flavored, so cats won't lick it off while it sets up, but your
rambunctious four year old will--give new meaning to "it's gonna stay
like that" when they suck their thumb!
 
Jay Beattie wrote:

> I am also
> considering gluing some squirrels to my forks as a warning to others.


To other what? Squirrels, bikers or bike thieves?

>> If it were mine, and I was on a budget, I'd swap all the parts onto a
>> commodity frame like something you can get at Nashbar on sale right
>> now at $175 USD--an aluminum frame, which might be a plus as it looks
>> like you're in a maritime environment.


Aluminium is out of the question for me.

I considered getting a new frame from the manufacturer, but I'd be
without a bike for some weeks.

I might just as well buy a new bicycle from another manufacturer, with
comparable fittings (I have a candidate in sight), and use the old one
as an organ donor, I know that I'd be able to reuse about everything but
the squeal.

If I do this, it would prevent the selection of options of hydraulic
brakes in place of V-brakes. My other worry is whether I'd be able to
find spare parts if I were to bring it back to North America, and from
my last visit to bike stores in Montréal, I guess I'd better keep to
(almost) plain vanilla stuff.

I have a choice of either LX or XT gearings, I'm not sure what the
difference is, besides that one is dearer than the other.

> It looks like he went scuba diving with the the bike.


I think not! It did see a couple of times the Baltic and North seas, but
only seen. The thing spent most of its life tied outdoors in Berlin,
Germany. I *may* have ridden it once or twice on icy days where some
salt was strewn on the streets.

> The options are
> adding some brass to the BB and re-cutting the threads


Using a welder? Sounds like a big job.

> or using some
> gunk like JB Weld or that void-filling LocTite. The first option will
> ruin that fine paint job, I suppose there is a third option -- a
> threadless BB -- but that would mean buying a new crank. BTW, I would
> also check the steerer just to make sure that thing is not rusted
> through.. -- Jay Beattie.
>


Thanks, from your reaction I understand that this corrosion is unusual.
I got the steerer fixed a while back, the locking nut had a broken
thread, but I don't remember seeing any rust in there.

Can you suggest any model of threadless crank? I thought that bearing
cartridges had displaced all other kinds on the market.

Regards,

Alexandre
 
On Apr 27, 1:09 pm, Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]> wrote:
> Jay Beattie wrote:
> > I am also
> > considering gluing some squirrels to my forks as a warning to others.

>
> To other what? Squirrels, bikers or bike thieves?
>
> >> If it were mine, and I was on a budget, I'd swap all the parts onto a
> >> commodity frame like something you can get at Nashbar on sale right
> >> now at $175 USD--an aluminum frame, which might be a plus as it looks
> >> like you're in a maritime environment.

>
> Aluminium is out of the question for me.
>
> I considered getting a new frame from the manufacturer, but I'd be
> without a bike for some weeks.
>
> I might just as well buy a new bicycle from another manufacturer, with
> comparable fittings (I have a candidate in sight), and use the old one
> as an organ donor, I know that I'd be able to reuse about everything but
> the squeal.
>
> If I do this, it would prevent the selection of options of hydraulic
> brakes in place of V-brakes. My other worry is whether I'd be able to
> find spare parts if I were to bring it back to North America, and from
> my last visit to bike stores in Montréal, I guess I'd better keep to
> (almost) plain vanilla stuff.
>
> I have a choice of either LX or XT gearings, I'm not sure what the
> difference is, besides that one is dearer than the other.
>
> > It looks like he went scuba diving with the the bike.

>
> I think not! It did see a couple of times the Baltic and North seas, but
> only seen. The thing spent most of its life tied outdoors in Berlin,
> Germany. I *may* have ridden it once or twice on icy days where some
> salt was strewn on the streets.
>
> > The options are
> > adding some brass to the BB and re-cutting the threads

>
> Using a welder? Sounds like a big job.
>
> > or using some
> > gunk like JB Weld or that void-filling LocTite. The first option will
> > ruin that fine paint job, I suppose there is a third option -- a
> > threadless BB -- but that would mean buying a new crank. BTW, I would
> > also check the steerer just to make sure that thing is not rusted
> > through.. -- Jay Beattie.

>
> Thanks, from your reaction I understand that this corrosion is unusual.
> I got the steerer fixed a while back, the locking nut had a broken
> thread, but I don't remember seeing any rust in there.
>
> Can you suggest any model of threadless crank? I thought that bearing
> cartridges had displaced all other kinds on the market.
>

Somebody suggested this threadless bottom bracket in an article a
while back
http://gaerlan.com/bikeparts/parts/crank/crank.html
Look for the "YST" model.

I don't know if the dimensions are right, and it would require the
purchase of a new square taper crank, but worth a look if you're
attached to this frame.
 
landotter wrote:

> Absolutely! Just make sure to get JB Weld Feline, it's strawberry
> flavored, so cats won't lick it off while it sets up, but your
> rambunctious four year old will--give new meaning to "it's gonna stay
> like that" when they suck their thumb!


I just found out the standard sort is available here in Germany:

http://www.jbweld.de/

However, the feline variety was strictly verboten by Sondererlass of the
Bundestierschutzbehörde . Ach so!

I did set foot a few weeks back in an *car*-accessories outlet to
purchase a torque wrench so that I could tighten that crank assembly
according to the instructions. I may have to face the antechrist again
to get that stuff. Oh, I see they also do mail order - as long as they
ship in an anonymous kraft paper envelope...

Alexandre
 
On Apr 27, 1:23 pm, Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]> wrote:
> landotter wrote:
> > Absolutely! Just make sure to get JB Weld Feline, it's strawberry
> > flavored, so cats won't lick it off while it sets up, but your
> > rambunctious four year old will--give new meaning to "it's gonna stay
> > like that" when they suck their thumb!

>
> I just found out the standard sort is available here in Germany:
>
> http://www.jbweld.de/
>
> However, the feline variety was strictly verboten by Sondererlass of the
> Bundestierschutzbehörde . Ach so!


Damn bureaucrats! In Sweden the kitty mad old ladies at the
Kathudssäkerhetsinstitut got vocal about it as well. They're down to
attaching cats to Volvos with paste made from rye flour. So much for
their "quality of life".
 
In article <[email protected]>,
Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]> wrote:

> landotter wrote:
>
> > Absolutely! Just make sure to get JB Weld Feline, it's strawberry
> > flavored, so cats won't lick it off while it sets up, but your
> > rambunctious four year old will--give new meaning to "it's gonna stay
> > like that" when they suck their thumb!

>
> I just found out the standard sort is available here in Germany:
>
> http://www.jbweld.de/


Strongest adhesive in the USA (?)

> However, the feline variety was strictly verboten by Sondererlass of the
> Bundestierschutzbehörde . Ach so!
>
> I did set foot a few weeks back in an *car*-accessories outlet to
> purchase a torque wrench so that I could tighten that crank assembly
> according to the instructions. I may have to face the antechrist again
> to get that stuff. Oh, I see they also do mail order - as long as they
> ship in an anonymous kraft paper envelope...


Let us know if the packaging in Germany has
testimonials printed on it.

--
Michael Press


Better than baling wire.
 
Michael Press wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>,
> Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> landotter wrote:
>>
>>> Absolutely! Just make sure to get JB Weld Feline, it's strawberry
>>> flavored, so cats won't lick it off while it sets up, but your
>>> rambunctious four year old will--give new meaning to "it's gonna stay
>>> like that" when they suck their thumb!

>> I just found out the standard sort is available here in Germany:
>>
>> http://www.jbweld.de/

>
> Strongest adhesive in the USA (?)


"Der wahrscheinlich stärkste Kleber der Welt".

"Probably the strongest glue in the world".


>> However, the feline variety was strictly verboten by Sondererlass of the
>> Bundestierschutzbehörde . Ach so!
>>
>> I did set foot a few weeks back in an *car*-accessories outlet to
>> purchase a torque wrench so that I could tighten that crank assembly
>> according to the instructions. I may have to face the antechrist again
>> to get that stuff. Oh, I see they also do mail order - as long as they
>> ship in an anonymous kraft paper envelope...

>
> Let us know if the packaging in Germany has
> testimonials printed on it.
>


I don't think so. This is what I ordered:
http://www.das-angebot-der-woche.de/jbweld/frame/01/04.htm

They have a picture of the back side:
http://www.das-angebot-der-woche.de/jbweld/imag/adhesiveweldback_gross.jpg

Since all the instructions are printed on the outer surface, and I don't
see any room inside for anything but the tubes of glue, I guess they
don't have them. The Germans would very much rather prefer endorsements
of the "Stiftung Warentest", something like "Consumer Report".

Alexandre
 
Don't see much point in buggering around with complicated solutions.
If the frame can be saved, a cheap YST threadless bottom bracket will
do it.. If it can't be saved, helicoils and welding and corrosive
substances on your hands and whatnot will just waste money. Only thing
is, you'll have to get a square taper crankset, as this is the only
way the YST comes, so it isn't as cheap a solution as it seems.

See
http://www.billys.co.uk/english/group.php?prod=bbidt8

HTH.

Andre Jute
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/BICYCLE & CYCLING.html


On Apr 27, 4:56 pm, Alexandre Kampouris <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> I've had problems with the bottom bracket of my 2001-vintage touring
> bike for the last couple of years. I'm already considering acquiring a
> new bike, but I wonder whether the old one is absolutely beyond repair.
>
> Here are some pictures:http://radio-bip.qc.ca/Palier/photos.html
>
> The original Shimano cartridge-type bearing assembly began to wobble
> about two years ago (pictures 13 and 14). This initial trouble was
> caused by the ball bearing itself.
>
> I thought it would be a simple matter to replace the faulty part, but I
> was wrong.
>
> I purchased a replacement cartridge (not cheap, if I remember well), and
> the corresponding crank extractor (pictures 2 and 3), and attempted to
> remove the crank.
>
> After screwing the tool into the crank (pictures 4-6), I carefully
> started rotating the wrench in order to pull the crank, but to my horror
> I realized that I was actually very carefully stripping out the thread.
> (I think it was more a design flaw than an error of mine).
>
> I tried in vain to extract the crank using other means, so ended up
> bringing the bike to the shop. The part was replaced, but the mechanic
> told me he cussed a bit during that job.
>
> The old bearing showed signs of aluminium [a.k.a. aluminum] corrosion
> [pictures 8-13], see the pitting on the ring, in addition to the rust
> desposits from the frame on the threads, or what seem to be left of
> them. I remembered at that point my engineering school lectures and the
> stern warning putting dissimilar metals into contact. But, hey, if there
> are millions of bikes like that out there, why should I worry?
>
> I had no complaints about the replacement bearing until it conked out
> around Christmas 2007. The threaded fastening cup on the replacement
> Shimano part [which played the same role as the one on picture 9] was
> made of plastic, and now that I thought of it, the mechanic hadn't
> screwed it in entirely, probably because the rust prevented him. Now the
> bearing assembly was resting on only one side, and there was a huge
> amount of play.
>
> This time I was decide to do it myself. I tried to remove the crank, but
> the thread was still gone from the time before, and no amount of
> cajoling or violence could get the crank unstuck (pictures 15-16). I
> tried heat and WD-40, too.
>
> I bought a replacement Shimano crank assembly of a different design for
> about 55 EUR, including which seemed of a better design (see pixes
> 17-25), and included cranks and sprockets.
>
> Here's an exploded view:http://radio-bip.qc.ca/Palier/EP1342656.pdf
>
> Since I had a replacement for everything, I felt I could let loose my
> butcher instincts, and hack away at all that junk which had made a
> pedestrian of me for some weeks (pictures 29-38).
>
> With the old bearing assembly out of the way, I was finally able to
> inspect the damage (pixes 39-41). I had never before disassembled a
> bottom bracket, so I wasn't sure whether this amount of rust was normal.
>
> Ah yes, the pictures also explained why the lighting system shorted out
> a few weeks before the trouble with the bearing reoccurred. I had
> attached a new wire on the frame's surface with tie-wraps a few weeks
> earlier.
>
> After cleaning the socket with a wire brush (#47) and applying some
> rust-remover, I was able to see that many threads were entirely gone
> (pixes 50-51), and the ones which remained were not in very good shape.
>
> I installed the new assembly (discovering that there was a prescribed
> torque for the screws and cup). The cup on the drive side had very
> little thread to catch, so I put two of the three O-rings on the left
> side. The third one was not necessary for the socket width.
>
> The result can be seen on pictures 52-54.
>
> Alas, the repair held only a few weeks. The right cup fell out of its
> thread, but is still held in by the crank, so the bike can be ridden
> [pictures 62-63]. So I'm back to wobbly cranks and front sprockets
> perpetually stuck at the middle setting.
>
> So what can I do now? Is the thing ruined forever? Is the bike
> dangerous? I can ride around the neighbourhood on that thing, but not
> much more. It's a shame, as I think I maintained this bike generally
> correctly. (Some tell me my problem stemmed from a manufacturing error,
> as the socket should have been drowned in grease. Others tell me I
> should have regularly greased the saddle tube to prevent water from
> seeping in, an idea which I found rather curious in earlier days).
>
> Another mechanic suggested I drown the thing in two-component epoxy glue
> formulated for metals - that would last me for the remainder of the
> bike's useful life. I found a product in the Uhu catalog, but no
> retailer seems to carry it. I found a putty of the brand "Pattex", but
> the load would quite probably exceed its specified limit, and there is
> the problem of properly filling the gap between the cup and the socket
> with something of the consistency of, well, putty.
>
> Any ideas? Is there a way to save this bike. BTW, I'm a big, heavy, and
> strong guy.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Alexandre
> ps: sorry for the saga-like explanation, I could have started with the
> current situation, but I thought that the full story would better convey
> my current, frustrated, state of mind.
 
Andre Jute wrote:
> Don't see much point in buggering around with complicated solutions.
> If the frame can be saved, a cheap YST threadless bottom bracket will
> do it.. If it can't be saved, helicoils and welding and corrosive
> substances on your hands and whatnot will just waste money. Only thing
> is, you'll have to get a square taper crankset, as this is the only
> way the YST comes, so it isn't as cheap a solution as it seems.


I've sunk already a bit of money in fixing this thing. But sunk costs
shouldn't be taken into account, as accountants point out...

OK, Britain is already closer to Berlin than the USA. Now that I come to
think of it, I have a pair of good Shimano square-tapered cranks and
sprockets which I saved from an earlier bike. They were replacing the
original set that broke right in the middle and landed me in hospital in
the Netherlands, luckily only for X-Rays. (I finally replaced the bike
when a shop adamantly refused to repair it, showing me its crooked
frame. Ah, yes, that must have been that collision a long time ago
against the car with the suddenly opened door. I won, albeit with some
scratches).

If I could find a good threadless bracket locally, that would be a very
good solution. I can still save the super-glue for something else, like
fixing broken cranks. The newly installed cranks I could also save for
my next bike...

I see that this problem was already discussed on German-language forums:
http://www.mtb-news.de/forum/archive/index.php/t-67015.html

Here's already one German source for the bracket:
http://www.produkte24.com/cy/bruege...6/radwelt-2006-2007-5356/seite-373-gross.html

I couldn't find anything at Brügelmann's, despite the endorsements in
some of the sites I've seen.

Thanks,

Alexandre
 
I'd suggest two things :

(a) Get someone to coach you removal of a bottom bracket. You're
batting 0/2, as far as I can tell.

(b) Get rid of that shimano proprietary **** that is ruining you
financially and buy a time-tested (50 years) square taper sugino
crankset, for this you can use a threadless bottom bracket, i.e. :

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...Cartridge/Taper-Spindle&item_id=YS-BB98868110

And you won't need functional threads to install, maintain, and remove
this bottom bracket.

If you really want to finish off your frameset, go ahead and use pipe
tape, JB weld, or some other temporary bandaid. All you'll learn is
how to ruin a perfectly good frameset, once and for all.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA
 
"Donald Gillies" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'd suggest two things :
>
> (a) Get someone to coach you removal of a bottom bracket. You're
> batting 0/2, as far as I can tell.
>
> (b) Get rid of that shimano proprietary **** that is ruining you
> financially and buy a time-tested (50 years) square taper sugino
> crankset, for this you can use a threadless bottom bracket, i.e. :
>
>

http://www.biketoolsetc.com/index.c...Cartridge/Taper-Spindle&item_id=YS-BB98868110
>
> And you won't need functional threads to install, maintain, and remove
> this bottom bracket.
>
> If you really want to finish off your frameset, go ahead and use pipe
> tape, JB weld, or some other temporary bandaid. All you'll learn is
> how to ruin a perfectly good frameset, once and for all.
>
> - Don Gillies
> San Diego, CA


One more point, stop riding in the surf! ;-)

As corroded as that bottom bracket looks, I'd suspect that the seat tube,
down tube and chainstays are just about rusted through too.

Chas.
 
On Apr 28, 12:42 pm, "* * Chas" <[email protected]> wrote:

> One more point, stop riding in the surf! ;-)
>
> As corroded as that bottom bracket looks, I'd suspect that the seat tube,
> down tube and chainstays are just about rusted through too.
>


That's sorta why I was only half joking about the JB Weld. Install the
BB and build up a good 1/2 cm of epoxy all around the BB so it looks
like an alien hornet's nest--probably good for another two years! If
it fails, chip it off and go for Donald's oh-so-practical solution.