Campy Tapered Sealed BB Bearing Question

[litespeedguy]

The bearing , Chorus has been in there a few years now - recently while in the saddle & going up slight incline on small CR and maybe a couple down from the large on the rear cluster I get a sound that sounds like grinding coffee slowly with a manual grinder - it's not a metallic grinding sound & that's the best I can do describing it .

Could that be the type of sound you'd get when the bearing is wearing out - BTW the cranks are tight both sides and it's not chain rub and the sound seems to be coming from the BB area .

Thanks in advance to those who respond .

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by litespeedguy
The bearing , Chorus has been in there a few years now - recently while in the saddle & going up slight incline on small CR and maybe a couple down from the large on the rear cluster I get a sound that sounds like grinding coffee slowly with a manual grinder - it's not a metallic grinding sound & that's the best I can do describing it .

Could that be the type of sound you'd get when the bearing is wearing out - BTW the cranks are tight both sides and it's not chain rub and the sound seems to be coming from the BB area .

Maybe ...

Maybe not.

FWIW. Presuming that it isn't simply a matter of the chain simply rubbing against the front derailleur's cage ...

OR, some other issue with the chain & pulley wheels ...

Some grit could have worked its way into your BB ..

• It IS possible to fracture a Ball Bearing ...

• regardless, Campagnolo Record & Chorus 102mm BBs are serviceable ...
• the BB can be disassembled & the bearings can be flushed & repacked ... the inner side of the cartridges are OPEN (not sealed) there are two driveside cartridge bearings, so ...
• access does requires disassembly

[*]of course, the bearing cartridges can be replaced ​

• of course, THAT is problematic with regard to availability and, price
• vs. buying a replacement

• if you are motivated, you CAN replace the Balls in their respective cartridges
• you can probably replace the asymmetric bearings with OTHER bearings & OTHER cups

• you CAN try dripping a few drops of 3-in-1 weight oil along the spindle OR even to spray some WD-40 or Silicon Spray Lubricant & into the BB shell through the "tool opening" to see if that will flush the grit without disassembling BUT the odds of any oil weeping past the seal are low ...

TOKEN & OMNI make replacement BBs which have symmetric, 102mm ISO spindles.

• some people have been unhappy with the longevity of their Token BBs I don't know how good-or-bad Omni BBs are

[*]Phil Wood probably has a 102mm ISO BB
[*]you CAN use a symmetric Shimano square taper BB if you don't mind a wider Q-Factor.

 

[litespeedguy]

thanks for the response Alfeng - might be a good first step to strip things down and look at the bearing - the shell could probably use a cleaning out as well .