Crank removal (failed) but original problem cured?



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Nigel Cook

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I looked at faq just in case before enquiring here Horrible random clunking noises from the bottom
bracket of my old Raleigh Medale (old enough for metal mud guards). Bought replacement race and
housing to replace . But first to remove the cranks. Nut retainers removed easily enough on on both
sides (both Right-Hand threads but not sure initially). The Aluminium cranks are well seized on the
square ends of the spindle. Heavy duty 2 prong puller failed to shift either and hammering from
opposite sides likewise no shift. Before trying puller and hammering decided to replace nuts loose
and cycle around to see if the cranks would loosen by use. Now no noise at all from the bottom
bracket. I assume a bit of rust or grit in the race cage got shifted with me hammering. Any ideas
for the future when I do have to replace the bottom bracket bearings - how to remove these damn
cranks ,perhaps a hot air gun heating the steel / aluminium seizure.?

some local alternative street culture on http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/graff.htm

Nigel,Southampton em [email protected] (remove 5 dots)

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Nigel Cook <[email protected]> wrote:
> I looked at faq just in case before enquiring here Horrible random clunking noises from the bottom
> bracket of my old Raleigh Medale (old enough for metal mud guards). Bought replacement race and
> housing to replace . But first to remove the cranks. Nut retainers removed easily enough on on
> both sides (both Right-Hand threads but not sure initially). The Aluminium cranks are well seized
> on the square ends of the spindle. Heavy duty 2 prong puller failed to shift either and hammering
> from opposite sides likewise no shift. Before trying puller and hammering decided to replace nuts
> loose and cycle around to see if the cranks would loosen by use. Now no noise at all from the
> bottom bracket. I assume a bit of rust or grit in the race cage got shifted with me hammering. Any
> ideas for the future when I do have to replace the bottom bracket bearings - how to remove these
> damn cranks ,perhaps a hot air gun heating the steel / aluminium seizure.?
>

I would try riding it round a bit more with the bolts loose - it usually works eventually. Otherwise
the next stages of brute force are to seal off the bolt threads, put the bike on its side and pour
some ammonia into the well of the crank hole. This will over time seep in and dissolve any aluminium
oxide corrosion sticking the crank to the axle. If that fails then its out with the blow torch and
heat the crank to sizzly hot. If you do it with the crank puller installed you can then try and
remove it hot. Aluminium expands at twice the rate of steel so should expand off the axle. You may
want to wrap the bottom bracket shell in wet cloths to try to minimise heat damage to the paint.

Tony

http://www.raven-family.com

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" George
Bernard Shaw.
 
Nigel Cook wrote:
> Horrible random clunking noises from the bottom bracket of my old Raleigh Medale

I had one of those! ...Can't remember what happened to it. Hmmmm? :)

/snip
> Any ideas for the future when I do have to replace the bottom bracket bearings - how to remove
> these damn cranks ,perhaps a hot air gun heating the steel / aluminium seizure.?

Blow torch.

~PB
 
Nigel Cook wrote:

> Heavy duty 2 prong puller failed to shift either and hammering from opposite sides likewise
> no shift.

err... did you try a proper bicycle crank removal tool

< £10 from your LBS

--
Andy Morris

AndyAtJinkasDotFreeserve.Co.UK

Love this: Put an end to Outlook Express's messy quotes
http://home.in.tum.de/~jain/software/oe-quotefix/
 
On Sun, 12 Jan 2003 23:38:06 -0000, "AndyMorris" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> Heavy duty 2 prong puller failed to shift either and hammering from opposite sides likewise
>> no shift.
>
>err... did you try a proper bicycle crank removal tool
>
>< £10 from your LBS

I reckon that's gotta be worth a try too. MDyason will sell you one for £4.50 post free.

http://www.mwdyason.ltd.uk/shop.asp?no_category=23&text_company=BIKE%20HAND

It's a perfectly good little tool (although the spanner is ****, use your own).

Bob
--
Mail address is spam trapped To reply by email remove the beverage
 
Doing archived u.r.c research i had come across mention of this tool but will it remove seized on
ali on steel squared format spindle and crank?. I only found a picture not how it is used. Nigel

"Call me Bob" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> On Sun, 12 Jan 2003 23:38:06 -0000, "AndyMorris" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> Heavy duty 2 prong puller failed to shift either and hammering from opposite sides likewise no
> >> shift.
> >
> >err... did you try a proper bicycle crank removal tool
> >
> >< £10 from your LBS
>
> I reckon that's gotta be worth a try too. MDyason will sell you one for £4.50 post free.
>
>
http://www.mwdyason.ltd.uk/shop.asp?no_category=23&text_company=BIKE%20HAND
>
> It's a perfectly good little tool (although the spanner is ****, use your own).
>
>
> Bob
> --
> Mail address is spam trapped To reply by email remove the beverage
 
Nigel Cook wrote:
>
> Doing archived u.r.c research i had come across mention of this tool but will it remove seized on
> ali on steel squared format spindle and crank?.

I very much doubt it. "Seized" means seized. I had that situation once and my LBS said forget it -
the seizing is an electro-chemical reaction between the two different metals that is effectively a
weld. You might rescue the spindle (and chainset?) with a hammer & chisel on the crank, but I've
never tried that. I'm careful now always to grease any aluminium-to-steel contacts.

--
Patrick Herring http://www.dcs.shef.ac.uk/cgi-bin/makeperson?P.Herring
 
Nigel Cook wrote:
> Doing archived u.r.c research i had come across mention of this tool but will it remove seized on
> ali on steel squared format spindle and crank?.

It's a normal traditional-type crank puller that screws into the bottom bracket spindle to force the
crank off. Have you tried one of these on it yet?

Depends what you mean by seized. It will remove very tight cranks.

~PB
 
"Nigel Cook" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Doing archived u.r.c research i had come across mention of this tool but will it remove seized on
> ali on steel squared format spindle and crank?. I only found a picture not how it is used. Nigel
>

The crank removal tool is a standard piece of kit and consists of two parts.

One part screws into the actual crank. If you take off the dust cap (if present) on your crank you
will see that it is threaded on the inside. So the first step is to remove the crank nut/bolt and
screw the first (outer) part of the crank removal tool into the crank.

Tighten it up nice and tightly.

Then get the second (inner) part of the crank removal tool which fits down the first part of the
tool and screw it until you begin to feel resistance. What is happening here is that the second
part of the tool is exerting pressure on the bottom bracket spindle and trying to push it away from
the crank.

You need a good fitting quality open ended spanner for this bit (14 mm I think?). Keep tightening
the crank remover slowly, whilst periodically whacking the end of it with a hammer (this sudden
impact can break a sealing of aluminium oxide).

Eventually either the crank will drop off the spindle OR, sadly what may happen, is that the crank
has solidified on the spindle to such an extent that you will end up stripping the soft aluminium
threads on the crank and the tool will simply push itself out of the crank.

If this happens you will have to resort to hot air/brute force/ammonia methods.

Good luck.
 
I had a natter with the old boy in the local cycle shop. I could have bought a crank extractor for 8
squid but we both came to the conclusion that in my circumstances the internal thread on the crank
that otherwisr takes the "dust cap" is almost guaranteed to end up with stripped thread leaving just
"engineer's persuaders" Nigel

"RancidPants" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Nigel Cook" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Doing archived u.r.c research i had come across mention of this tool but will it remove
> > seized on ali on steel squared format spindle and crank?. I only found a picture not how it
> > is used. Nigel
> >
>
> The crank removal tool is a standard piece of kit and consists of two parts.
>
> One part screws into the actual crank. If you take off the dust cap (if present) on your crank you
> will see that it is threaded on the inside. So the first step is to remove the crank nut/bolt and
> screw the first (outer) part of the crank removal tool into the crank.
>
> Tighten it up nice and tightly.
>
> Then get the second (inner) part of the crank removal tool which fits down the first part of the
> tool and screw it until you begin to feel resistance. What is happening here is that the second
> part of the tool is exerting pressure on the bottom bracket spindle and trying to push it away
> from the crank.
>
> You need a good fitting quality open ended spanner for this bit (14 mm I think?). Keep tightening
> the crank remover slowly, whilst periodically whacking the end of it with a hammer (this sudden
> impact can break a sealing of aluminium oxide).
>
> Eventually either the crank will drop off the spindle OR, sadly what may happen, is that the crank
> has solidified on the spindle to such an extent that you will end up stripping the soft aluminium
> threads on the crank and the tool will simply push itself out of the crank.
>
> If this happens you will have to resort to hot air/brute force/ammonia methods.
>
> Good luck.
 
">
> I very much doubt it. "Seized" means seized. I had that situation once and my LBS said forget it -
> the seizing is an electro-chemical reaction
I made a similar request of the group last year and tried all reasonable methods, but the crank is
still on the axle where it will remain for ever. TJ
 
Yes i suspect the same here. The puller i tried up to a point where i thought i might start
stripping the steel thread on the tool was a professional beefy W. German thingy that looked as
though it could pull a prop off the QE2. Nigel "Terry J" <[email protected]> wrote in
message news:[email protected]...
>
> ">
> > I very much doubt it. "Seized" means seized. I had that situation once and my LBS said forget it
> > - the seizing is an electro-chemical reaction
> I made a similar request of the group last year and tried all reasonable methods, but the crank is
> still on the axle where it will remain for ever. TJ
 
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