How silly am I being?

[fixedgear14]

ive got another bike that i found at the end of my road, it a panasonic, but so far all the parts have been compatible... is there a chance the BB's would fit? and pardon my lack of knowledge on the subject... whats the fixed cup? i have no specialty bike tools either... ive been doing everything with stuff like channel locks and whatever string of tools i can throw together to get the job done... but ive run out...

 

[alfeng]

ive got another bike that i found at the end of my road, it a panasonic, but so far all the parts have been compatible... is there a chance the BB's would fit? and pardon my lack of knowledge on the subject... whats the fixed cup? i have no specialty bike tools either... ive been doing everything with stuff like channel locks and whatever string of tools i can throw together to get the job done... but ive run out...

The Panasonic will have an English threaded BB, so it it is not interchangeable.

Most of the dimensions on French frames were slightly different from most dimensions on OTHER bikes ... the stem is 22.0mm vs. 22.2mm on most bikes, etc.

With a loose Bottom Bracket (separate components/pieces), only one side needs to be adjustable, so the other side is usually fixed -- the fixed cup is installed with greased bearings into the frame's BB shell, the spindle is inserted, the other set of bearings is installed with the adjustable cup, the adjustment is made, and the lockring is tightened to secure the assembly.

If you look at the two sides of the frame's BB shell, you will see that the cup on the LEFT side has a lockring ...

Since periodic adjustments may need to be made, it is subjectively easier to remove only a bare crank arm rather than a crank arm which has the chainring(s) AND the chain, in particular -- why deal with the chain if you don't have to? -- so, that is undoubtedly how the fixed ended up being on the driveside.

The fixed cup usually has "flats" on the outer edge for the tool to engage.

You will probably need a crank arm puller ... worst case scenario will be the bike have cottered cranks. Ask your mechanic friend to help you with this.

 

[fixedgear14]

okay... so thats a lot more clear now, thanks a lot i have tightened the adjustable cup, and while it is tight, i feel a lot of resistance and hear an awful screaching of metal on metal... so whether or not i secure it with locktite it still won't really work right... and im pretty sure that at this point, something has been bent because with the pedals in one position (thus the chainring in the position) the chain will be very very tight... on the otherside, the pedals in a different place, the chain will become very loose... and this is no matter how tight it is...

 

[alfeng]

okay... so thats a lot more clear now, thanks a lot i have tightened the adjustable cup, and while it is tight, i feel a lot of resistance and hear an awful screaching of metal on metal... so whether or not i secure it with locktite it still won't really work right... and im pretty sure that at this point, something has been bent because with the pedals in one position (thus the chainring in the position) the chain will be very very tight... on the otherside, the pedals in a different place, the chain will become very loose... and this is no matter how tight it is...

The only resistance you should feel from a properly adjusted, vintage (non-cartridge) Bottom Bracket like the type that is on your Peugeot is from the grease -- your description suggests a BB which needs to be 're-packed' (with fresh grease) ... you probably need "new" bearings (individual bearings are cheap, about 10¢ each, give-or-take depending on the shop) ... if you cannibalize the crank from the Panasonic, you can probably just re-use its bearings for the time being ... if-and-when you get around to using the Panasonic frame, you should probably get a 'new' BB & crank ...

For the time being, take your bike to the shop which has the former Olympic mechanic that you know & have him help you ... have him move the fixed cup to the non-driveside, and the adjustable cup to the driveside as I suggested earlier.

It sounds as though your chainring is bent, but maybe it is something else.

The chainrings should move in their indvidual, virtual planes that are parallel to the theoretical plane that bisects the bike's centerline -- a bent chainring can be straightened. The worst case scenario is that one of the arms of the crank's spider is bent which will necessitate replacing the crank. You may be able to cannibalize the crank from off the Panasonic to use on the Peugeot.

BTW. To state one of the obvious things when assessing the drivetrain, be sure the rear wheel is centered in the frame.

The Peugeot frame may-or-may-not have a better frame than the Panasonic frame. Are the two bikes the same size? Is the condition of both comparable? Does one fit you better? You are probably going to grow, so keep both frames if your parents don't mind.

Post a pic of each bike if you can.