Source for BB Bearings



dhk2

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2006
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My bike uses the FSA Megatech Integrated BB, circa 2003. The design uses an OS BB shell with pressed-in bearings (no threaded adapters), carrying an ISIS spindle. The bearings are 27x43x8mm, (SS and 2-RS). The original bearings were marked "THI", which is the Taiwan company that makes and markets the FSA brand.

The design was promoted as an "open standard" for the industry to use. FSA had the drawings and tolerances on the web, and offered the cutting tools to finish and face the BB shell to exact dimensions. In addition to bigger bearings for the ISIS spindle, the OS shell allows more weld area for the frame tubes. The "open" design failed to catch with any major manufacturer then, but now it seems Trek and Cdale are now offering their own proprietary versions.

About 4 years ago, the LBS ordered replacements from FSA, but contact with their tech support recently only got me the "FSA no longer supports this product".

Have looked at online bearing houses with no luck so far; the size seems to be a weird one. Any help to point me to a source would be greatly appreciated.
 
Update: Well, FSA Tech Support came through for me big time. A couple of weeks ago, out of the blue, I got a followup email from FSA Tech Support, informing me that he had found a box of old "Megatech" spares in the warehouse which they would be happy to ship to me for $20+ S&H.

My package arrived a few days ago, with 13 bearings, lots of ISIS spindles as well as 3 threaded adapters to convert the 43mm BB to standard british threads.

I replaced the old bearings sunday evening and the bb is smooth and quiet again. Turns out the old drive-side bearing had ingested grit, making the spindle hard to turn once the crankarms were off. Hadn't done the replacement before myself, but a homemade bearing press made from 7/16 threaded rod and a couple of PVC pipe connectors did the job just fine.

In summary, thanks to the outstanding personal customer service of FSA, another Christmas was saved....and it's mine :)








dhk2 said:
My bike uses the FSA Megatech Integrated BB, circa 2003. The design uses an OS BB shell with pressed-in bearings (no threaded adapters), carrying an ISIS spindle. The bearings are 27x43x8mm, (SS and 2-RS). The original bearings were marked "THI", which is the Taiwan company that makes and markets the FSA brand.

The design was promoted as an "open standard" for the industry to use. FSA had the drawings and tolerances on the web, and offered the cutting tools to finish and face the BB shell to exact dimensions. In addition to bigger bearings for the ISIS spindle, the OS shell allows more weld area for the frame tubes. The "open" design failed to catch with any major manufacturer then, but now it seems Trek and Cdale are now offering their own proprietary versions.

About 4 years ago, the LBS ordered replacements from FSA, but contact with their tech support recently only got me the "FSA no longer supports this product".

Have looked at online bearing houses with no luck so far; the size seems to be a weird one. Any help to point me to a source would be greatly appreciated.
 
Sorry to bring up such an old thread but i recently bought a frame which has a Megatech shell. As far as i can ascertain, it is one of a couple of dozen prototypes that were made by Merida for a Pro Continental team back around 2003-04. I've struck out with local shops and distributors, please please tell me you have one of those adaptors still?


http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n602/ldrcycles/DSCN0718.jpg
 


Yes, I do indeed have one spare adapter left, as pictured above, which I would be happy to send you for a small price plus shipping. If you want it, send me a Private Message and we can work out the details.
 
PM sent!
big-smile.png
 
The adaptor arrived here in Australia yesterday, and i've already been busy.

My "cough" acceptable lockring tool.


http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n602/ldrcycles/DSCN0784.jpg



The adaptor


http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n602/ldrcycles/DSCN0782.jpg



And installed in the frame.


http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n602/ldrcycles/DSCN0780.jpg


http://i1142.photobucket.com/albums/n602/ldrcycles/DSCN0781.jpg


Thanks a million dhk2, with any luck i might be able to get the frame built in time for a local charity race on the 21st
big-smile.png
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Weird...FSA-USA just assisted me with great customer service. I dealt with Cameron and she went out of her way to get me a shorter top cap for a headset.

Damn the world for taller head tubes and those stupid tall conical headset top caps that seem to come on every bike sold in America these days. With another inch of spacers under the stem!

Speaking of proprietary designs...how many sizes and types of headsets are on the market right now?!

Any way, great service from FSA!
 
LDR, excellent! That's a nice pin spanner tool you made, and it appears the adapter fits the frame perfectly. Hope you get many miles of enjoyment from the new bike. I'm happy that I could help you out.
 
Originally Posted by CAMPYBOB
Weird...FSA-USA just assisted me with great customer service. I dealt with Cameron and she went out of her way to get me a shorter top cap for a headset.

Damn the world for taller head tubes and those stupid tall conical headset top caps that seem to come on every bike sold in America these days. With another inch of spacers under the stem!

Speaking of proprietary designs...how many sizes and types of headsets are on the market right now?!

Any way, great service from FSA!
CB, FSA customer service treated me well also in 2009 by finding a box of "everything Megatech" leftover when they were cleaning out the warehouse several months after my initial request. He remembered me, and offered to send me the box for a small fee plus shipping. It included a bunch of steel and Ti ISIS spindles in various lengths, a sleeve of 13 bearings (what I needed), plus three of the adapters and some spacer caps. I've sent two adapters to forum members and used four of the bearings in my BB since 2009.

It is too bad that the Megatech "open standard" design that they promoted back in 2003 didn't catch on. Instead, seems several major brand decided to invent their own press-in bearing BB. Perhaps the mistake FSA made was to design around a new bearing, in the unique 43/27mm size, or using the ISIS spindle. Don't know how many THI (the parent company) produced, but apparently now I've got the remaining world's supply locked up.
 
Yeah...I hear you. Just look at the plethora of "shimaNO Standard" bottom brackets out there. Internal and external and press fits and no races and Campy's 26-steps to endplay adjustment and the 42 tools required to service modern BB's.

Add in the headset diversity and a fella needs a CMM to digitize his bike just to order replacement parts.

Oops...forgot. It's a throw away world.

Nice of FSA to treat you and I so well. Even if standards...er...aren't so standard and E-catalogs make ordering spares a nightmare (I actually deduced things correctly, but me confidence level was NOT high and thus the phone call to the West coast to get their advice) a person on the manufacturer's end of that phone line or email chain makes life bearable.

Luckily, the TH 'standard' seems to have caught on in the headset world. At least for now. Still, something like only three of the major headset players have signed onto the deal so far. And Campy seems fine going their own way. As do outfits like Pinarello and several others.