I rescued a nice Hetchins from the evil clutches of a skip a while back.
Its a nice frame and worthy of a re-spray. The problem is the bottom bracket. I have not come across one of this type in over 44 years of cycling. The fixed cup resembles the left hand cup in that both are held in position by a locking ring. I have managed to get the LH cup out and its obvious that it is a cartridge type BB. The axle will not pull out from the LH side.
Despite all my efforts to release the RH locking ring it refuses to budge and it has now crossed my mind that perhaps its a reverse thread. I dont know does anyone know?
I rescued a nice Hetchins from the evil clutches of a skip a while back.
Its a nice frame and worthy of a re-spray. The problem is the bottom bracket. I have not come across one of this type in over 44 years of cycling. The fixed cup resembles the left hand cup in that both are held in position by a locking ring. I have managed to get the LH cup out and its obvious that it is a cartridge type BB. The axle will not pull out from the LH side.
Despite all my efforts to release the RH locking ring it refuses to budge and it has now crossed my mind that perhaps its a reverse thread. I dont know does anyone know?
I estimate the frame is probably 1960/70's.
The RH cup is stamped
STRONGLIGHT FRANCE COMPETITION 1".37 x 24F
Looking at Sheldon's site, it suggests that that is a British threaded bottom bracket. This means the left hand cup has a righthand thread (ie "normal"😉 and the right hand cup has, as you suspect, a lefthand thread. So turn it the other way.
I rescued a nice Hetchins from the evil clutches of a skip a while back.
Its a nice frame and worthy of a re-spray. The problem is the bottom bracket. I have not come across one of this type in over 44 years of cycling. The fixed cup resembles the left hand cup in that both are held in position by a locking ring. I have managed to get the LH cup out and its obvious that it is a cartridge type BB. The axle will not pull out from the LH side.
Despite all my efforts to release the RH locking ring it refuses to budge and it has now crossed my mind that perhaps its a reverse thread. I dont know does anyone know?
I rescued a nice Hetchins from the evil clutches of a skip a while back.
Lucky devil! Any idea which model? Curly or straight?
Quoted message said:
Its a nice frame and worthy of a re-spray. The problem is the bottom bracket. I have not come across one of this type in over 44 years of cycling. The fixed cup resembles the left hand cup in that both are held in position by a locking ring. I have managed to get the LH cup out and its obvious that it is a cartridge type BB. The axle will not pull out from the LH side.
Despite all my efforts to release the RH locking ring it refuses to budge and it has now crossed my mind that perhaps its a reverse thread. I dont know does anyone know?
I estimate the frame is probably 1960/70's.
The RH cup is stamped
STRONGLIGHT FRANCE COMPETITION 1".37 x 24F
Sounds like a Stronglight 651 or similar. You might be able to identify it from the pictures here:
It's a Hetchins, so it was made with a British thread. Italian threading would be a possibility if the BB shell had been repaired (because a stripped British BB can be reamed out to the larger Italian diameter and re-threaded) but in this case the thread type (British) is identified on the French-made cups.
