Crank removal w/ stripped threads

tcmedara said:

Attempting to remove cranks with a Park crank puller to diagnose annoying bottom bracket noise.
Drive side came off fine, but I then managed to strip out the excractor threads on the left side
crank arm. I'm not sure how it happened, but I suspect I managed to get the extractor cross
theaded and didn't notice until it was too late. I did a quick Google search and noted found two
proposed solutions.
1) Buy a gear extractor. I'd rather avoid this, as I don't like buying one time use tools.
2) Ride around with the crank bolt out until it loosens.

I'm wondering whether #2 will work with an ISIS splined crank (Race Face). I understand how it
would work with a tapered BB, but don't know if it would be as successful with a splined set-up.
Is this something a competent LBS should take care of, or are there any simple remedies I can do
in my own garage? Thankfully the thing is still rideable for now, but eventually that crank is
going to have to come off of there. Hopefully for now, I can isolate the annoying click without
removing the crank.

Just stop by any competent LBS which commonly services bicycles. They will pop it off with a Var
#932 or similar for a buck or two.

They might even be able to properly prep and install your BB so it doesn't make noise.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

tcmedara said:

Attempting to remove cranks with a Park crank puller to diagnose annoying bottom bracket noise.
Drive side came off fine, but I then managed to strip out the excractor threads on the left side
crank arm. I'm not sure how it happened, but I suspect I managed to get the extractor cross
theaded and didn't notice until it was too late. I did a quick Google search and noted found two
proposed solutions.
1) Buy a gear extractor. I'd rather avoid this, as I don't like buying one time use tools.
2) Ride around with the crank bolt out until it loosens.

#2 will destroy the crank tapers, so find someone with a puller. I
bought one years ago for the same job; it's since come in useful for removing the handles of taps
(faucets to Americans) where hard water has seized them in place.

tcmedara <[email hidden]> wrote:
: Attempting to remove cranks with a Park crank puller to diagnose annoying bottom bracket noise.
: Drive side came off fine, but I then managed to strip out the excractor threads on the left side
: crank arm. I'm not sure how it happened, but I suspect I managed to get the extractor cross
: theaded and didn't notice until it was too late. I did a quick Google search and noted found two
: proposed solutions.
: 1) Buy a gear extractor. I'd rather avoid this, as I don't like buying one time use tools.
: 2) Ride around with the crank bolt out until it loosens.

Avoid #2 since by the time the crank loosens it could very well be damaged and possibly
beyond repair.

Here's #3 that worked for me recently:

Remove the crank spindle and crank from the bike Place spindle vertically in a short piece
of water pipe Have someone hold the crank arm and a 'drift' (with a pair of long multigrips
Place the drift on the end of the spindle and whack it very hard with a very large hammer -
I used the back of a wood splitter (we call them block busters)

This worked on the first swing of the hammer. There was no damage to the crank arm or spindle - at
least visually.

Hope this helps, cheerz, Lynzz

"A Muzi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

tcmedara said:

Attempting to remove cranks with a Park crank puller to diagnose

annoying

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bottom bracket noise. Drive side came off fine, but I then managed to

strip

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

out the excractor threads on the left side crank arm. I'm not sure how

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

happened, but I suspect I managed to get the extractor cross theaded and didn't notice until it
was too late. I did a quick Google search and

noted

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

found two proposed solutions.
1) Buy a gear extractor. I'd rather avoid this, as I don't like buying

one

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

time use tools.
2) Ride around with the crank bolt out until it loosens.

I'm wondering whether #2 will work with an ISIS splined crank (Race

Face).

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I understand how it would work with a tapered BB, but don't know if it

would

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

be as successful with a splined set-up. Is this something a competent

LBS

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

should take care of, or are there any simple remedies I can do in my own garage? Thankfully the
thing is still rideable for now, but eventually that crank is going to have to come off of
there. Hopefully for now, I

can

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

isolate the annoying click without removing the crank.

Just stop by any competent LBS which commonly services bicycles. They will pop it off with a Var
#932 or similar for a buck or two.

They might even be able to properly prep and install your BB so it doesn't make noise.

Yes, and next time OP tries to remove a crank, make sure the extractor is snuggly tightened before
extracting.

Robin Hubert

"Robin Hubert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Yes, and next time OP tries to remove a crank, make sure the extractor is snuggly tightened before
extracting.

Robin Hubert

That concept has been driven home without qualification at this point, though its a pretty expensive
lesson in proper use of tools. I guess I just go a bit lazy. I've managed to remove cranks and BB's
dozens of times from my old hardtail without incident. This was my first attempt with my newly
purchased Park CCP-4 for a splined crankset on my FS ride. In theory it should have worked the same
way. Having done the same procudure on other bikes with a similar tool, I obviously didn't pay quite
enough attention to the idiosyncracies of this particular tool/crankarm combination and managed to
bone it up pretty royally. Rule # 1 of modern day crank extraction: If it takes more force than you
think you should need, you're probably right .

And BTW Robin: I wouldn't have minded the smug lecture in tool use if it had been accompanied by
something that might have helped me solve the problem.

In article _msAb.47625$yM6.30344@lakeread06 said:

1) Buy a gear extractor. I'd rather avoid this, as I don't like buying one time use tools

Do you have or could you borrow a harmonic balancer puller? These will do the job with a backing
plate for it to pull on. I used a utility pole washer (it's square and has the right sized hole in
it). I cut a slot into the hole and drilled a couple of holes for the puller bolts. Worked well on
the first (and only) try.

Tom Gibb <[email hidden]

tcmedara' may have said:

Attempting to remove cranks with a Park crank puller to diagnose annoying bottom bracket noise.
Drive side came off fine, but I then managed to strip out the excractor threads on the left side
crank arm. I'm not sure how it happened, but I suspect I managed to get the extractor cross theaded
and didn't notice until it was too late. I did a quick Google search and noted found two proposed
solutions.
1) Buy a gear extractor. I'd rather avoid this, as I don't like buying one time use tools.

You can just leave a deposit on one, and return it after you're finished for a full refund, at most
Autozone stores. The pullers they have as loaners may or may not do the job, but at least the final
cost is not onerous. Some tool rental places also have gear pullers available.

Quoted message said:

2) Ride around with the crank bolt out until it loosens.

Functionally, this is likely to equate to "ruin the crank getting it off the BB", though.

Quoted message said:

I'm wondering whether #2 will work with an ISIS splined crank (Race Face). I understand how it
would work with a tapered BB, but don't know if it would be as successful with a splined set-up.
Is this something a competent LBS should take care of, or are there any simple remedies I can do
in my own garage? Thankfully the thing is still rideable for now, but eventually that crank is
going to have to come off of there. Hopefully for now, I can isolate the annoying click without
removing the crank.

Given that cranks for an ISIS spline are somewhat harder to get cheaply than a square taper, I think
I'd try for the least damaging solution.

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail. Yes, I have a killfile. If I
don't respond to something, it's also possible that I'm busy. Words processed in a facility that
contains nuts.

Tom Medara said:

Attempting to remove cranks with a Park crank puller to diagnose annoying bottom bracket noise.
Drive side came off fine, but I then managed to strip out the extractor threads on the left side
crank arm. I'm not sure how it happened, but I suspect I managed to get the extractor cross
threaded and didn't notice until it was too late.

This is a relatively common occurrence, usually caused by failing to back out the pusher screw
before inserting the extractor in the other crank. After extraction the extractor bolt must be
backed out because just screwing it into the other crank will get tight after just a couple of
threads are engaged. These are not enough and usually strip out. The reason I'm fairly sure
that this is what happened, is that you cannot strip out the full complement of threads. They
are far to tough.

However, there is hope. Because only a couple of threads got ripped out, the others are probably
enough to do the job. Take a knife and clean out the edge of the remaining threads and get the
extractor in as far ad possible (extractor bolt backed way out).

Do it! It may work.

Jobst Brandt [email hidden]

tcmedara <[email hidden]> wrote:

: "Robin Hubert" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
: "]news:[email hidden]...
:>
:>
:> Yes, and next time OP tries to remove a crank, make sure the extractor is snuggly tightened
:> before extracting.
:>
:> Robin Hubert
:>
:>
: That concept has been driven home without qualification at this point, though its a pretty
: expensive lesson in proper use of tools. I guess I just go a bit lazy. I've managed to remove
: cranks and BB's dozens of times from my old hardtail without incident. This was my first attempt
: with my newly purchased Park CCP-4 for a splined crankset on my FS ride. In theory it should have
: worked the same way. Having done the same procudure on other bikes with a similar tool, I
: obviously didn't pay quite enough attention to the idiosyncracies of this particular tool/crankarm
: combination and managed to bone it up pretty royally. Rule # 1 of modern day crank extraction: If
: it takes more force than you think you should need, you're probably right .

: And BTW Robin: I wouldn't have minded the smug lecture in tool use if it had been accompanied by
: something that might have helped me solve the problem.

Hmmm... given that the crank arm I had to hammer off (see previous post) had been stripped out, and
the puller which experienced the stripping is made by Park, it may be a more than coincidental
cause and effect. Not that I want to cast aspersions on what I regard as the benchmark for quality
bike tools.

I wasn't the original thread stripper, merely called in to find a solution, just the same, I've
removed literally hundreds of cranks with generic crank pullers and never come close to stripping a
crank thread. I wonder what the experience of long time Park users is.

Cheerz, Lynzz