polling: bottom bracket/maintain or replace?

patrick mitchel said:

Had some noise coming from the bottom bracket for the first time. I finished
the ride after noticing that I could fell the vibe from the noise through
the downtube while pedaling. I checked the pedals thinking perhaps the noise
was emanating from one of them. While they both needed some adjustment, they
didn't feel like they were the culprit. Went and got a crank puller and
popped the arms/rings loose to find a very notchy bottom bracket. The
bracket survived from the early 90's on a bike that saw light coastal
Southern California use (little rain- high marine humidity- sandy bikepath)
use and being kept indoors. I'm questioning whether the way to do things is
simply set aside a time of the yr to yank all the rotating components and
clean/ lube the bearings or wait till problems crop up. Is there a
consensus on this ?

If you are able, open it and assess the bearing wear now. Since it has
noise and roughness, it won't get any better riding and waiting. It may
just need bearings, lube and adjustment. Or not.

If it is worn, new balls and grease will get you a few months to decide
on a path to replacement (vintage? modern? basic or American parts?
Italian? new crank time?).

One aspect of traditional loose-ball systems is that they are fairly
forgiving of abuse and, although no longer smooth, may be ridden with
some bearing wear for a good while. See what it looks like inside but
don't panic.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

patrick mitchel said:

Had some noise coming from the bottom bracket for the first time. I finished
the ride after noticing that I could fell the vibe from the noise through
the downtube while pedaling. I checked the pedals thinking perhaps the noise
was emanating from one of them. While they both needed some adjustment, they
didn't feel like they were the culprit. Went and got a crank puller and
popped the arms/rings loose to find a very notchy bottom bracket. The
bracket survived from the early 90's on a bike that saw light coastal
Southern California use (little rain- high marine humidity- sandy bikepath)
use and being kept indoors. I'm questioning whether the way to do things is
simply set aside a time of the yr to yank all the rotating components and
clean/ lube the bearings or wait till problems crop up. Is there a
consensus on this ? Pat

In your case, I'd say take it apart, clean all the grease off the
spindle and cups. If they don't have any pitting or scoring, then
replace the bearings, grease it all up, put it back together, and adjust
it. If you can't get it to turn smoothly without any play, then it's
worn out.

Here's the rub: the best way to tell if it's turning smoothly is to have
the crank arms off and turn the spindle with your fingers. But, the best
way to check for play is to have the crank arms securely fastened and
pull on the ends to see if the sucker moves. Conflicting needs. I
usually just attach the left arm after making the initial adjustment so
that I don't have the inertia of the crank spider and rings masking
rough spots. Then I can adjust it to remove any play, and check for
smooth operation again.

In general, you should probably set aside a time each year to go over
your bike, including lubing, inspecting and maybe replacing cables,
checking for wear and maybe replacing brake pads, checking the wear on
your rims (they might need to be replaced too, ouch), and checking for
play and smooth operation in all bearings (headset, bottom bracket,
wheel hubs). If you find anything amiss, service or replace it.

Other kinds of checks (possibly including the brake pad check) should be
done more often, especially checking your chain for wear and visually
inspecting the gear teeth if the chain is worn. Some people advocate
changing the cassette whenever you change chains, but this is not
usually necessary if you don't let the chain go too long. It's expensive
to change cassettes on a modern high-end component set. Better to check
your chain frequently and replace it as soon as it is worn enough to
notice (Park makes an inexpensive gauge for this purpose). Ideally, you
should clean and lube your drivetrain on a weekly basis, or more often
if you ride in nasty conditions. That's a good time to check the chain
and other things.

Mike Johnson

"patrick mitchel" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Had some noise coming from the bottom bracket for the first time. I

finished

Quoted message said:

the ride after noticing that I could fell the vibe from the noise

through

Quoted message said:

the downtube while pedaling. I checked the pedals thinking perhaps the

noise

Quoted message said:

was emanating from one of them. While they both needed some adjustment,

they

Quoted message said:

didn't feel like they were the culprit. Went and got a crank puller and
popped the arms/rings loose to find a very notchy bottom bracket. The
bracket survived from the early 90's on a bike that saw light coastal
Southern California use (little rain- high marine humidity- sandy

bikepath)

Quoted message said:

use and being kept indoors. I'm questioning whether the way to do things

is

Quoted message said:

simply set aside a time of the yr to yank all the rotating components

and

Quoted message said:

clean/ lube the bearings or wait till problems crop up. Is there a
consensus on this ? Pat

Repacking/replacing BB bearings is my least favorite bike repair or
maintenance operation. Andrew and Michael Johnson both offered some good
suggestions.

If you plan on keeping the bike and it needs the BB axle or cups replaced,
you might want to consider using a sealed bearing BB. They range from
under $20 USD to ~$200 USD.

I have a collection of older steel bikes. I use Phil Wood BBs on my best
bikes. I've been using one Phil BB since 1975.

Chas.

patrick mitchel said:

I'm questioning whether the way to do things is
simply set aside a time of the yr to yank all the rotating components and
clean/ lube the bearings or wait till problems crop up. Is there a
consensus on this ? Pat

The latter choice is kind of like not bothering to brush your teeth, and
going to the dentist if problems crop up. Properly maintained, things
like hubs, bottom brackets, and other components with serviceable
bearings will last decades. But, if it gets wet and dirty and is left
to rot, rot it will.

--

David L. Johnson

Enron's slogan: Respect, Communication, Integrity, and Excellence.

Re: Grinchy cup-and-spindle traditional bottom bracket.

There is a small chance that it is dirty for the first time, or the
grease dried out / caked, or just a small chip of metal came off the
bearing races, and cleaning and repacking will make it as good as new.

It would be good to take it apart and inspect the bearing and spindle
for pits. If there are no pits (or maybe 1 pit or something), put it
back together with new grease and ride it into the ground (repack
every year, however ...)

Every time your chain unships, its good to spin the BB to see if it
spins freely, checking for wear.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA