sram BB/crank mystery

[thegunner]

i know we have some shop owner/mechanic gurus here - so i'll throw out a problem i just ran into. i pulled the force crank off my bike to regrease the threads on the bb (random creaking). when i did, the DS dust cap was affixed quite firmly to the base of the crank shaft, pressed against the spider. now i can't get it off :o

any suggestions before i admit defeat and take it to a shop?

[RacerJRP]

use something like a thin file to pry it up gently....work around the dust cap a little at a time not to damage the rubber or the metal inside. Happens to me every time I swap my quarq.

Hope that helps.

[thegunner]

any other hints? haha i've been going at it with a really fine tipped file for about an hour now. i'm pretty sure i'm going to end up just breaking it off and buying a new bb at this rate.

[FastVegan]

Why not just leave it on? It will go back where it belongs once reinstalled.

[thegunner]

Why not just leave it on? It will go back where it belongs once reinstalled.

mostly thinking about when i want to move the SRM from the other bike over to this one. gonna have to remember to swap dust caps on both cranks ha.

[FastVegan]

I have a few bikes with gxp and I leave the ds
dust cap on the crank arms, rather than removing the cover just leave it on.

[thegunner]

I have a few bikes with gxp and I leave the ds
dust cap on the crank arms, rather than removing the cover just leave it on.

while i understand this is fine, it technically doesn't solve the query of if i DID want it off...

[FastVegan]

Try a 90deg pick http://www.summitracing.com/parts/OTC-4515/ also try to soak it in pb blaster, it may destroy the rubber seals, but it will be off.