Stuck GXP BB

[Ti_on_Steel]

The non drive side cup of my Sram GXP BB is stuck. I'm using a park BB wrench adapter with a medium wrench. It's the non drive side, which I think should come out Counter Clockwise. I'm now worried that I'm starting to chew up the grooves.

Any advice for loosening these up? If I do end up stripping the grooves, then what??

Thanks!

[linger]

Get a pipe that is long and make it your breaker bar. Slide it onto the wrench......and make sure you are turning it the correct way.

[cmbicycles]

Are you using the socket type with a ratchet, or the wrench type of Park tool? Either one can still booger up the grooves, the socket type less so. I know some people who "shimmed" it to make it a tighter fit, wrap masking tape or something similar around the BB before putting the tool on. If you completely strip the grooves, you can still grab it with a pipe wrench, then replace it so its no big loss. I have a new English gxp bb I don't need, so if you need one when this one is out, send me a pm.

I second the longer lever... "give me a lever long enough, and a place to stand, and I will move the world..." just be sure it doesn't slip. It will come out. If you have the drive side off already then you can spray some penetrating oil, let it sit, then try again. Just leave the big rusty ole pipe wrench where the bike can see it... then walk away. Its all a mental game, you have to let the bike know you mean business. ;)

[AngryScientist]

Frame material?

[nm87710]

Use a pipe wrench

[Ti_on_Steel]

I'm using the Park BBT-19. Thanks for the offer, but I've got the new one waiting, so this one can be some what sacrificial coming off. I can give the pipe a try, I was just worried about damaging the frame itself. Is it safer to do it in a work stand, or just standing the bike against a wall?

In the meantime, I'll start looking at Ritchey Logics online in front of the bike to let it know I'm serious.

Are you using the socket type with a ratchet, or the wrench type of Park tool? Either one can still booger up the grooves, the socket type less so. I know some people who "shimmed" it to make it a tighter fit, wrap masking tape or something similar around the BB before putting the tool on. If you completely strip the grooves, you can still grab it with a pipe wrench, then replace it so its no big loss. I have a new English gxp bb I don't need, so if you need one when this one is out, send me a pm.

I second the longer lever... "give me a lever long enough, and a place to stand, and I will move the world..." just be sure it doesn't slip. It will come out. If you have the drive side off already then you can spray some penetrating oil, let it sit, then try again. Just leave the big rusty ole pipe wrench where the bike can see it... then walk away. Its all a mental game, you have to let the bike know you mean business. ;)

[macaroon]

If you look closely, there is a directional arrow on the BB cup to tell you which way to turn it to tighten. If you turn it the opposite way to the arrow, you should loosen it ;)

[batman1425]

Depends on the type of stand and where you have it clamped as to whether it is safer to do it in the stand or not.

If you have to put a lot of rotational force on the BB and your bike is clamped by the seatpost, you will be putting a lot of stress on the post/tube junction.

If I have a real stubborn one, I Personally like to wedge the rear wheel into the corner of a room to and set up my wrench so that I'm pushing as much into the corner and down as possible for the direction that I want cup to spin.

[Ti_on_Steel]

Frame material?

Steel!

[jds108]

I know that most everybody believes that we should all be self-sufficient mechanics, but this might be a good time to take the frame in to a shop.

If the threads are getting damaged while you're removing the BB, you're going to want a shop to chase those threads before the new BB goes in anyways.

But if you do want to take out that bb yourself, one safe method is to fix the tool to the BB, put the tool in a vise, then use the frame as the lever to unscrew. (as opposed to fixing the frame in a stand.)

[vqdriver]

if steel, and you can get the drive side out, is it unsafe to heat up the bb shell from the inside? i'm not talking about molten iron type heat, but you know, a few minutes to get it very hot and whacking the bb with a rubber mallet.

i've not tried it but sometimes read on here about using heat to separate parts