Little demon Campy Pista BB re-install

[merlincustom1]

Got a little spooked reading the Little demon CK bb thread so I took apart my Campy Pista bb in a Peg fixed. I did the original install, everything new, 4 years ago. It doesn't get much use, maybe 800 miles a year, but I thought I'd take a look see. Everything looked good, not too dirty. Cleaned everything and did the re-install. When I built it 4 years ago, I used Teflon tape on the cups and light grease film on the shell. This time I did the same method, but following the manual to snug everything up and then torque right and then left to 70 nM, I noticed what I think is too much friction on the spindle. Manual says if that's the case, take out the left cup, use thread locker, and torque the left cup to 30 nM.

Anyone have success with this method? Would this be loctite 242? Would anyone recommend no Teflon and just use grease on the cups and re-try? I'm thinking maybe the Teflon skews the actual torque read due to some resistance from the thickness of the tape? But in that case wouldn't that mean it's actually under torqued? I'm using a Park T bar wrench and 70 is its limit. Any advice is appreciated.

[11.4]

Definitely skip the Teflon tape. Besides messing with torque measurements, it gives some people fits with bottom brackets that won't stay screwed in, for others it makes them unpredictably harder to remove. Grease or anti seize is all you need. People are divided even between those two. Anti seize is just grease with either aluminum or copper powder mixed up in it and if you get cheap anti seize it can dry out and the powder can make it harder to unscrew. But if you're dealing with dissimilar metals that will develop corrosion, it's important. When you lubricate the bottom bracket threads, also be sure to remove the screw that holds on your bottom bracket cable guide (assuming you have one) and grease it with anti seize. If it's not a stainless screw, replace the screw. That little screw can really mess up your whole bottom bracket. Be sure there's a drain hole in the bottom of the bottom bracket as well; if water accumulates, all bets are off.

[merlincustom1]

Thanks. Took your advice. Re-installed with lots of grease. With the right cup torqued to 70 nM, the spindle starts to bind when the left cup gets to about 40nM. Manual calls for thread locker on the left to 30nM in that instance. Any suggestions contrary? I assume Campy knows what it's doing.

[oldpotatoe]

Got a little spooked reading the Little demon CK bb thread so I took apart my Campy Pista bb in a Peg fixed. I did the original install, everything new, 4 years ago. It doesn't get much use, maybe 800 miles a year, but I thought I'd take a look see. Everything looked good, not too dirty. Cleaned everything and did the re-install. When I built it 4 years ago, I used Teflon tape on the cups and light grease film on the shell. This time I did the same method, but following the manual to snug everything up and then torque right and then left to 70 nM, I noticed what I think is too much friction on the spindle. Manual says if that's the case, take out the left cup, use thread locker, and torque the left cup to 30 nM.

Anyone have success with this method? Would this be loctite 242? Would anyone recommend no Teflon and just use grease on the cups and re-try? I'm thinking maybe the Teflon skews the actual torque read due to some resistance from the thickness of the tape? But in that case wouldn't that mean it's actually under torqued? I'm using a Park T bar wrench and 70 is its limit. Any advice is appreciated.

Has the BB shell been faced? Sounds like the RH face or even the threads aren't parallel, if installing makes it bind. I'd do that first, have it faced, before gluing things in there.

Also, are the 3 bearings on the BB smooth?

If one is going south, from a wanky BB shell, it may have been cooked.

Last, on the far superior Italian threading..grease and teflon tape is the way to go, what I've done for 30 years without RH cups coming out. DRY SPINDLE as well, grease on bolt and washer, torque properly.

[tigoat]

I have never used plumbing tape to install the BB cups, just antiseize lube and never had a problem. I did have one sticky cup upon removal, which must be in the process of galling. When applying grease, make sure you use your fingers to run it deep into threads, as just smearing it on will get pushed in or out and end up with nothing in the threads. Tightening the cups has nothing to do with your binding problem, so it must be something else, perhaps a shot bearing or bent spindle.

[ultraman6970]

The people that is getting fits removing cups and used teflon tapes is because they dont know what they are doing :p Just to start the tape must be rolled around the cup in one way, not the opposite way (home work for the ones who want to figure it out), and usually with one full turn around with the tape is enough, not that need 20 turns of tape either.

A lot of grease in the threads, and be sure the BB is at least faced.

[merlincustom1]

Thanks for all the advice. The BB was faced by Dario pre-paint. When I originally installed it, I had no issues. I think I got the teflon idea here from Peter. Just once around with the tape, so not too thick. All was fine before I took it apart.
Anyway, still with issues. BB seems to be rotating smoothly outside the shell. This time I greased shell, and cups inside and out liberally. No tape. Snug up right side. Strangely, I am unable to snug the left with the right just snug tight. The left gets to about 3 mm shy of the shell and I start to feel some resistance and I can't finger tighten. I then backed the right side off a couple mm, and the left obviously then can thread in further. While doing this I notice the spindle itself is rotating. Not sure if this is normal. I back the right off a hair again, and get the left cup flush. Now the right cup is 3-4 mm away from the shell. I take the torque wrench to it and the resistance is tight already. I do maybe a quarter turn and I hear a pretty loud pop and now there's no resistance and it threads smoothly. I tighten to 70nM. Go to the left to 70nM and I have the same excess friction with the spindle. Was the pop a seating of the BB within the cups?
Cups by themselves with no BB thread perfectly smooth. There was no cross threading. Does anyone still think it's a facing issue? Is spindle rotation just with minimal tightening of cups a bad sign? Time for a new bb, or just threadlock the left at 30nM? Any advice is appreaciated.

[FlashUNC]

Thanks for all the advice. The BB was faced by Dario pre-paint. When I originally installed it, I had no issues. I think I got the teflon idea here from Peter. Just once around with the tape, so not too thick. Alkl was fine before I took it apart.
Anyway, still with issues. BB seems to be rotating smoothly outside the shell. This time I greased shell, and cups inside and out liberally. No tape. Snug up right side. Strangely, I am unable to snug the left with the right just snug tight. The left gets to about 3 mm shy of the shell and I start to feel some resistance and I can't finger tighten. I then backed the right side off a couple mm, and the left obviously then can thread in further. While doing this I notice the spindle itself is rotating. Not sure if this is normal. I back the right off a hair again, and get the left cup flush. Now the right cup is 3-4 mm away from the shell. I take the torque wrench to it and the resistance is tight already. I do maybe a quarter turn and I hear a pretty loud pop and now there's no resistance and it threads smoothly. I tighten to 70nM. Go to the left to 70nM and I have the same excess friction with the spindle. Was the pop a seating of the BB within the cups?
Cups by themselves with no BB thread perfectly smooth. There was no cross threading. Does anyone still think it's a facing issue? Is spindle rotation just with minimal tightening of cups a bad sign? Time for a new bb, or just threadlock the left at 30nM? Any advice is appreaciated.

I won't speak for others, but I've never installed a square taper BB that involved a loud popping sound when torquing it down. Something is not right.

[oldpotatoe]

Thanks for all the advice. The BB was faced by Dario pre-paint. When I originally installed it, I had no issues. I think I got the teflon idea here from Peter. Just once around with the tape, so not too thick. Alkl was fine before I took it apart.
Anyway, still with issues. BB seems to be rotating smoothly outside the shell. This time I greased shell, and cups inside and out liberally. No tape. Snug up right side. Strangely, I am unable to snug the left with the right just snug tight. The left gets to about 3 mm shy of the shell and I start to feel some resistance and I can't finger tighten. I then backed the right side off a couple mm, and the left obviously then can thread in further. While doing this I notice the spindle itself is rotating. Not sure if this is normal. I back the right off a hair again, and get the left cup flush. Now the right cup is 3-4 mm away from the shell. I take the torque wrench to it and the resistance is tight already. I do maybe a quarter turn and I hear a pretty loud pop and now there's no resistance and it threads smoothly. I tighten to 70nM. Go to the left to 70nM and I have the same excess friction with the spindle. Was the pop a seating of the BB within the cups?
Cups by themselves with no BB thread perfectly smooth. There was no cross threading. Does anyone still think it's a facing issue? Is spindle rotation just with minimal tightening of cups a bad sign? Time for a new bb, or just threadlock the left at 30nM? Any advice is appreaciated.

When you rotate a partially cup and the spindle moves, tells me the threads aren't parallel somehow.

Have the threads chased, the RH side faced. You say it was faced 'pre paint' it needs to be faced post paint.

I think it could be the interior bearing on the RH side also, sometimes tough to check that one. It also could be the hearings aren't parallel to each other on the spindle. One is canted.
But I'd face/chase BB, maybe try a new BB to see if it's the frame or the BB.

[merlincustom1]

Thanks. I'll report back.