Campy BB installation?

[shinomaster]

Hi. I'm trying to screw in a square taper campy chorus BB into an old Italian frame made of steel. I have the tools, the lube and a big wrench. How do I proceed? It seems to slip right in. What side should I tighten first? Any tricks or things to avoid?

Much love,

Shino

[thwart]

What... it didn't come with instructions? Who sold you that? :D

Pull off L side cup. Install drive side first, 50 nm torque, then L side, same force.

Or something like that...

[shinomaster]

All I have is a huge, brass, crescent wrench. How tight is 50?

[thwart]

Tight enough... just barely. ;)

As tight as you can, keeping in mind that someday you may want to remove it...

I'm sure someone else has a better way of describing this... I'd sure think so, anyway.

[weiwentg]

Hi. I'm trying to screw in a square taper campy chorus BB into an old Italian frame made of steel. I have the tools, the lube and a big wrench. How do I proceed? It seems to slip right in. What side should I tighten first? Any tricks or things to avoid?

Much love,

Shino

slips right in? you've probably thought of this, but is the BB English threaded? your frame's almost certainly Italian threaded, and an Eng BB would probably slip in.

[shinomaster]

Tight enough... just barely. ;)

As tight as you can, keeping in mind that someday you may want to remove it...

I'm sure someone else has a better way of describing this... I'd sure think so, anyway.

Righty tighty lefty lucy? So you don't want the left cup in there first?

[MilanoTom]

Righty tighty lefty lucy? So you don't want the left cup in there first?

Drive side first. You can get the installation instructions (if you don't trust us, that is) at Campagnolo.com.

http://www.campagnolo.com/repository/documenti/en/7225218-Bottom_bracket-06-06.pdf

[MarcusPless]

If it takes an Italian threaded bottom bracket you might want to use some Loctite, at least on the right side cup, and get it really tight. Italian thread bottom brackets don't use a reverse thread on the right side, and the right side cup can loosen up while riding. :crap:

--Marcus

[handsomerob]

Righty tighty lefty lucy? So you don't want the left cup in there first?


For Italian threaded bottom brackets yes.... HOWEVER, for English threaded bottom brackets the drive side is reverse threaded.... basically the opposite of the pedals.

An English BB is 68mm and will say 1.37 x 24 and Italian is 70mm and will say 36 x 24.

[shinomaster]

Cool, like my macaroni this thing is 100 percent Italian. Thanks to all for the help.

[chrisroph]

i don't recommend loctite, you don't need it it just makes it harder to remove the cup later. this is unless you install the cups way under spec. clean the threads as well as you can, put some grease or anti-seize on the bb threads, and put in the right side first pretty tight and then put in the left side pretty tight. Spin the spindle by hand when its loose and check it again after you tighten the left hand cup. You don't want to cause binding. If tightening the left cup causes binding, you need to back off the torque (if the torque gets too low, then loctite is appropriate). i usually install campy bb cups 10-15 lbs under recommended spec--with grease--just because i think that is tight enough. if you want to come over and use my torque wrench, let me know.

[shinomaster]

cool, what is "binding?"

[maunahaole]

Binding is a feel of a tight spot or lack of free turning of the spindle. Some people like to use teflon plumber's pipe tape (go to the hardware store) and wrap it around the bb threads prior to install. It can sometimes be helpful is preventing creaking, particularly in Aluminum and titanium bikes. I'm not totally sure about using it in steel, but it won't harm anything. A roll costs a couple of bucks and lasts for years.

[Mike748]

I just removed two campy bb's that had been installed (by me) with Loctite. Left side was ok but the right side was tough to get loose. I think a good rule of thumb for English bb's is to use loctite on non-flanged cups (i.e. the left side on campy) and anti-seize on the flanged cups (right side campy, all shimano octalink). For Italian, loctite both sides.

[SPOKE]

if you over-tighten the drive side cup you run the risk of cracking the thin flange that acts as the stop on the BB shell. if it cracks then you'll have to replace the cup. :crap:
i strongly suggest a torque wrench if you are not very sure what 50nm of torque feels like when wrenching nuts and bolts.

[MarcusPless]

i strongly suggest a torque wrench if you are not very sure what 50nm of torque feels like when wrenching nuts and bolts.

Good point on the torque wrench. I've used both teflon tape and Loctite (on different installations :D ) over the years, torqued to Campy's specs and I've never had a problem. The only Italian bottom brackets that I've had loosen up on me while riding were already installed in the frame when I bought the bike. :crap:

--Marcus

[regularguy412]

+1 on the teflon tape

I like it because I think it sort of does double duty, both as a lubricant to get the cups sufficiently tight without using too much strength -- and as a thread locker because it takes up space in the threads. I have used it successfully on aluminum cups in my old C-dale when it kept coming loose in the aluminum BB shell.

I used anti-seize on my Phil Wood lockrings when I installed the BB in my CSI back in 1997. It stayed in there until February 2007. It came right out with little effort, but in all those miles, it never creaked. These were steel lockrings in a steel BB shell. Phil lockrings sort of go inside the shell. If I were putting on external BB bearings, I would likely opt for the teflon tape.

Mike in AR

[bnewt07]

Really simple thing; give the threads a really good clean, with a cloth and an old toothbrush. Swarf and muck can interfere and make it seem cross threaded otherwise. Last BB I fitted into a new (ally) frame got completely crossed up by me neglecting to do this!