Phil Wood Square Taper installation

[C40_guy]

I'm installing a Phil Wood square taper sealed bottom bracket with British cups.

I think I'm just figuring out that there's a left and right. My cup stock is vintage, no paint tag (that I noticed) to identify one side.

Seems one cup has some markings in the grooves, while the other is shiny. Shiny one go on the drive side? (evidently the paint tagged one goes on the left side)

I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been using PW bottom brackets...but in my defense, most of them were Italian threaded.

On the off chance that someone might have installed steel cups backwards in a Ti frame, how bad would that be? (Not that *I* did anything like that...)

[NHAero]

Brit cups - drive side is a LH thread and non-DS is a RH thread.
Italian cups - both sides RH thread.
Which do you have? Do cups match BB shell?

[catchourbreath]

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...s_V1.2.pdf?354

[catchourbreath]

It's been a minute but I think DS had some kind of marking aside from paint.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by catchourbreath

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/03...s_V1.2.pdf?354

Right. Saw that, it helps...

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by NHAero

Brit cups - drive side is a LH thread and non-DS is a RH thread.
Italian cups - both sides RH thread.
Which do you have? Do cups match BB shell?

The Italian cups are slightly larger. These are definitely British and I got a set to go on a Ti frame with some effort. I think I might have gotten the cups reversed.

Just installed another British set on a Specialized aluminum frame and they went on much easier...

[rccardr]

Look at the threads on the cups.
If they rise to the right, they are right-handed threads (NDS English, both side Italian)
If they rise to the left, they are left-handed threads (DS English).

[bikinchris]

You should have been able to start the threads of the ring/cup by hand. If you got them backwards, they would have been super hard to turn the whole way.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by C40_guy

I'm installing a Phil Wood square taper sealed bottom bracket with British cups.

I think I'm just figuring out that there's a left and right. My cup stock is vintage, no paint tag (that I noticed) to identify one side.

Seems one cup has some markings in the grooves, while the other is shiny. Shiny one go on the drive side? (evidently the paint tagged one goes on the left side)

I'm embarrassed to say how long I've been using PW bottom brackets...but in my defense, most of them were Italian threaded.

On the off chance that someone might have installed steel cups backwards in a Ti frame, how bad would that be? (Not that *I* did anything like that...)

You wouldn't be able to swap the cups on a Brit threaded frame and install on the wrong sides, they wouldn't even start to thread.

Find the cup, w/o the BB in it(tap it off), and see which side it easily starts where, on which side..Get that cup almost all the way in, grease, not locktite.
Then tap the BB into the other cup(grease between cup and BB)..and screw in(right side lefty-righty)..In other words, they tighten toward the back of the frame, loosen forward the front of the frame...Understanding the cups get tight as you press the BB into the other cup while tightening. Why you need two tools, ideally.

[C40_guy]

Originally Posted by bikinchris

You should have been able to start the threads of the ring/cup by hand. If you got them backwards, they would have been super hard to turn the whole way.

I'm afraid that's what I did.

[NHAero]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

You wouldn't be able to swap the cups on a Brit threaded frame and install on the wrong sides, they wouldn't even start to thread.

Find the cup, w/o the BB in it(tape it off), and see which side it easily starts where, on which side..Get that cup almost all the way in, grease, not locktite.
Then tap the BB into the other cup(grease between cup and BB)..and screw in(right side lefty-righty)..In other words, they tighten toward the back of the frame, loosen forward the front of the frame...Understanding the cups get tight as you press the BB into the other cup while tightening. Why you need two tools, ideally.

Absolutely want two tools! 50 year PW BB user here. What's great about their shoulder-less cups is that you get a bit of chainline fine tuning. I also never use thread locker, but rather anti-seize

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by oldpotatoe

You wouldn't be able to swap the cups on a Brit threaded frame and install on the wrong sides, they wouldn't even start to thread.....

This is what I was thinking...the threads would never engage, so you would not be able to get the cup into BB. It is more likely you end up cross-threading the cups...how clean were the threads when you started? Can you back out the cups?

If steel into a Ti frame...I would guess that you need to re-tap the BB...better mechanics will probably know for sure....

I have the same project on my to-do for later this spring.....