# BB30 crankset stuck



## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

I am trying to remove an FSA Gossamer BB30 crankset on a brand new Cannondale frame. The left side arm came off easily but the spindle is stuck in the bearings. Tried tapping lightly with a rubber mallet but don't want to hit it too hard without supporting the frame somehow. Thanks for any suggestions.


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## MMsRepBike (Apr 1, 2014)

Well take off the washer and spacer and such. Just grab small block of wood, put it up to the spindle, hit the block with a hammer. One swift sharp blow should do it. Give er a little.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

MMsRepBike said:


> Well take off the washer and spacer and such. Just grab small block of wood, put it up to the spindle, hit the block with a hammer. One swift sharp blow should do it. Give er a little.


Just did exactly that, no movement at all.
I am wondering is there is a way to cut the bearing loose at least on the side I have access to. Maybe if I remove the bearing seal I can dremel it or something.
I was supporting the downtube and chainstay with my body, maybe I need some more solid but don't want to chance cracking the frame.


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## goodboyr (Apr 19, 2006)

Take a can of compressed air. Hold upside down and spray inside shaft. This will cool shaft and shrink it enough to get out.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

jnbrown said:


> Just did exactly that, no movement at all.
> I am wondering is there is a way to cut the bearing loose at least on the side I have access to. Maybe if I remove the bearing seal I can dremel it or something.
> I was supporting the downtube and chainstay with my body, maybe I need some more solid but don't want to chance cracking the frame.


Got it out, used a piece of hardwood to pry against the crankset and drive side BB surface of the frame. FSA Crap!


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## Roland44 (Mar 21, 2013)

goodboyr said:


> Take a can of compressed air. Hold upside down and spray inside shaft. This will cool shaft and shrink it enough to get out.


I did that a while ago in a very similar situation and it worked flawlessly. Give it a try OP.


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## looigi (Nov 24, 2010)

Rubber mallets are often too soft to deliver a sharp enough blow. For future reference, try a non-marring hammer with hard plastic face. As mentioned, using a block of hard wood between the object being struck and a metal hammer will be similar.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

jnbrown said:


> Got it out, used a piece of hardwood to pry against the crankset and drive side BB surface of the frame. FSA Crap!


While I generally agree about FSA product not being as good as most others can you imagine how much noise your crank would make if the fit wasn't that tight? I would never pry against the frame, that's asking for trouble...especially if it's carbon. Hard plastic mallet is the tool you want.


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

Yeah, not sure how wedging a piece of wood between the bb and the crank is less of a concern than tapping the spindle without supporting the frame.


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## goodboyr (Apr 19, 2006)

Geez....nobody likes my idea....


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

I am pretty sure prying against the face of the bottom bracket is less stress than hitting with a hammer which sends shock waves through the frame. It also applies the force exactly where it is needed and against the BB shell which is very strong. Judging from how much force it took to get it out the hammer would not have worked. Any way its out and over and pretty sure the frame is ok. If I ever encounter this again I will try the compressed air.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

A little anti-seize on the shaft may help prevent sticking in the future.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

jnbrown said:


> I am trying to remove an FSA Gossamer BB30 crankset on a brand new Cannondale frame. The left side arm came off easily but the spindle is stuck in the bearings. Tried tapping lightly with a rubber mallet but don't want to hit it too hard without supporting the frame somehow. Thanks for any suggestions.


 How come a brand new stuff needs to be taken apart? What happened to it?


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## crit_boy (Aug 6, 2013)

jnbrown said:


> I am pretty sure prying against the face of the bottom bracket is less stress than hitting with a hammer which sends shock waves through the frame. It also applies the force exactly where it is needed and against the BB shell which is very strong. Judging from how much force it took to get it out the hammer would not have worked. Any way its out and over and pretty sure the frame is ok. If I ever encounter this again I will try the compressed air.


Yes the face of the bb shell is probably strong enough - as it is the end of a cylinder. However, there is a very small margin of error between a bb face and the down tube/seat tube/chainstay tube. Especially when you are trying to fit a piece of wood between the bearing and the crank (few mm at best).

Thin tube sidewall structures don't like small point high pressure compression (like supporting a fulcrum that is the corner of a piece of wood). The proper hammer would have worked.

The fact that a bad idea worked did not transform it into a good idea to be repeated in the future.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

BikeLayne said:


> How come a brand new stuff needs to be taken apart? What happened to it?


I bought the cheapest version of the bike for the frameset and putting my own parts on it, the parts i took off will be sold. Cannondale only sells framesets in the HiMod version and cost $3500. The whole bike was only $2000 and included a Garmin 510 which is worth another $300.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

crit_boy said:


> However, there is a very small margin of error between a bb face and the down tube/seat tube/chainstay tube. Especially when you are trying to fit a piece of wood between the bearing and the crank (few mm at best).
> 
> Thin tube sidewall structures don't like small point high pressure compression (like supporting a fulcrum that is the corner of a piece of wood). The proper hammer would have worked.
> 
> The fact that a bad idea worked did not transform it into a good idea to be repeated in the future.


^^^ This



jnbrown said:


> I am pretty sure prying against the face of the bottom bracket is less stress than hitting with a hammer


I'm positive it's not. 


> which sends shock waves through the frame. It also applies the force exactly where it is needed and against the BB shell which is very strong.


There's no harmful shock waves passing through your frame. You're not swinging a hammer faster than the speed of sound.

Using a lever, you're creating a moment arm and a perpendicular load to the axle. You're not applying the force where it's needed. 
By hitting the end of the axle, all the force is parallel to the axle. Furthermore, that force is transmitted into the frame through the entire circumference of the bearing. Not just a small point on the end of your lever.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

goodboyr said:


> Geez....nobody likes my idea....


I'll give your idea 2 thumbs up, I've done it and it works. :thumbsup::thumbsup:



Hammers are just more fun


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## goodboyr (Apr 19, 2006)

That's true. Just did a bit of hammering moving a star nut..........lol.


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## BikeLayne (Apr 4, 2014)

jnbrown said:


> I bought the cheapest version of the bike for the frameset and putting my own parts on it, the parts i took off will be sold. Cannondale only sells framesets in the HiMod version and cost $3500. The whole bike was only $2000 and included a Garmin 510 which is worth another $300.


Got it. Good luck with the project.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

So when I install the new BB30 crankset (Campy Overtorque) should i use grease or anti-seize ob the spindle?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

Grease is fine. I can't stand anti-seize cuz it makes a mess and gets everywhere. If you use enough grease and understand that a few good whacks w/ a hammer are normal, you'll be fine.


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## Blue CheeseHead (Jul 14, 2008)

Yes, anti-seize is a bit messy, but it serves it's purpose. It's far better than grease when dissimilar metals are concerned.


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