BB on steel frames

I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit of
removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the threads to
avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have also
smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell itself for
protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should I just leave the
metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish) hole in
the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as I'm pretty new to
maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking a drill to my frame. I
can always remove the seatpost and perhaps store the bike upside down after
a wet ride. I was just wondering whether copper greasing the inside of the
shell is a good idea or not.

PJay wrote:
I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit of
removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the threads to
avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have also
smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell itself for
protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should I just leave the
metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish) hole in
the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as I'm pretty new to
maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking a drill to my frame. I
can always remove the seatpost and perhaps store the bike upside down after
a wet ride. I was just wondering whether copper greasing the inside of the
shell is a good idea or not.


Grease or antisieze into the BB shell, onto the threads and inside the
BB cups on a cart bearing...Can't use too much.

Drill a hole, no big deal. We do it all the time on any frame that
doesn't have a hole to let H2O escape.

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" wrote in message
ups.com...

PJay wrote:
I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit of
removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the threads to
avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have also
smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell itself
for
protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should I just leave
the
metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish) hole
in
the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as I'm pretty new
to
maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking a drill to my frame.
I
can always remove the seatpost and perhaps store the bike upside down
after
a wet ride. I was just wondering whether copper greasing the inside of
the
shell is a good idea or not.


Grease or antisieze into the BB shell, onto the threads and inside the
BB cups on a cart bearing...Can't use too much.

Drill a hole, no big deal. We do it all the time on any frame that
doesn't have a hole to let H2O escape.

actually, no. use anti seize with moderation on your threads, as too much
will help cause your bb to unscrew while riding.( as many people wonder
about using locite to fix their bb) you should only need to use antiseize
when you have different materials in contact for bb and shell ( to prevent
galvanic corrosion )

also for your frame you can spray Pam inside the tubes to cover the insides
of the tubes BEFORE you take it out for the 1st time

and for drilling, don't. you will let more water in. your frame already has
the necessary holes

Laz

Laz Wrote:
"Qui si parla Campagnolo" wrote in message
ups.com...

PJay wrote:
I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit
of
removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the
threads to
avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have
also
smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell
itself
for
protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should I just
leave
the
metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish)
hole
in
the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as I'm
pretty new
to
maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking a drill to my
frame.
I
can always remove the seatpost and perhaps store the bike upside
down
after
a wet ride. I was just wondering whether copper greasing the inside
of
the
shell is a good idea or not.


Grease or antisieze into the BB shell, onto the threads and inside
the
BB cups on a cart bearing...Can't use too much.

Drill a hole, no big deal. We do it all the time on any frame that
doesn't have a hole to let H2O escape.

actually, no. use anti seize with moderation on your threads, as too
much
will help cause your bb to unscrew while riding.( as many people
wonder
about using locite to fix their bb) you should only need to use
antiseize
when you have different materials in contact for bb and shell ( to
prevent
galvanic corrosion )

also for your frame you can spray Pam inside the tubes to cover the
insides
of the tubes BEFORE you take it out for the 1st time

and for drilling, don't. you will let more water in. your frame already
has
the necessary holes

Laz

My experience after many years with a few steel and aluminum bikes has
been:
Regarding drain holes in the bb, when I ride in the rain water gets
into the bbshell. I don't know how, but it gets there. With no drain
hole, some stays down there. With drain holes the water does not
remain in there. So, for as long as I can recall, I drill the BB
shells of my and my wife's bikes (one or two 1/4 inch holes) and the
bbs stay happy. I bought an expensive, custom made steel frame
recently and it came with the bb predrilled. The builder said he
drills every one he makes. Good builder.

I use lots of grease or teflon thread tape on the bb shell threads.
The lube does not encourage unscrewing...at least with the English
threaded bbs on my bikes. Grease allows me to tighten the parts
smoothly to high enough torque so they do not unscrew. Grease is good.
Too much is just messy, but otherwise not bad.

Steve


--
Steve Shapiro

PJay wrote:

I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit of
removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the threads to
avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have also
smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell itself for
protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should I just leave the
metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish) hole in
the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as I'm pretty new to
maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking a drill to my frame. I
can always remove the seatpost and perhaps store the bike upside down after
a wet ride. I was just wondering whether copper greasing the inside of the
shell is a good idea or not.


Drill a 4mm hole. If you want options, tap it M5 so you can plug it
with a bolt and just drain the water off periodically (knowing none can
get in that way). Thorn do this on their frames. Or just leave it, as
any water that gets in will just run out again. On cheaper frames most
water gets in via the blowholes in the chainstays (which slope towards
the BB) or via a poorly reamed and undergreased seat tube.

Anti-seize on either male or female thread will do. PTFE tape also
works and can be better if your threads are a little loose.

On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:05:36 -0500, "Laz" wrote:

actually, no. use anti seize with moderation on your threads, as too much
will help cause your bb to unscrew while riding.

Bull, BB threads tend to fasten themselves when riding. Well, unless you
have an Italian frame.


Jasper

Zog The Undeniable wrote:
PJay wrote:

I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit
of removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the
threads to avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have
also smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell
itself for protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should
I just leave the metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish)
hole in the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as
I'm pretty new to maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking
a drill to my frame. I can always remove the seatpost and perhaps
store the bike upside down after a wet ride. I was just wondering
whether copper greasing the inside of the shell is a good idea or
not.
Drill a 4mm hole. If you want options, tap it M5 so you can plug it
with a bolt and just drain the water off periodically (knowing none
can get in that way). Thorn do this on their frames. Or just leave
it, as any water that gets in will just run out again. On cheaper
frames most water gets in via the blowholes in the chainstays (which
slope towards the BB) or via a poorly reamed and undergreased seat
tube.

Good point. My TCR has open-ended dropouts (basically a 8mm hole) that feed
into chainstays, all the way to the bottom bracket. In other words, I can
see the center of my bottom bracket from outside the bike.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

On Mon, 31 Oct 2005 11:05:36 -0500, Laz wrote:

actually, no. use anti seize with moderation on your threads, as too much
will help cause your bb to unscrew while riding.( as many people wonder
about using locite to fix their bb) you should only need to use antiseize
when you have different materials in contact for bb and shell ( to prevent
galvanic corrosion )

No. Anti-seize does _not_ cause your bottom-bracket to unscrew. Silly
notion.

also for your frame you can spray Pam inside the tubes to cover the
insides of the tubes BEFORE you take it out for the 1st time

Pam? Are you planning to bake a cake inside your frame? You don't need
any sort of spray on the inside. Take a look at my (or anyone's)
35-year-old frame to see how little rust builds up inside.


and for drilling, don't. you will let more water in. your frame already
has the necessary holes

The holes you apparently are referring to are to allow hot air to escape
while welding/brazing.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | Become MicroSoft-free forever. Ask me how.
_`\(,_ |
(_)/ (_) |

"Laz" wrote in message
...

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" wrote in message
ups.com...

PJay wrote:
I have a steel framed (mountain bike) and am getting into the habit of
removing the BB every so often to clean up and re-grease the threads to
avoid it seizing.

Whilst applying copper grease to the threads of the BB shell I have
also
smeared a layer of copper grease around the inside of the shell itself
for
protection. I was wondering whether this is ok or should I just leave
the
metal bare?

I know that it is often recommended that you drill a small (5mmish)
hole
in
the bottom of the BB shell to allow water to drain but as I'm pretty
new
to
maintenance I really don't feel comfortable taking a drill to my frame.
I
can always remove the seatpost and perhaps store the bike upside down
after
a wet ride. I was just wondering whether copper greasing the inside of
the
shell is a good idea or not.


Grease or antisieze into the BB shell, onto the threads and inside the
BB cups on a cart bearing...Can't use too much.

Drill a hole, no big deal. We do it all the time on any frame that
doesn't have a hole to let H2O escape.

actually, no. use anti seize with moderation on your threads, as too much
will help cause your bb to unscrew while riding.( as many people wonder
about using locite to fix their bb) you should only need to use antiseize
when you have different materials in contact for bb and shell ( to prevent
galvanic corrosion )

also for your frame you can spray Pam inside the tubes to cover the
insides
of the tubes BEFORE you take it out for the 1st time

and for drilling, don't. you will let more water in. your frame already
has
the necessary holes

Laz




Spring for a can of Frame Saver and forget the cooking oil spray...unless
you're concerned about edibility, of course. BTW, in my universe, gravity
causes water to fall out of the hole in the BB shell, not enter it (net, of
course).

Cal