Arrivederci Rotor…..

I have been through so many iterations and permutations of bottom brackets and cranksets I have lost count…I think I may have finally solved my problems with Campagnolo and BBright. Finally.

Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you wanted in the first place, right ?

I could not live with the Rotor crankset. Well, more accurately, I could not live with the font shifting of the Rotor Rings. Absolutely horrible – months of dropped chains, constant adjustments, the awful noise of chain rubbing against the front derailleur and worse yet, the trepidation of approaching a climb not knowing if I was going to be able to shift to my small ring or be stuck at the bottom with greasy hands wrestling with my chain as my riding companions soldiered onwards and upwards.

Luckily for me, Campagnolo had a (albeit unofficially supported ) solution – the Over-Torque crankset. Why unofficially ? Good question, there is no reason IMHO….but Campagnolo says no.

But if Over-Torque supports BB386 (46mm x 86mm) there is no reason why the 79mm shell of BBright can’t be accommodated…perhaps they can’t be bothered by taking one spacer out of the bag ? (in their defence, the centre BB sleeve from a PF30 BB is not long enough to bridge the 79mm width of BBright – but it’s only necessary for EPS electronic groupset owners – what you could do is get a BB386 BB sleeve and trim it down 3.5mm on either end, but DON’T buy a BB386 BB instead of a PF30 BB, you won’t get the appropriate spacer(s) !)

A Press-Fit 30 (or PF30) bottom bracket is a 46mm ID shell by 68mm wide that houses a set of bearings in removable cups that accommodate a 30mm crankset spindle. It’s a completely symmetrical design whereby the centre of the shell to the outer faces of the drive and non-drive side are an equal 34mm. BBright is essentially a PF30 bottom bracket that is 11mm wider on the non-drive side (NDS) while maintaining the same 34mm centre to shell face dimensions of the drive side (DS)

So to adapt a Over-Torque crankset for Cervelo’s BBright, you simply use the Campagnolo PF30 bottom bracket and only one of the two included spacers – the spacer goes on the DS, and the adjustable lock-ring on the NDS. Presto.

Only I given my “experience” with my Cervelo and BBright, I wanted it (nearly) perfect, so here’s what I did:

First step after removing the Rotor Crankset and Chris King PF30 BB, I reamed the shell with the Park Tool #791 reamer to the exact dimensions of 45.94mm. While I don’t have the recommended Park HTR-1B tool and 750.2 Cone, a local machine shop made a bushing for the #791 reamer to fit my Cyclus tool (from the Czech Republic, very well made) as well as a custom cone basically identical to the #750.2 from Park.

Reaming the shell was dead-easy and left me with a nice clean carbon shell to press the new Campagnolo bottom bracket cups in. I did a test fit first before applying the Loctite 609 for the final press.

I used the Park #668 PF30/BB30 bushings on my Campagnolo UT-BB140 tool designed for the Campagnolo OS-Fit BB cups – works like a charm, and easier to use than my Park HHP-2.

My trusty dog Tullio watched over the whole proceedings in the garage. Actually, his name is Comet….Tullio would have been cool, though…..

After test fitting, I applied the Loctite 7649 Primer to the cups and inside the shell and allowed to dry, followed by a liberal application of Loctite 609 on the cups, then pressed in place. Unlike previous attempts NO nasty popping and creaking sounds ensued….they went in with sufficient resistance but smoothly.

I left the UT-BB140 in place after backing it off ever so slightly overnight before installing the Crankset. Although theoretically the cure time for the Loctite in in the range of ~ 30 minutes, I had other matters to attend to that evening, so I installed the crank the next day. In hindsight, I wish I had faced the shell as well, but not having invested in the Park #690-XL facer I took the chance the shell was as parallel as specs and factory QC tolerances allowed, alas..it was not the case, but close enough.

If you are interested in installing your own Over-Torque Crankset – be forewarned – you’ll need to invest in the special tool necessary for installing (and removing) it – the UT-FC220 and it’s companion part UT-FC130 in addition to a 24mm box end wrench, as well as1.5mm, 5mm and 8mm allen wrenches. Campagnolo’s official instructions are here. For Cervelo BBRight owners, use only one spacer (on the DS) and the adjustable spacer on the NDS.

There you have it. New chain and rear cassette installed as well for prudence sake (plus the old chain was coming up to around 8,000 km). Perfect front shifting restored, as good as if not better than my original Chorus Over-Torque compact. Note, you may find it near impossible to lock the adjustable spacer with the 1.5mm allen once it’s in place….the bottom bracket cup makes it very difficult. While mine hasn’t budged in ~ 1000 km, I plan on removing the NDS crankset arm and locking the ring down with some Loctite 242 on the treads at first opportunity or if necessary, whichever comes first.

First ride with the new Crankset….performed flawlessly. I have a nice 172.5mm 110 BCD Rotor 3D+ with 50/34 Rotor Rings and a Chris King PF30 BB if anyone is interested ? I can’t guarantee they will shift all that well, but I’ll make you a great deal…..

So long Ultra-Torque OS Fit, Long Live the King !

I’ve gotten many comments both off and on-line about my various postings dealing with adapting Campagnolo OS fit cups for Ultra-Torque cranksets and Cervelo’s  BBright bottom brackets, and I sincerely hope everyone has found it useful. However, after yet another case of “wandering cup”, I’ve given up on the Campagnolo adapters and gone native.

Sort of.

Late last year I snagged a deal on a Rotor 3D+ crankset from TotalCycling.com in Ireland. It’s been sitting on my shelf waiting for the opportune moment to install it. I’ve been hesitant to give up my Campagnolo Ultra-Torque compact and the phenomenal shifting of  X.P.S.S – while I don’t often drop into the small chain ring (a function of more of the local topography than fitness), when I do, it never misses a beat.

But my bike had been making funny sounds as of late. A close examination showed the drive side OS fit cup managed to work itself loose yet again by approximately 2mm outboard. Curses.

Knocking out the cups was a trivial matter. Cleaning out the residual loctite 609 less so. Nevertheless, after an hour of diligent scraping with a razor blade followed by a few quick passes with a scotch-brite 000 pad and acetone, I was left with a clean bottom bracket to install the new bottom bracket. Ta-da.

 

All cleaned up and ready to go.

For the new bottom bracket, I went high end – the Chris King PF30, steel bearings, in black. While King does not officially support using their PF30 in the BBright shell (the inner sleeve is not long enough to accommodate the 79mm shell width), there was no other reason why I could see that it would not work if I opted not to install the sleeve. Yes, the risk of crap entering the bearings increases, but I’m not planning to ride cyclo-cross.

Necessary bits – Park Press, King Adapter Bushings, Locite Primer and 609

The PF30 is amazingly well made piece of kit, as is everything else made by Chris King. Proprietary machined bushings are necessary to press the face of the bottom bracket so that the angular contact bearings are not damaged during install. I purchased mine from Ebay.

Installed !

 

Wrangling the Park HHP-2 is no trivial matter, particularly with the bearing cup dripping Loctite on the floor, but working carefully, the install went without a hitch. A few nasty popping sounds ensued…

Rotor 3D+ Installed

 

Installation of the Rotor 3D+ went pretty smoothly after I removed the 1mm spacer from the NDS because of excessive pre-load on the bottom bracket (I could barely turn it after torquing the nut to spec). I opted to use only the adjustable nut to set the pre-load and everything spun smoothly. I needed to drop the front derailleur by about 2mm to bring it to within the Campy spec of 1.5mm – 3mm off the chainring.

So, first impressions of the Rotor 3D+ ? It’s stiff as hell and about 50 grams lighter than the Chorus Carbon I was using. It does not shift as well, but not terribly either. Some fine tuning of the FD will be necessary.

My first 90km ride went without a hitch, the crank spins smoothly and the seal drag has noticeably decreased. Hopefully this will be the end of my problems with BBright.

 

Freshly Pressed !

Finally, progress made. Goal is in sight.

My first attempt to press the BBright Campagnolo cups into the R3 frame ended in disaster. I ended up pressing the left hand side cup crooked with about 0.25 mm space between the shell of the bottom bracket and the cup flange. Not happy with the result, I knocked out the cup and attempted again, this time making it worse. I ended knocking both cups out, cleaning up the loctite and placing an order for the proper tool (Campagnolo UT-BB140) and a set of replacement cups.

Now here is something interesting worth mentioning. There appears to be at least 2 versions of the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque BBright adapters – Campagnolo part numbers IC12-UTR51 and IC12-UTR51E. The two versions vary significantly enough that it is worth mentioning.

IC12-UTR51 (L) 58 grams and IC12-UTR-51E (R) 67 grams

The UTR51E appear to be a later version judging from the “EPS COMPAT” markings on both the packaging and on the shells of the cups themselves. The UTR51E cups have a prominent o-ring around the leading edge of the cup, and extra material around the bore. This makes the UTR51E cups heavier by 9 grams.

Close up of the right hand side UTR51 (L) and UTR51E cups (R). Note the additional material on the inner diameter of the cup.

Left hand side UTR51E cup (L) and UTR51 cup (R). Same additional material is present as on the right side cups.

Obviously, the material is there for some good reason. If I had to wager I’d bet the re-design is to accommodate the EPS bottom bracket sleeve that prevents the internal wiring from tangling around the crank axel. I will say however, removing these cups is going to be a colossal PITA as the Park BBT-30.3 can’t be used as the extra material prevents the neck of the tool from being placed through the inner bore of the cup. Hopefully the VAR Tool used for extracting Campagnolo cups will fit.

Here’s a shot of the juices required as outlined by the technical documentation provided by Loctite.

Loctite ODC-Free Cleaner, 7649 Primer, 609 Retaining Fluid, Campagnolo OS Fit tool

Basic procedure: Degrease the cups and the bottom bracket shell with the cleaner, minding not to spray it over everything, wiping up the excess. Once dry, apply a few squirts of the primer to the cups and bottom bracket shell surface. Mind not to get the primer on the seals of the cups, as the acetone will discolour the seals. It’s also recommended to put a shop towel into the bottom bracket to prevent primer and/or degreaser from pooling in the shell. Be tidy.

After the initial squirts of primer are dry, apply a second, then following the directions for “housed components” -pg 29, apply a bead of the 609 to the leading edge of the cup and press in, following the procedure outlined by Campagnolo.

All done !

For the uninitiated – it requires a significant amount of torque to press in the cups. Nasty popping sounds will ensue. If you are careful and continue to twist the handle they will go in. Leave the tool in the cups for at least 30 minutes to allow the loctite to set-up. Some people say overnight. Loctite says 30 minutes minimum is fine at typical room temperatures.Full strength is reached in 24 hours, so it’s not recommended that you install the cranks and ride until after a full cure has been achieved.

The results. Nearly perfect. The Right hand cup still does not meet the shell perfectly. There is about a 1cm spot where the flange is 0.001″ out as measured by a feeler gauge. That’s 0.0254mm or about 1/4 the thickness of a sheet of 20 lb paper.

Or close enough for government work.

UT-BB140 vs. Park HHP-2

A while back I commented on using the Park HHP-2 as a tool for pressing BB30 and PF30 cups. Here’s my experience with using the HHP-2 for the Campagnolo BBright cups – Disaster.

Yes, a poor workman blames his tools. But unless you are extremely dextrous or have a willing assistant, the UT-BB140 is a better tool for pressing in the Campagnolo cups. Here’s why:

The HHP-2 is one heavy mo-fo at 2550 grams (around 5 pounds), longer than what is necessary for a bottom bracket that is only 79mm wide and has a shaft diameter damn near as thick as the inner bore of the Campagnolo cup. This makes it treading the shaft through the cups without catching the bearing seal and damaging it a tricky proposition. In addition, because Park does not supply (or even make) the proper sized bushing, you are forced to install the cups by pressing on the face of the cup.

Technically this is fine, but in practice, pressing the cups using their faces makes aligning the face of the press with the face of the cup perfectly parallel using the heavy, slippery mo-fo difficult without stopping to rest the tool on the inner bearing seal and damaging it. In addition, the face of the HHP-2 pushing on the face of the cup scratched the face/lettering of the left side cup all to hell when the necessary torque was applied. In the end, it looked like crap.

Yes, it can work. But it’s tough. Most home mechanics will resign themselves to trying anything before resorting to spending  $100 for the proper tool that will be used only a few times. I should have known better, but I tried anyway. I failed miserably. I capitulated and purchased the Campagnolo tool after pressing the left side cup crooked, scratching the lettering off the cup face, and damaging both seals.

Campagnolo UT-BB140 and Park HHP-2 side by each.

Do it right the first time with the right tool. When you see Campagnolo’s more elegant solution in action, you’ll thank yourself for shelling out the additional dollars, knowing that a critical component of your bikes drivetrain has been installed correctly. Put it on your desk as a paperweight between times you need to use it. It’s beautiful.

New build update…progressing slowly

My impatience is growing, nevertheless, I have managed to make some small progress on the R3 while I wait for the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque OS Fit BB-cup tool (UT-BB140) to press in my OS Fit BBright cups. Hopefully it arrives any day now so I can get on with it.

Apparently, some have used the Park Tool HHP-2 Bearing cup press to install the Campagnolo cups, but I wouldn’t recommended it. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a fine quality tool. My reluctance to use the HHP-2 (of which I have one) is that it lacks the proper bushings for the OS Fit cups. Not the end of the world, but it’s actually pretty tricky to get the faces of the cups parallel to each other while managing a heavy and slippery tool in the other hand. Four hands would be ideal.

I speak from first-hand experience as my first attempt to press the cups in ended in complete disaster with the left cup ending up crooked in the frame.

So, rather than juggle with the HHP-2, I opted for the proper Campagnolo tool. I’ll do a posting comparing the two.

Nevertheless, I did manage to cut the steer tube to spec:

Cutting set-up – 32 tpi hacksaw blade, precision ruler, saw guide

I was surprised to see a good-ole star-fangled nut in the steer tube, and a aluminum insert epoxied into place as my Look HSC5 fork only used a compression plug. Before I could cut it, I needed to drive the nut down 20mm so as not to cut into it. I used a nail set and hammer, carefully tapping and measuring as I went. The aluminum insert is 70mm long, and the star nut is set 15mm into the tube, so cutting 20mm leaves 50mm of insert, of which there is plenty remaining for the nut. I plan on running a 10mm spacer under the bearing cap, and a 5mm spacer above, so I’m good to go. What would have been better was had the fork been supplied WITHOUT the insert epoxied in, but alas.

When cutting, a few points to remember – measure twice, cut once. Go slowly. And a little lubrication doesn’t hut either when cutting through the aluminum. A few light passes with a file is also recommended to round over the cut edge to reduce the likely hood of the carbon edge chipping when installing the fork.

Ta-da ! 9 grams lighter

So, once my Park TNS-1 arrives, I’ll set the nut and install the fork. Bingo !

BBright and Loctite, cutting through the fog

A while back I disclosed my dissatisfaction with the assembly instructions for bearing cups for Cervelo BBright frames. In short, the instructions provided by Cervelo BBright are simply not clear with respect to the materials and procedures for pressing bearing cups into their frames. If alternative or revised instructions have been made available to authorized retailers, I would encourage that documentation be passed along.

Loctite, fortunately, has a myriad of documentation associated with their products, as well as product guides and best practice / procedures. Two of the best documents with respect to press fit assemblies I found are here and here. I would highly encourage others to review their documentation to get a clear understanding of how retaining compounds are used, and how to select the appropriate retaining compound for the job.

Following the guide outlining the best practices for Bonding non-threaded cylindrical metal assemblies, I come to the first decision criteria – “IS THE ASSEMBLY BADLY WORN?”

No, but I decide to measure the diameter of the two parts in question with my micrometer anyway – the BBright bottom bracket and the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque OSfit adapters. The left cup measured 46.0mm even, and the right cup measured 46.04mm. The BBright shell varied from right side to left side, but fell within the Cervelo specifications of 45.88 to 45.96mm. Given the errors in accuracy of my 25$ micrometers, and the difficulty in measuring a cylindrical assembly freehanded, my measurements of 45.86, 45.92, 45.90 and 45.96 are all in the ballpark.

So, Campagnolo cups – 46.0mm, BBright Shell 45.90mm ave. Given the diameter of the cups are 0.1mm larger than the BBright shell, one would imagine that a retaining compound is not even necessary in this situation and that, according to the BBright instructions, all that is needed is to grease and press them in for a tight fit.

Nevertheless, out of prudence, I am going to go the Loctite route, and use a retaining compound anyway. This is given the difficulties others have had with the Campagnolo cups and grease only.

So, continuing to follow the Loctite guide, I am faced with another decision on the tree – “Will the parts be dismantled later for maintenance? e.g., bearings, sprockets and sheaves”.

Yes. So I can use, according to Loctite, either 641 or 609. Ok. Done. 641 for low strength applications, 609 for medium strength applications. The principal differences between the products being their gap filling capability and their shear strength (read – ease of removal).

But what of the 680 mentioned in the BBright instructions ? Ahhh…..it would appear this retaining compound is recommended when disassembly is not required. Hummmm…..I take that to be “permanent”.

I don’t know about you, but the idea of permanently fixing a 50$ aluminum cup that could potentially wear over time, into a 2000$ frame frame that should theoretically last longer than the cup seems a bit shortsighted and might be something worth mentioning by the manufacturer (Cervelo). Again, not to crap all over Cervelo, but really, those assembly instructions are the best you could manage ? I submit another 15 minutes would have all that would have been needed to put together a better document. The caution about the use of 680 and the potential for permanently fixing the cup to the frame might have been nice, too. What if the customer wanted to change cranks down the road ?

Ok, so 641 or 609 and we are go to go, right ?

Ahhh, but wait. We have only covered the criteria for the proper Loctite product selection. Now we need to examine the proper method for use. This is where the cleaners, primers and the proper application to the parts of the assembly come into play.

Stay tuned for Part II.

Alright BBright….let’s get it straight

The excitement looking over my new R3 suddenly turned to confusion, doubt and intrepidation when looking at the challenge before me – removing the BBRight cranks and installing a set of Campagnolo Chorus Ultra-Torque cranks.

Why ? One word. BBright. Cervelo’s take on what appears to be the quickest evolving part of a bicycle. For years installing a bottom bracket on a frame manufactured in the modern decade was a relatively simple affair. Either the bottom bracket was treaded Italian (1.417″ x 1.06mm) or British (1.375″ x 24tpi). Spindles varied in length, but were limited to either JIS or ISO taper. Then suddenly this all changed. Carbon fibre manufacturing allowed more flexibility in how bottom bracket shells were manufactured and suddenly, EVERY manufacturer had their own ideas. The only standard seems to be, simply, none.

Admittedly, this isn’t a huge issue for most cyclists. You pick your bike up from the dealer, fill your water bottles, pump up your tires and ride. Mechanical problems are handled by those in the know – the bike shop mechanic. You trust things have been assembled correctly, and more than likely they are.

Most bike shop mechanics as are competent, if not exceptionally so. But after a heavy handed mechanic crushed the steerer tube of my Look HSC5 carbon fork, necessitating me to cut off the offending section and repair it, I swore up and down that the only one who ever is going to touch my bikes would be me. It’s been both an education and investment. Countless hours of my time understanding the in’s and outs of bike repair and probably thousands in tools. Not a route most people are want to take, but maintaing my road bike, my city bike, my daughters road bike, two additional kids bikes and my wife’s bike, I’m sure I’ve recouped what I’ve invested (minus the time) if I would have had to rely on the bike shop for repair and tune ups. And working on a bike in my garage in the evenings is somewhat of a cathartic experience  for me.

I grew up in my grandfathers garage, watching him machine, weld and repair all sorts of mechanical apparatus. Completely lacking in formal education with only a basic grasp of english, my grandfather had a technical aptitude that few have. I watched him overhaul diesel engines and with those same grease-under-the-fingernails-ham-sized-hands-with-sausage-fingers, open up and adjust his pocket-watch.  When he didn’t have a tool, he made it. When he didn’t have a part, he sometimes made those as well, casting aluminum and iron from a small furnace he made (naturally). So it was from him I learned to overhaul small engines as a kid and how to fix my own cars before I could afford new ones with warranties. I still maintain my own snowblower and lawnmower. Why ? Because I can. And I like it, frankly.

Professionally, working in an engineering environment, I’ve learned the concepts of tolerances, finishes, materials of construction. Working as s a supplier of equipment to the aerospace industry, providing accurate documentation, manuals and procedures are absolutely necessary.

Naturally I turned to the BBright website, where I found the instructions somewhat lacking in clear information and directions. Now, not to shit all over Cervelo here, but a company that presents itself as a leader in carbon manufacturing and design could afford to spend a bit more effort on customer documentation.

Turning to the masses, Googling “CERVELO + BBright + CAMPAGNOLO” confirmed the litany of confusion of adapting Campagnolo Ultra-Torque cups to a BBright press-fit bottom bracket, with no clear instructions or procedures of how it should be done. Multiple techniques, opinions and procedures as to the correct way. Bicycling bushcraft.

And no wonder. Referring to the BBright instructions and examining the Ultra-Torque cups….hummm, ok….metal cups with bearings on the INSIDE of the frame….. therefore, I grease and press in frame. If the fit is loose, clean off the grease and use Loctite 641 or 680.

Oh, wait….the cup on the right side is different. The bearings are on the outside of the frame. Therefore…use Loctite 680. Ok, but right hand side cup…How loose is too loose ? What is the criteria when 680 be used over 641 ? Should I use 641 on the left cup and 680 on the right ?

Oh, wait…the bearings on the left cup look partially inside and partially outside. Now what ? And this primer 7649 “speeds cure on inert surfaces”….inert ? Ok, not the term of choice in describing materials of construction but I understand…I submit “passive surface” might be more accurate description ..ok, carbon fibre…. passive ? Yes, most likely. The cups are anodized aluminum. Ok, passive enough I suppose under atmospheric conditions ….but should I use the primer only if I wish to speed the cure ? Or must it be used ?

Lends itself to interpretation, doesn’t it ?

So, in my next post, I am going to break it all down and approach this problem in a more mechanically-minded fashion.