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…..

Revenge of BBRight

Argh !

Yet another of victim of “wandering cups”.

So, it would appear that regardless of my research,  attention to detail and following Henkel / Loctite instructions to the letter, my Campagnolo Ultra-Torque / BBRight adapter did NOT remain in place.

After 500km, I noted something changed in the sound and function of my Chorus drivetrain when it became noticeably louder on the big ring and lower rear cogs. Removal of the crank and inspection revealed the drive side (DS) cup moved 1 to 1.5mm outboard from the BBRight shell.

As I found it. Note the gap between the BBRight shell and the flange of the Campagnolo cup.

What to do….what to do ? Well, the only alternative was to knock out the offending cup and re-install. Luckily I had the tools and materials on hand to do the job. And I really had planned on riding this day. Damn.

Park Tool makes two specific BB30 bearing removal tools – the BBT-30.3 and the BBT-90.3. Unfortunately, the design of the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque cup does not permit the use of the BBT-30.3 which I would prefer to use. Luckily, my Ice Toolz “XEPERT” headset cup remover (basically a less expensive version of the Park RT-1) and some careful bending of the flared end did the job without any difficulty.

Ta-da ! Knocked out cup, and look at the residual Loctite 609 in the BBRight shell. Removal of said Loctite is a colossal PITA.

Residual Loctite in the BBRight shell. How to remove ? Read on !

I contacted Henkel Canada to inquire as to the best method of removing residual retaining compound. The nice technical service representative filled me on on some interesting details. One, Loctite retaining compounds are not cyanoacrylate based, they are dimethacrylate based. And two, nothing short of methylene chloride is going to soften a cured dimethacrylate easter enough to facilitate easy removal. He recommended a product called Loctite Chisel Paint Remover #135544

As an FYI, I’m from a chemical background so immediately I question the compatibility of methylene chloride on the carbon substate of the BBRight shell itself.

Why ? Because methylene chloride is a strong enough solvent to de-polymerize the epoxy used in the carbon layup. I decided to inquire to Cervelo directly. My hunch was confirmed.

Hi William, 

 Thanks for asking. DO NOT use methylene chloride based solvents on your Cervelo frame. Methylene chloride based solvents can soften the epoxy. Damage due to the use of methylene chloride based solvents is not covered under your warranty.

 

Instead, I recommend mechanical removal methods for cured LocTite. I’ve used an Exacto knife to manually scrape and chip cured LocTite from the bottom bracket shell. Other mechanical removal methods may also work. However, do not heat above ~40 degrees C or ~100 degrees F, which means no powertool-driven wire brushes, etc. 

So, armed with a beer, the radio, heat gun  and a flat razor blade, I proceeded to carefully heat and scrape, heat and scrape, heat and scrape……which is another reason why I like to work on my own bike. What bike mechanic is going to do the same ? I submit unless your name is Chris Froome, nobody.

About an hour and a half later I was done.

Clean !

Next steps: Clean shell with Loctite ODC Free Cleaner and De-Greaser, coat with 7649 Primer and…..wait….Loctite 609 or 680 ? Humm….good question. Originally, I used 609 and the cup moved. So I opted this time to use the higher strength 680….and failed. 680 is a significantly more viscus / thicker liquid. No, and I mean NO reasonable amount of force could seat the cup in the frame with 680 applied. So, whilst the Loctite cured, I scrambled around to knock out the cup jammed part way in the shell. Damn !

Once knocked out, I quickly used Acetone to try and clean up the semi cured Loctite and….you guessed it…..heat and scrape, heat and scrape the remaining material out of the shell. Another 30 minutes of my life wasted.

Some helpful hints for those following: While metal ions are needed for Loctite to cure on passive surfaces (Aluminum, Carbon), you realistically only need to prime one surface unless you want a VERY high cure speed. This could have been why I have had problems in the past – essentially the retaining compound is setting up while I am pressing the cup. I would recommend only priming the shell, letting it dry,and applying the Loctite to the cup.

Third times a charm. Hopefully.