Old-School bottom bracket service, part one

[DrunkenSamurai18]

my pedal unscrewed when i was riding and stripped the crank arm. fml!

[010194jpable]

my bike has the same type of bracket but it needs to be replaced because the part were the chain goes is dented but the left pedal is stuck is there anything i can do? Maybe break the pedal?

[DrunkenSamurai18]

@010194jpable try using pliers or a wrench to unscrew the pedal

[lija259]

****WARNING DO NOT ATTEMPT ON SHIT BIKES MAY RESULT IN OVER AGRIVATION AND THROWING BIKE INTO A RIVER***

[ampdavolts]

@lija259 , ha ha, thank you for a real-life comment. Great!

[JulianSahagun16]

omfg thank god i watched this video u just made my life a WHOLE LOT easier thank u so much

[cracklarock]

Hadn't messed with this type of fix in years! I am glad I watched I had forgotten about the reverse thread. I woulda gone at it until it was stripped if it wasn't for your vid. Thanks.

[CopeManMTNDEW]

can replace a loose ball bottom bracket with mid sealed bearings

[SoLittleHope]

Hey my cone is stuck, and my pedal snapped off, but that medal screw that holds the pedal is still in the crank arm. Somebody please help me!?

[23rdnightmare]

They still use those bearings on the cheaper bikes, I BMX so I have sealed.

Good video

Thumbs up

[Hadwinx]

Thanks for the sub, il also watch that cop video your tutorials are really good thanks:) I rated 5 too:]

[Hadwinx]

Thanks as soon as u removed the bearings, i went out and replaced mine, luckily i had some spare bearings from my old bike and it was pretty easy thanks for posting it :)

[rien1041]

wow you have the cleanest bike repair videos on the internet. congrats. really smooth :D

[JackstandJohnny]

Hello you, me again. Just letting you know I used your video's to rebuild the bottom bracket on my old Mongoose looptail. Went without a hitch thanks to you dude!

[JackstandJohnny]

Dude, you're awesome. You should do A.M radio. You could talk about bicycles and wild wild women.

[ryanheff123]

i would like to thank u very much u encouraged me to remove my old sprocket and put on a new 1 and thanks to this video i was aware of where the bearings were and why the there is no rubber seal near the pedal arm

thank you

[topher8096]

Thank you !

[Ultraspontane]

Any ever tell you that you have a voice for radio? Thanks for the well done and informative vid!

[tonytober]

If I found this video 4 minutes before, I would have saved 20$. But for the future, I love you for my whole life. Remeber it. You're a hero, now. You saved lives!

[stocktonpk]

thanks for putting this on youtube it will really help me improve my bike and put a smaller sprocket and new crank arms on

[MrBiggtunna]

Wow thank you sooo!! much. You made it so much easier thanks again =]

[quirpco]

How can I tell if the nut on my bike is right or left-hand thread?

[thaihungthinh]

first patented in 1895 by Arnold Schwinn & Company

[xantbeezy123x]

how to change the chainring????????

[cjhoyle]

Believe it or not, I've actually had a one piece crank like this that fatigued and sheared right off! Definitly the most reliable type of crank, but its still possible to fail!

[iRJRx]

how do i remove the sprocket please help

[iRJRx]

this helped alot as i was stripping down an old bmx for the frame, but im stuck in one place, you see where the bearings sit. i want to remove that to put in a new style bottom bracket.

PLEASE HELP! :)

[outforblood77]

So, are 3 pc cranks really that much better than a 1 piece? Would it be worth the upgrade from a 1 piece? Also are 3 pc cranks harder to service? I've always had 1 pc cranks on my BMX and beach cruisers, and the only problem I've had is that the cone on the BB would occasionally come loose.

[unitfox333]

ok i have a 79 supergoose and it has the same bottom bracket as the one you showed. what im trying to do is do away with the standard one pice crank and and replace it with the newer 3 pice cranks and 22mm sealed bearings. the bottom bracket measures 2" ID and im trying to find out if they make a sleeve that i can put in there to reduce it from a 2" to accept the new 22mm bearings. Or if someone has done what im trying to do and can tell me what worked for them. thanks

[unaffiliatedperson]

does anyone know where i can find the spanner to get the cone off. i found an oldie beach cruiser im tring to get the entire pedal thing out to clean it. its rusted badly down there

[TheGuitarGodfather33]

@unaffiliatedperson can you take off a one peice crankset and put in a three peice?

[unaffiliatedperson]

@TheGuitarGodfather33 i wouldnt know but i did manage to get my crank off. i used a snap ring plier to hold the cone and then twisted. then i put a slotted head screw driver to hold the cone and i spun the pedal crank thing

[ImJustAnAverageJoe]

i have the same bracket that i took off already, i was wondering what kind of brackets these were called? my friend said they were american, not sure if it might be european or some other kind. I just needed confirmation that it is indeed an american bottom bracket and was wondering if they had another name, cause i want to buy a new bottom bracket

[flasher702]

This is a "Ashtabula" One Piece Crank (O.P.C.) style bottom bracket crankset. An old style that was popular in America. You could update the title and/or details so that searches for the proper name can find your video more easily.

Great Video, thanks for posting.

[sickkickzdude804]

excuse me sir would i have a one piece crank bike i would like to know would i be able to take the crank apart and adda two piece crank? nice video by the way.

[SAfreak1000]

@ampdavolts if my bmx crank are similiar to yours can it works and inside is it all are the same?

[CaveiraDaSilva]

Thank you. It was very helpful.

[massiveants]

Good to know even Adam West enjoys bike maintenance.

[daydaydom]

WOW! Thanks for your detailed Video! It really helped me alot!

[ajuk1]

Why not replace the bearings?

[netherlandUSER]

haha retard!

"loose balls are better" xD

no they are not, sealed ones last way longer

[soulkiller90]

can u grease a 3 piece crank bracket with wd-40??

[ReidWelch]

@soulkiller90, not really guy. OIL is OK for ball bearings if you can keep the oil IN the bearing assembly. Old time bikes used oil and oil cups. WD-40 is merely 75% mineral spirits solvent and 25% very light mineral oil: it's not much of a lubricant, and is a bit tough, possibly, on rubber oil "seals". HTH, Reid. Grease is generally our best bet for both serviceable bearings and "not serviceabe" bearings (you can inject grease to them sometimes)

[javywrites]

sweet thanks..yea cuz i dont have alot of money i cant get a job yet haha so knowing i can jus do a one piece saves me about 40 bucks! ill post a vid as soon as i get mine!

[gorillapimping]

Thanks a lot! very informative. I was tightening it the whole time! lol

[ampdavolts]

@gorillapimping, I'm so glad the little video helped you. I was tightening too, until the LBS told me which way to turn. Thanks for your comment.

Reid Welch in Miami

[javywrites]

so for fixed gear it would be better to use this type of bracket? or should i get a 3 piece crank kit? i have an old scwhin and idk if i should just keep the crank that you have or get a euro bottom bracket converter?

[ampdavolts]

@javywrites, I'm not expert enough to give you any really good advice. I only say that the old, heavy, forged, one piece crank and simple, hundred year-old-design is unbreakable and will last and last if it's simply serviced on occasion. Modern gear is costly by comparison, and really, not much serviceable by the home-biker. The old ways are often better. See Sheldon Browns website for a full set of lessons about old and new tech on bikes? Cheers, thanks for writing,

Reid

[janerikborge]

Great Job!

This helped me a lot on my kids bike.

Thanks for your effort.

[ampdavolts]

@janerikborge, I'm delighted that this amateur video makes life a bit easier for folks who just want to keep a new or old bike first-class serviceable. Great that it helped you, that's my "pay". Thanks guy,

Reid

[Taketentot]

Thanks man!!

[Palifiox]

You left out the hard part, breaking the pedal loose. Otherwise, excellent clip.

[ampdavolts]

@Palifiox, thank you for the great comment. It's a new bike, so nothing was hard to break loose. You more sage bikers can help newbies by giving such fine advices to this commentary list.  dirtjumpbmxer has the know-how. Old school bikes are really superb in their ways. Cheap, too. Thanks, all.

Reid

[milligano]

alberto is a champ

[ampdavolts]

@milligano, Alberto at Coral Way Bike Shop is indeed a master mechanic. Unlike me, he does not talk too much. We all admire the steadfast guys at Coral Way Bike shop here in Miami. Only two owners of that shop since, about 1943, if I'm not mistaken. LBS's, good ones, are to be trusted. Thanks for the comment. Tell Alberto he's still the champ, for me?

[guilleg4]

I LOVE YOU MAN, YOU SAVED MY LIFE :D ♥

[dermotk5]

my bike is all rusty

i tried unscrewing that nut but it was rusted over and wouldn't budge

i hit the end of the wrench with a hammer and it just bent

i didn't think of trying to turn it the other way

[marocr3w]

put some WD 40 on it

[ReidWelch]

@marocr3w, sorry I don't have the expertise to advise. Local Bike Shop if friendly, or go online and check any of the many bike sites. The late Sheldon Brown's site is really good for most every detail of basic bike mechanics. HTH, reid.

[willwazere2]

hi man well i got my bmx bike about 9 mouths ago and i have 3piece cranks and the bottem bracket in this video. But i need a new bottem bracket and axal so can u sugest a bmx bottem bracket that will fit its a stolen getaway 07 bmx please help me thankyou

[CallMeMrHippo]

can you put a 3piece crank bearing in there instead when you remove an old school bb?

[ampdavolts]

Gosh, I just don't know. Many true bike experts could answer at any of the many good bike forums.

Show 'em this video? My aim is "bike mechanics for beginnners", of which I am a fine example.

But I also am a quick learner, with mechanical things....and I thank you for your good question.

PERHAPS someone here will answer for you, Y or N, or apply a video response?

[squirrelybmx]

i wasnt being smart, i was just wondering

[ampdavolts]

You BMX guys are heroes of The Old School. You are never "smart"; you ARE mental-agility-athletic geniuses of the highest order. You can never do harm to me, but you DO educate me.

In time, We the People of The Two Wheel Machine,

will, again OWN the very roads STOLEN from us by the Dreaded CAR. Cars SUCK, or SUV, as anyone may perfer to say. Fuck all cars driven by soccer mommies on their cell phones, killing and maiming wheelmen and women every day.

Summary: WE WIN. Thank you for writing!

[ampdavolts]

You are the future. No wondering why this is true.

You BMX lads are the future of FUN bike riding, in the city, on the streets!

[ampdavolts]

15mm. Your bike shop probably has a cheap-cost pedal wrench in stock, made for the job: it is "thin" but not super thin like a CONE WRENCH, which is NOT for heavy work.

Alternately, you can use a 15mm open-end wrench, and if it is too "thick", just grind it thinner with your bench grinder or coarse grit belt sander, bucke of water to cool as you grind: limited space is why we need a fairly thin wrench. Note my fumbles. I like to look clumsy on camera: keeps me humble!

[squirrelybmx]

why did u take off the right pedal?

[ampdavolts]

good question! answer: because I am a stu-fu NOOB and this was the first time for me to tackle this simple sort of job. I learn by DOING, and in the process, I FUMBLE. We all learn by making minor errors. The right pedal did NOT need to be removed. Your comment was valid and correct. Thank you. Thumbs up to you, sir!

[Subfightr]

lol. The way you speak you speak though, seems so patient and confident, it gives a strong illusion that wow, this guy really knows what he is doing.

Fake it till you make it Reidy.

[ampdavolts]

I'm fakin' it at EFFO now, with you,

my stubby subby buddy co-administrator!

Come here and razz me, anytime.

TIP to amdavolts viewers> watch this account's videos when you suffer from insomnia.

I'll put you all right to ZZZZzzzzzzz sleep-land! 

lol,r.

[dooode6]

Hey thanks for the help, this video saved my bike! Also what video camera did you use to tape this, looks really good

[ampdavolts]

What a nice guy you are! In answer: it is a Canon HV30. Since I made that video, I (am a STUFU, a happy one), I stepped on and crushed the cam-to-computer special cable-end. So, most 'ampdavolts" videos made after this one, are in SD, with an old Casio EX-S770 camera.

A NEW cable (six to four pin, one meter) is on the way. MORE, true, "HD" videos will appear here in the future. CLEAR pictures are such a help to me, and to us all. Fuzzy video is soooo lam-o! Thank you, guy! Thumbs UP for u

[1bmx3r1]

can i converter a 1pc to a 3pc and what bottom bracket would i need??

[Subfightr]

good question, I wanna know too.

[ampdavolts]

Guys, I am not expert. YT is loaded with DIY videos for so-called "sealed" or "cartridge bearings", which, according to Jobst Brandt and other world-famed GURUS, are -bad news- when they go bad, especially on an old bike. Their servicing is REPLACEMENT and requires special tools = go to the LBS and PAY through the knows (so to say, learn a lesson).

[chronic788]

Thanks a ton for your vid. It helped alot.

[willmanhi1]

lol get a mis sealed...its soooooooooooo much better!! omg im so glad i spend the money on new cranks rather then having my shitty open bottom bracket thstam ade so much noise and came loose in like a day

[Subfightr]

mis sealed? What is that?

[willmanhi1]

its the same size but the bearing is sealed and you just push it in like bearings on a skate board or roller skates

[ampdavolts]

Well, Sub, it's like this. Jobst Brant naileded quite well in his article-new-BB posting, re: "sealed bearings". I have studied BB and sealing techniques for almost forty years, as a hobby. REGULAR "sealed" ball bearings as used on ALL modern bikes, are not 'sealed' at all. They are single lip rubber "shielded", which only keeps out the worst of the water and crap, and are practically NOT SERVICABLE. The old cone and cup system is not "sealed" either, not these days, though, once, "shielded"

[ReidWelch]

@willmanhi1, you just have to have decent-conditon parts and know how to finesse them to work. A century's service for this design shows that it has merit. "Came loose" sounds like the cone jam nut unscrewed. Adjustment, just so, and firmly setting the jam nut, is essential. IF the jam nut is RH thread and tends to unscrew, then adjust the clean parts and apply a drop of green thread locking compount. All problems have solutions. Cups and cones and bearings are easily replaced if needed.

[oldskoolskater233]

thanks, that really helped. i was going nuts trying to find out how to dissassemble oldskool cranks, everyone seems to have those fancy allen head attached cranks now.

[obeypropaganda13]

its called 3 piece cranks

their fuckin sikk man

get a euro bottom bracket converter and you can get some

all you need then are the cranks and spindle

they work so awsome

[ampdavolts]

Square hole, taper-fit, screw-ram-jamed ALUMINUM cranks are for shit. They are mechanically ALL WRONG for strong guys who STAND on their cranks. A poor one can and will SPLIT and BUST due to the stress risers at the corners of a stu-fu square hole in soft, fatigue-prone aluminum. ALUMINUM in 1910 was called "THE TROUBLE METAL".

And it really sucks for many bike parts, if its gonna be a hard-ridden bike. Go steel, always, imo.

[Mrfitrider1]

no need

got titainium 3 pc cranks now

[CappedInTheHead]

thanks, helped a lot