BB antiseize doesn't work?

My Giant STP2 came with completely dry BB cups (Truvativ ISIS), and I had
ridden it for about 6 months before enough wet rides had penetrated it and
caused it to creak to the point where I couldn't ignore it.

I took it out, noticed the dry dust on the threads and cleaned the shell,
cups, and dust wipers. I then put antiseize on the full circumference and
depth of the threads, thinking that it would make a nice snug fit, and then
reassembled. It was just fine for a couple of days of totally dry riding.

When I took it out for a ride after those few days, it was even worse than
it was before. It sounds more like cracking now than just creaking like it
was before. Was this because the antiseize dried, became brittle, and now
is allowing relative movement between the shell and cups?

Is plumber's tape a better solution? Does plain old grease work best? Why
didn't the antiseize work well? I ride this bike in the rain occasionally,
and I hate taking bottom brackets apart.

Most of the BB cups I have seen usually have light antiseize on the threads
already from the factory. Or is it Loctite? When would you use antiseize
as opposed to loctite or antiseize? When would you use antiseize as opposed
to loctite?

Phil, Squid-in-Training

phil- I then put antiseize on the full circumference and
depth of the threads, thinking that it would make a nice snug fit, and then
reassembled. It was just fine for a couple of days of totally dry riding.
BRBR
Was this because the antiseize dried, became brittle, and now
is allowing relative movement between the shell and cups? BRBR

I answer-probably. Use Permatex antisieze or just good grease. Lots of it
including inside the BB cups.

Peter Chisholm
Vecchio's Bicicletteria
1833 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535
http://www.vecchios.com
"Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

Hi Phil
Did you torque it to (what? 35 ft lb lIRC) The purpose of antiseize is
to prevent the seizing of the BB threads to the BB housing threads. Not
to hold it in place. (Although due to it's hi viscosity, it does
sometimes help that way) If U TQed the cups & they still loosened, then
it sounds as if the BB housing threads might be bad.
The 1st thing I'd do is TQ both ends to 40 ft lbs. Look in a TQ
reference 1st to find the max TQ for this BB. This is very hard to do
w/o a way to hold the splined BB tool on the ends. I=92m assuming U have
a spine drive crank, which uses different spines to tighten the end
cups. I made a device of the same sized bolt as the crank bolts &
washers & short lengths of ~1 1/4" pipe, or whatever size pipe is a
little smaller that the tool, to hold the BB tool in place & measure
the TQ w/ a crows foot adapter to the TQ wrench.
If that doesn't work then I'd have the BB housing re threaded.
If that doesn't do it, then U can have the BB housing milled out &
rethreaded w/ an Italian BB. Using an Italian BB always makes U much
faster
Good Luck, John

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi Phil
Did you torque it to (what? 35 ft lb lIRC) The purpose of antiseize is
to prevent the seizing of the BB threads to the BB housing threads. Not
to hold it in place. (Although due to it's hi viscosity, it does
sometimes help that way) If U TQed the cups & they still loosened, then
it sounds as if the BB housing threads might be bad.

The thing is, the frame and cups are just fine. The threads are intact and
in good shape. I think I will go back and use grease this time around.

Phil

Phil, Squid-in-Training Wrote:
My Giant STP2 came with completely dry BB cups (Truvativ ISIS), and I
had
ridden it for about 6 months before enough wet rides had penetrated it
and
caused it to creak to the point where I couldn't ignore it.

I took it out, noticed the dry dust on the threads and cleaned the
shell,
cups, and dust wipers. I then put antiseize on the full circumference
and
depth of the threads, thinking that it would make a nice snug fit, and
then
reassembled. It was just fine for a couple of days of totally dry
riding.

When I took it out for a ride after those few days, it was even worse
than
it was before. It sounds more like cracking now than just creaking
like it
was before. Was this because the antiseize dried, became brittle, and
now
is allowing relative movement between the shell and cups?

Is plumber's tape a better solution? Does plain old grease work best?
Why
didn't the antiseize work well? I ride this bike in the rain
occasionally,
and I hate taking bottom brackets apart.

Most of the BB cups I have seen usually have light antiseize on the
threads
already from the factory. Or is it Loctite? When would you use
antiseize
as opposed to loctite or antiseize? When would you use antiseize as
opposed
to loctite?

Phil, Squid-in-Training

I had this same problem with a TruVativ crank and and Isis BB...I took
the BB out, greased it, but it back in, and it still clicked...finally
took it back to the LBS, where they installed it with a torque wrench.
That eliminated the problem. Apparently, the correct torque setting is
VERY important with an Isis drive in an aluminum frame.........


--
Ron338

Hay Phil
Forgive me, in my last post, I didn?t include enough options, sorry
:-(
If after TQ'ing to Mfgrs max TQ doesn't work, them try plumbers Teflon
tape w/ grease or antisieze. Use as many layers as U can get to thread
into the BB. If it still comes loose or squeaks after that. Then try
Loctite. But be very careful, I was I a bike shop where 2 wrenches were
trying to remove a BB from a very expensive aluminum Italian road
racing bike. They totally striped out the alloy-threaded part of the
shell. I think I'd try 242 Blue Loctite 1st. If that didn't work, I'd
try the Red (262?). W/ the Red U might need heat or chemical means to
remove it when future servicing is required. I believe they said that
the BB in the Italian bike had a thread locker applied.
If none or the above works, then try the Italian thread thing.
It really doesn't matter what lube U use, grease or antiseize. A loose
BB cartage is a loose BB cartage. The advantage to antiseize is that 2
or 10 yrs down the road, U will not find the cartage seized to the
shell. Also it's viscous & some times that acts like a mild thread
locker. But that's not its purpose.
And, of course w/ all the above options always use the correct torque.
This is one of the places correct TQ is very important.
HTH, John

wrote:

Hay Phil
Forgive me, in my last post, I didn?t include enough options, sorry
:-(
If after TQ'ing to Mfgrs max TQ doesn't work, them try plumbers Teflon
tape w/ grease or antisieze. Use as many layers as U can get to thread
into the BB. If it still comes loose or squeaks after that. Then try
Loctite. But be very careful, I was I a bike shop where 2 wrenches were
trying to remove a BB from a very expensive aluminum Italian road
racing bike. They totally striped out the alloy-threaded part of the
shell. I think I'd try 242 Blue Loctite 1st. If that didn't work, I'd
try the Red (262?). W/ the Red U might need heat or chemical means to
remove it when future servicing is required. I believe they said that
the BB in the Italian bike had a thread locker applied.
If none or the above works, then try the Italian thread thing.
It really doesn't matter what lube U use, grease or antiseize. A loose
BB cartage is a loose BB cartage. The advantage to antiseize is that 2
or 10 yrs down the road, U will not find the cartage seized to the
shell. Also it's viscous & some times that acts like a mild thread
locker. But that's not its purpose.
And, of course w/ all the above options always use the correct torque.
This is one of the places correct TQ is very important.

Anti seize paste is not in any way a 'thread locker'. Its
intended purpose is fasteners in extreme heat/corrosive
environments such as exhaust headers, mufflers, etc. It
protects against corrosion better than grease. In bicycles
we use it where dissimilar metals may otherwise corrode -
aluminum fittings in titanium for example.

If you suspect a fastener or component has been loctited,
use a heat gun first. Loctite breaks down readily at 325
degrees F. Or with trichlorethylene.
http://www.loctite.com/int_henkel/lo...d=214&layout=2
No need to force the assembly to the point of thread damage.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

Hi Andrew
Is 325F a safe temp for aluminum? And if it is, how is one to control
the temp at the surface of the BB (or whatever aluminum area) to reach
325F in side. IIRC around 400 to 500 is the upper limit for some
alloys, w/o crossing a phase change. Scares me, and they call me
"fearless" ;-)
Also I didn't mean to imply that antiseize is a true thread locker,
just that it does have some drag. More that, say, any grease I have
used.
Happy Holidays, John

Also, to be the bearer of bad news, in my experience, Giant frames have
been notoriously creaky in the bottom bracket. Even more so with a
Truvativ crankset. Enough to the point that I have had a customer just
flat out replace it to avoid the problem.


--
ahimsa

"ahimsa" wrote in message
...

Also, to be the bearer of bad news, in my experience, Giant frames have
been notoriously creaky in the bottom bracket. Even more so with a
Truvativ crankset. Enough to the point that I have had a customer just
flat out replace it to avoid the problem.


--
ahimsa

I've had two other 2003-2004 Giants, all with RaceFace ISIS BBs, and have
been able to solve creaking with grease, and since I haven't tried that yet,
I'm not too worried. I figured that I'd try the antiseize first since water
has gotten past the grease in the past on really wet, muddy rides, but it
looks like I'll be sticking with grease.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training