Bottom Bracket Tightening

[Mr_Pickles3]

I am trying to get an old bike ready to take to uni in less than two weeks time.

I have noticed however that the bike has some play in the bottom bracket so the crankset wobbles. I have been trying to tighten it as described by many other websites and videos, but to no avail; the locknut (if I think it is a locknut) is not budging. Any ideas what I can do to fix it??

I've attached a picture of the locknut.

 

[Tim Hall]

The locknut is the ring thing with the cutouts on the circumference. Assuming it's a British threaded bottom bracket the lock nut should be right hand (conventionally) threaded. You'll need to loosen it a tadge then tighten the inner nut by turning it left (or anti clockwise.) If you haven't go a C spanner, try a hammer and chisel/old screwdriver in the slots.

 

[Gravity Aided]

I might suggest replacing with a sealed BB, sure wish we had them when I was at Uni.

 

[mjr]

As @Tim Hall suggests, you need to loosen the locknut/lock ring and then tighten the adjustable cup by grabbing those small flats with a suitable spanner. I found a pipe wrench was good for adjusting the locknut and I think it was a thin spanner (some old pedal spanner?) fitted the cup I had.

@Gravity Aided - replacement with a sealed bb is possible but does have potential to cause problems on old bikes if there's not enough good thread or it's an unusual size or chainline. If the bearings can be replaced and adjusted to run smooth with neither play nor binding, is it worth the risk?

 

[Mr_Pickles3]

Thanks for the replies!
I managed to easily get the locknut off (seems like I was referring to the wrong thing when I said locknut), so that was no problem.

However it is the cup that isn't moving at all...I've been at it with an adjustable spanner and a hammer to try and turn it, but it still will not budge

 

[Mobytek]

@Mr_Pickles3 where you from? If london ish I could come an probably sort for you.

 

[ChrisEyles]

If you are really stuck, you can take the crank off and clamp a vice onto the adjustable cup - I've done this before on a very old and stuck BB and it did the job... but it's a bit of a faff if you weren't planning on taking off the crank anyway.

 

[Mr_Pickles3]

@MobytekThank you for the offer, but I'm afraid I'm quite a way away in Devon!

Hmm I don't have a suitable vice for that... I think maybe I'll give it one more go with the spanner and hammer tomorrow, and if it still doesn't move I guess I'll just have to put up with a bit of play in it. It's only a cheap 80s ten speed that I expect to be stolen at some point, so I suppose it's not the end of the world.