Trouble removing pedals and crankset

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It's my first attempt and I suspect I'm doing this all wrong...been trying and failing to get these off using the 6mm hex key on my multitool. It's not having it at all so I was thinking I'd get a longer hex for more leverage but am I even doing it right? Should I be trying to use a spanner on the outside of the pedal in conjunction with/instead of the hex on the inside of the crank?

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Also, when it comes to taking the crankset off will I just need to slide an 8mm hex in here and unfasten? Or is there more to it than that? I've tried looking it up in my Haynes book but there are various connotations for different types of crankset and I'm not sure which relates to mine. It's an FSA crankset.

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Thanks in advance for any help.

Andy
 

biggs682

Touch it up and ride it
Location
Northamptonshire
Spanner on outside and ensure turning the correct way , or a longer hex that allows more leverage
 

C R

Guru
Location
Worcester
As others have said, for the pedals make sure that you are turning the right way, the left pedal has a reverse thread. You have self extracting bolts in the cranks, so as you say, just undoing the bolts will pull the cranks out. As a bonus, the bolts are captive, so they will stay in the crank instead of going walkabout in the garage.
 

Cycleops

Legendary Member
Location
Accra, Ghana
Use a 15mm spanner and give it a tap with a hammer to get it going. As above, drive side regular thread, other side reverse thread.
 

steveindenmark

Legendary Member
Dont look at the hex on the inside of the pedal. Use a 15mm spanner between the pedal and crank. The spanner needs to go towards the back of the bike. Use a hammer to give the spanner a sharp tap and it should release the pedal.
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
Pedals can be very, very hard to shift, and as others have observed you of course need to make sure you're going at them the right way (Left hand pedal has left hand thread).

A 6mm hex on a multi tool is very unlikely to give enough leverage, I'm not surprised you can't shift it. Worth buying a specific pedal spanner, the longer the better.

Warning from bitter experience: once stuck, they may well take the threads with them. Regularly loosening and even greasing is worth while. Bon chance!
 

si_c

Guru
Location
Wirral
Depending on the pedal and how long it's been on there (I remove and refit periodically to try to minimise the likelihood of utterly b@stard tight fit) I'll either use a pedal spanner or a full size hex key (my commuter's pedals have no flats for a pedal spanner). If the latter then sometimes I need to apply additional force so I'll fit the hex key and then put a seatpost over the top for extrra leverage - you definitely won't get sufficient leverage with a multitool.

You should be able to remove those pedals easily enough with a good pedal spanner though. as @steveindenmark says the rotation needs to be towards the rear of the bike on both sides.
 

CXRAndy

Guru
Location
Lincs
The way I remember to undo is stay on the chain ring side. Both pedal undo conventional fashion, righty tighty, lefty loosey.

So as others have said apply downward pressure towards the back of bike when working from chainring side

I would use a long quality spanner on the flats. I regularly copper grease the pedal threads. When fitting pedals just nip the pedal dont overtighten. Pedals will self tighten with pedalling
 
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