2019 Clem Smith H

[Dennis Wong]

Hello,

I am working on my Clem Smith H.  I am trying to remove the Silver crankset.  Man that bold is stuck tight.  I am trying leverage with breaker bars and penetrating oils.  I'll try the heating method next.

In the event I need to replace the bottom bracket and cartridge, which Shimano model would be suitable from the Riv site? I don't need anything fancy.

Thank you.

[Patrick Moore]

Is this the scene: you have removed the crank attachment bolts and you screw a Park or VAR or Pedros crank removal tool into the threaded crankarm and torque it hard to back the arm off the spindle.

If "yes," HALT: make sure you've removed the crank bolt washers from the socket before threading in the crank removal tool! (I've failed to do that and removed the crank arm threading instead.)

Or, is this the scene: you are trying to remove the crank bolts that hold the arms to the spindle and despite penetrating oil and a big lever the bolt/s won't budge? If this is the case, that's very, very weird unless you've left the bike outside for years near a large body of salt water. In decades of removing square taper crank arms from spindles I've never found one that has seized.

In any event, I'd be careful when using a breaker bar.

Please keep us informed.

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[Dennis Wong]

Hi Patrick,

I can't remove this bolt (not my Clem).  Sorry for the over-sized photo.

[Chris Halasz]

I have had to drill crank bolt out in the past. An old Surly frame. Bought a few drill bits from the local Ace hardware, and it took less than an hour from start to finish. 

That should be the worst case scenario. 

- Chris 

[Patrick Moore]

Thank you for clarifying the problem.

I have to say: I am flabbergasted; I've never -- again, in decades of removing square taper cranks -- had a problem.

I'm sorry if this seems flippant, but I'm serious. Contrary to my earlier warning, me, if I were faced with this problem, I'd get a longer breaker bar.

And, next time, I'd use hex-head bolts to re-attach the crank arm/s to the spindle.

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/b0ed75a2-f5f0-4ef8-9ace-f3df3011573bn%40googlegroups.com.

[Patrick Moore]

To All: What might make the crank bolt seize in the spindle? This situation is entirely outside of my experience, which goes back to the late 1960s.

I've used allen-head crank bolts myself, but only after tightening the crank arms onto the spindle with hex-head bolts -- in other words, I installed the allen-head bolts for looks. I can't imagine tightening allen head crank bolts harder than hex head bolts, and I've never had hex bolts seize. Even after I forgot to lube them.

Patrick "beats me" Moore

On Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 2:41 PM Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

Thank you for clarifying the problem.

I have to say: I am flabbergasted; I've never -- again, in decades of removing square taper cranks -- had a problem.

I'm sorry if this seems flippant, but I'm serious. Contrary to my earlier warning, me, if I were faced with this problem, I'd get a longer breaker bar.

And, next time, I'd use hex-head bolts to re-attach the crank arm/s to the spindle.

On Thu, Sep 26, 2024 at 2:10 PM Dennis Wong <wong.d...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi Patrick,

I can't remove this bolt (not my Clem).  Sorry for the over-sized photo.

[Garth]

Yeah, like how long of a breaker bar have you used ? A 22-24" with a 3/8" or 1/2" drive plus allen head attachment works wonders. Well greased threads on the bolts ?

[Bill Lindsay]

I documented (or think I documented) that my RoadUno complete had its crank bolts SUPER tight.  I extended my long handle 8mm allen with a ~2ft length of PVC pipe.  I toe strapped the crank arm to the chainstay and leaned on it.  It released with a loud "POP" sound.  After that initial "release" it unscrewed as effortlessly as one would expect.  The threads were kind of greased but there was no grease under the head of the bolt.  I envision they used some impact wrench object to get it tight, and the binding was just friction between the underside of the head of the bolt and the aluminum of the crank arm.  That interface should be lubed, and now it is.  :)

I have no difficulty imagining that a Clem Complete was built in a similar process.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA 

[Dennis Wong]

Thanks Bill.

I am going to try heating the head of the bolt with a torch.  Whack the top pf the bolt with a sledge.  Soak it with PB Blaster.  If that doesn't work I'll dril it out.

Back to my initial question (if I screw up too badly) - any recommendations on a bottom bracket?  I "think" it is a JIS 68 and a UN300 from the Rivendell page would work.  Just not sure if it is a 110, 113, 115, 118 or one of the odder ones like " 122.5 x 68, D-NL, B22X, Right +1mm"

Thanks.

[Kim H.]

@Dennis,

Replacement BB for my CLEM per Richard Rose:

STR205511 -Stronglight JP 400 BSC 119mm with aluminum cups $ 56.00

from Peter White Cycles

https://www.peterwhitecycles.com/str-bb.php

Kim Hetzel.

[Bill Lindsay]

For a Silver crank on a Clem, I'd bet a dollar that what you have in there is a 68x110.  

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

On Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 7:49:43 PM UTC-7 wong.d...@gmail.com wrote:

[Mike Rossi]

I have seen thread locker, for some reason(?), used. Maybe some red instead of blue was used. Heat. Carefully. 

[Patrick Moore]

Motorized tools -- I understand now.

[Ray Varella]

I’ll take that bet Bill,

I’m reasonably confident the Clems came with a 118 bb

Ray

[Bill Lindsay]

You win, Ray.  It even says 118mm on the Clem Complete page.  Let me know where to mail your dollar

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Chris Halasz]

FWIW, my Silver cranks with 24T inner ring fit rather nicely on my 64cm Clem with a (wait for it) 110.5mm BB.