An old racer at the shop made me rethink how I grease bottom brackets

So this guy comes in last Tuesday with a vintage steel frame, wants me to do a full overhaul. He's probably 70 years old, been racing since the 70s. I'm about to hit the BB with my usual anti-seize and he stops me. Says 'you're putting way too much on there, the extra stuff just squeezes out and makes a mess inside the frame.' And I was like, yeah but more is better right? He showed me his method. Just a thin film, barely covering the threads. Told me he's been doing it that way for 40 years and never had a creak or a seized BB. I thought about it and realized he's got a point. All that extra grease catches dirt and grit. Plus it makes the next guy's job harder. Has anyone else switched to a lighter hand with grease and seen better results down the road?

3 comments

3 Comments

charlie_ellis2d ago

Did a buddy of yours swear by that method too?

parkera222d ago

Wait, did you actually teach @grace_allen that more grease equals more problems? I'm kinda shocked because I've had the exact opposite experience with my old truck. Like, I swear by packing the hell out of CV joints on off-road rigs because that extra grease pushes out moisture and dirt. But I guess for bike frames and cleaner builds, maybe a thin layer makes more sense. Still, hearing someone swear by "less is more" for grease just feels unnatural to me, haha. Grace's point about the mess is valid though, I've definitely been the guy who left a goopy disaster for the next mechanic.

grace_allen2d ago

He's got a point about the extra stuff squeezing out and making a mess, I've had to clean that gunk out of frames before and it's a pain. @charlie_ellis you'd probably agree since you're the one who taught me that more grease equals more problems in the long run. I've been using a thin layer for a few years now and have actually had fewer issues with creaking, plus the next mechanic doesn't hate me.