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Had a vintage bottom bracket seize up on me mid-ride yesterday

I was about 15 miles into a ride on a 1970s Peugeot I just finished fixing up. Everything felt smooth until I pushed on a small hill and the whole drivetrain locked solid. Had to walk the bike home, which was not fun. Got it on the stand and found the old cup and cone bottom bracket was completely seized, no movement at all. The fixed cup was so tight I had to use my longest wrench and a cheater bar just to crack it loose. Inside, the bearings were a solid mass of rust and old grease. I think the previous owner packed it with something like wheel bearing grease, not bike grease, and it just hardened over time. What's your go-to method for dealing with a really stuck fixed cup on an old steel frame?

3 comments

3 Comments

evan_burns952mo ago

Did you try any penetrating oil first?

williams.kim2mo ago

Heating the frame is a BAD idea, @evan_burns95. You could ruin the temper of the steel or the paint. Penetrating oil is the only safe first step.

riveradams2mo ago

Ever try heating the frame with a torch? Sometimes you need to expand the metal around that fixed cup just a bit. I used a propane torch on an old Raleigh and it finally gave up with a loud crack.