How do I remove crappy plastic BB? [Now sorted]

[johhnyp]

I am trying to remove the nasty plastic bottom bracket from a Condor. I got the non-drive side out, but the lugs on the drive-side just burred up. Trying to use anything as a drift just further mangles the plastic.

The spindle and bearings (which were a push fit into the non-drive side) won't pull out (and I can't hammer them out from the other side either). I started drilling 2mm holes around its circumference (I've broken about 6 drill bits so far), avoiding hitting the main BB threads, and am trying to get enough plastic out to be able to get a hacksaw blade in, but it is really slow going - I feel like a prisoner in one of those films where he escapes by drilling a hole through his cell wall with a spoon over a period of years.

Anybody got any ideas on how best to get this thing out?

Thanks

John

 

[monty dog]

It's a common problem and in days of old and steel frames we'd just push 'em out with a big fly-press. Alternatively, smashing the cup out with a cold chisel was quite effective too with a final blow on the end of the spindle to get it out. In some, the plastic cups were made of ABS which you can dissolve with solvent - doesn't work with the nylon on others though

 

[johhnyp]

Thanks for the info.

I posted the same query in the CTC forum and got similar advice about bashing it out, but protecting the threads with a couple of pieces of wood. The softwood wouldn't cope with the impact, so I drilled a 32mm hole in a piece of oak which was just the right size to support the bb shell but allow the bracket to pass through. A single blow with a 2lb lump hammer did the trick