Crank tool for 1993 Diamondback - how can I source one?

[angusc43]

I just dropped my bike off for a service at the local Evans and asked them to check/adjust the crank bearings as something's loosened off in the bottom bracket/crank area.

They say they can't do anything as they haven't got the right tool.

Any suggestions as to how I go about finding one?

[neilski]

I take it you mean bottom bracket tool and not one of these?



If they haven't even got the above crank extractor I think I'd be taking my bike somewhere else....

Did you leave your bike with them or can you upload a picture? Back when I worked in a bike shop in '93, if nothing else, a carefully placed hammer & screwdriver would do the trick. (Not in front of the customers though, of course. )

[angusc43]

neilski said:

I take it you mean bottom bracket tool. Back when I worked in a bike shop in '93, if nothing else, a carefully placed hammer & screwdriver would do the trick. (Not in front of the customers though, of course. )

I assume they mean the bottom bracket tool - the mech suggested the hammer approach and I was OK with it then he got nervous and changed his mind.....I'll go and see them after work and get the full story.

[Furberger]

Is it a diamondback apex in blue?

[shalmaneser]

a '93 diamondback will have a standard square taper crank, which can be got off with the above tool. BB should be a cartridge, but could be any number of things really...need pics.

[Rouleur]

I reckon it must have the really old style of BB if they say they don't have the relevant tool. Does it look like this?



If it does then you'll need one of these sets:

[Parrot of Doom]

Rouleur said:

If the bike shop doesn't have the above two wrenches, they're not worth doing business with. Or at least the person doing the "repair" doesn't know what he's doing.

There are some of us to whom the above tools are more familiar than the modern hollowtech cranks

[snotrag]

Parrot of Doom said:

If the bike shop doesn't have the above two wrenches, they're not worth doing business with.

What he said. Find a proper bike shop with a 'mechanic' not just 'a boy who liked bikes and wanted p/t job'.

They sound useless.

[ewenm]

Parrot of Doom said:

Rouleur said:

If the bike shop doesn't have the above two wrenches, they're not worth doing business with. Or at least the person doing the "repair" doesn't know what he's doing.

There are some of us to whom the above tools are more familiar than the modern hollowtech cranks

Absolutely. I haven't got a clue how to service the new bottom brackets and have the crank-pulling and BB-ring tools gathering dust in my bike toolbox now

[Zippee]

ewenm said:

Parrot of Doom said:

Rouleur said:

If the bike shop doesn't have the above two wrenches, they're not worth doing business with. Or at least the person doing the "repair" doesn't know what he's doing.

There are some of us to whom the above tools are more familiar than the modern hollowtech cranks

Absolutely. I haven't got a clue how to service the new bottom brackets and have the crank-pulling and BB-ring tools gathering dust in my bike toolbox now

Same here! I also agree with the posters about the shop being next to useless for not having the most basic/common tools required for servicing a bike.

[ewenm]

One thing to be aware of if you do this yourself is that I used to find it very easy to cross-thread the cranks when using the crank-pulling tool. Take extra care and make sure the threads in the crank and tool are clean before using them.

[angusc43]

Furberger said:

Is it a diamondback apex in blue?

It's a Diamondback Acent EX in black with some dark purple highlights. Black to the casual observer.

[angusc43]

[quote=Rouleur]I reckon it must have the really old style of BB if they say they don't have the relevant tool. Does it look like this?



That's the one.

If it does then you'll need one of these sets:

Ta - any idea who retails them?

[angusc43]

Parrot of Doom said:

Rouleur said:

If the bike shop doesn't have the above two wrenches, they're not worth doing business with. Or at least the person doing the "repair" doesn't know what he's doing.

There are some of us to whom the above tools are more familiar than the modern hollowtech cranks

Well it's Evans......the logic is that they are right by the office so I can drop off/pick up.

By their own admission they tend to work on new stuff and don't see oddball stuff like mine very often.

[angusc43]

Zippee said:

ewenm said:

Parrot of Doom said:

Rouleur said:

If the bike shop doesn't have the above two wrenches, they're not worth doing business with. Or at least the person doing the "repair" doesn't know what he's doing.

There are some of us to whom the above tools are more familiar than the modern hollowtech cranks

Absolutely. I haven't got a clue how to service the new bottom brackets and have the crank-pulling and BB-ring tools gathering dust in my bike toolbox now

Same here! I also agree with the posters about the shop being next to useless for not having the most basic/common tools required for servicing a bike.

Agree....I should take it to a proper mech in a real shop.....

[Rouleur]

OP - I don't know where you can buy these items of antiquity TBH and I can't find any on the bay. Shop it is!

[angusc43]

Rouleur said:

OP - I don't know where you can buy these items of antiquity TBH and I can't find any on the bay. Shop it is!

Thanks for looking.

I think the answer is to smack it off and replace the whole BB/chainset - it's just shy of £70 for a Deore one.

[angusc43]

Rouleur said:

OP - I don't know where you can buy these items of antiquity TBH and I can't find any on the bay. Shop it is!

Item of antiquity!? That's my daily ride you're talking about :-)

[neilski]

I used to have one of those old style bottom brackets on my 1991 MTB and when I took it to my LBS for a service (I don't have the right tools either) they said they don't do the old style ones any more and would I like a cartridge BB for about £15 instead?

I see Evans do them so it might be worth asking them (or another shop that knows what they're doing!) to replace it for what it would cost you to buy the tools.

Something like this:

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/un26-b...

[rockandrollmark]

I'd hardly call that sort of bottom bracket 'Oddball'

Yeah, find a bike shop that deserves your business.