housebound...( R&R in the garage )

no cycling for me this week as been off work with a stinking cold...first winter cold for years...they call it manflu now...i call it irritating...im past the worst now though...
also ill is my pugsley!...some play in the cranks which signalled shot bearings in the bottom bracket (BB)

approx 1500 miles of sand,sea water,rivers,swamps,snow and road salt has taken its toll on the phil wood BB bearings...to be fair they have never been repacked with grease and have lasted 3 times longer than the truvantiv isis BB originaly fitted...heres a pic of it when new...
bling bling!!!. a lovely bit of engineering...

removing it after 9 months it dosnt look so bling now!...

some purist cyclists would think its a sacrilage to have a phil wood BB in a bike used on the beach and it to be in such a state as phil wood products are often referred to as some of the highest quality bicycles parts made...
to me yes its a lovely piece of engineering and pricey at £150 but its just a bike part...a part to be used and repaired when needed...
so it is £150 appossed to £40 for the truvantiv BB previously fitted but gives you a part you can replace the bearings on instead of throwing it in the bin...
turns out the bearings are just regular SKS bearings packed with phil wood grease..
new bearings were £20 on ebay and arrived today...
so how to change them?
before i stuck the BB under a ton of pressure in a press to remove the old bearings i posted a thread to my friends on the fatbike forum and emailed philwood too...
turns out i missed a link on a PDF file on changing them which explains how to change them....internet is great when you need help or advice...also philwood emailed back a type explanation...i can get access to a press at a workshop next door to my workplace but i am off work sick with the cold so did it at home using the vice and spacers from plug keys for the outer edge of the bearings...i needed an hour fresh air outside anyway...
before fitting the new bearings i degreased them to repack them with graphite grease which is supposed to provide lube with the graphite if the grease is washed out...
i used petrol then airlined them dry...you have to keep them spotless when opened up...

then packed them with the graphite grease...

heres the tools i used...2 plug key sockets and two 3/4" washers...

i then tapped in one bearing then seated the spindle and did the other side,note the washers between the bearing and plug key sockets to spread the pressure around the outside of the bearing..this is how i have done motorcycle bearings for years...how overland motorcyclists do them using the basic tools thay have with them anyway...

a hydraulic press is better for this job as you will get the bearings perfectly seated...but you can instantly destroy something like this with a tad too much pressure...also the tightening cups will seat the bearings aswell when installed...
job done i straightend some wobbly discs using the old trusty tool- a king dick spanner...

these are ancient adjustable spanners and are really good...ideal for tweaking a bent disc...

this is my dads so he will proberly be wanting it back after reading this!...
pugsley is ready to roll again...

doubt i will be cycling this weekend but pugsley is ready for my girlfriend hanneke visiting next week for a weeks hols...she wants to go cycle on the beach while im at work...maybe she can write the blog too!...