marc garcia <marcgarcia80@ameritech.net inquires regarding fixed cup tool alternatives & what's best.
Marc & The List,
>From experience of a home mechanic, then two different shops, now home
again.
Keep in mind Stronglight & similar form factor fixed cups require special attention, (too many sides and the flats are therefore not that long or wide, troublesome to work with sometimes)
The bolt & washer trick works, as described by Sheldon Brown, my version used a bushing against the inside of the cup to make sure I cleared the races. It Can cause marring of the exterior surface of the cup, not good but very cheap. 14" Cresent at hand is manditory. Park or even Campagnolo for that matter "fixed cup" wrenches sometimes work, but the effort required to free a stubborn unit places one at risk of paint or personal damage should it slip. Observation is much easier than personal experience here. I think only good for light load work. VAR made a fixed cup tool similar to the Campagnolo (Cobra made) tool, both very nice & pricey. VAR unit had a double sided collar that enables one to match cup size variations. I have now put my bolt/bushing unit aside, use a Campagnolo unit, no reasonable justification other than at 11pm it is best to have these of your own.
When I get a "new" mount, I remove the cup to assess it as part of the reference rebuild. After that, I leave them alone. Repack in place.
Only time I have needed to replace a fixed cup is when the bottom bracket was not faced well or at all prior to original assembly, tilted cups are hard to adjust & wear an egg shaped track.
John Jorgensen
Today in Torrance Ca