It is possible to tap out a French BB to Italian, but this is done mostly when the BB thread is badly damaged. I'd never tap a Mondia to Italian. And if it is Swiss instead of French, Italian won't work anyway. I think a better option is to install a Phil Wood BB. Phil still makes French, and Swiss, mounting rings. What really puzzles me is a French-threaded Raleigh. Never heard of such a thing. Raleigh did have their own thread on some models, which was different from English, but it shouldn't match French. In fact, according to Sheldon's site, the old Raleigh thread had a left-hand fixed cup, like English, so it cannot be tapped to Italian, which has a right-hand fixed cup. (Unless you can completely gind off the old thread, then cut Italian). If you really have a French-threaded Raleigh, I can't imagine where or when it was made. I think Raleigh did buy Gazelle in Holland, and there may have been some Dutch bikes with French thread, but I'm guessing not in the Raleigh/Gazelle era, and even if so, I'd find it odd if such a frame was badged as Raleigh.
If it is the shop guy who is telling you these bikes are French thread, it may be becasue a lot of younger shop employees have never seen anything but English/ISO, so they assume anything which is not ISO must be this mysterious "French" thread they once read about. Check whether the fixed cups are right or left hand thread. If left, the Mondia is probably Swiss thread, and the Raleigh is probably the old Raleigh thread.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Steve Leitgen <sleitgen@charter.net> wrote: A local shop guy has a Mondia and I have a Raleigh with french BBs. Finding parts can be a problem. (I'm missing the adjustable cup) An English cup seem so fit but.... Do I trust it?
So, is it possible to tap the BB out to Italian thread? Will it weaken (or crack) the BB shell? French is 35X1 and Italian 36X1. Will that 1mm. be a problem?
Steve Leitgen
LA Crosse, WI