I have a mid-80's Torpado Italia, and to my surprise, the BB is English also. It was a bit of a saga, as I upgraded the original crank from a cheaper Omega similar in design the Mistral to a Campy clone with pantagraphed Torpado ring. I think the upgraded crank is also Ofmega, but much more similar in design to Campy NR than to Ofmega Mistral. The upgraded crank takes a shorter BB axle than the old one, and I wound up buying a Galli BB from a European CR member. The Galli fixed cup with the BB wouldn't thread in without using more force than I was comfortable with, but another Galli English fixed cup did. This may mean either the Torpado shell or one Galli fixed cup had a bit of variation from the nominal English fixed cup thread spec (or both).
So I think it is entirely possible you have English thread. Maybe you should try a English fixed cup.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Steven Willis <smwillis@verizon.net> wrote:
My guess is you have a British threaded shell. I just check my old memory
banks and you can drop a British threaded cup right through the bb shell on
an Italian frame. It slides right in. It may be French but My bet would be
on British. I have also seen screw ups were people have tapped frames the
wrong way around take a look for any damage and good luck with it.
Steven Willis
The Bike Stand
1778 East Second Street
Scotch Plains NJ 07076
908-322-3330
http://www.thebikestand.com
> Italian bottom bracket shell conundrum:
>
> Subject is a 1986 Torpado Superlight frameset, being built up with a
> mostly
> mid 1980s Super Record gruppo. The selected cranks and bottom bracket
> however, are Ofmega brand that are Campy Record clone-ish (very similar,
> but not the
> same). The bottom bracket cups are clearly marked 36 x 24, for Italian
> threads, which means that both sides are "right" threaded. The frame is
> used, but
> well cleaned and in very good condition, seemingly with original paint
> that
> matches remnants visible inside the bottom bracket shell. This same paint
> is
> still on the b.b. shell faces ... the contact points for the cup flange or
> lockring, and where it has flaked, chrome plate can be seen underneath,
> still ON the
> face.
> The cups will not quite fit inside the shell opening, although the
> difference seems VERY close. An English threaded Campy adjustable cup was
> tried on
> the non-drive side as a test, and it thread in several turns before
> binding.
> This same piece also threads into the drive side, in exactly the same
> partial
> manner, before binding. I did not use a tool to force it in either side
> any
> further, for fear of doing damage. The bottom bracket is Cinelli, as it
> is cast
> with CINELLI underneath. All Torpado b.b. shells I've seen have been
> Italian
> threaded, but the width on this one is not the expected 70mm ... it is
> 68.5mm! I noted by comparison that the outer diameter of English cups is
> slightly
> smaller than that of Italian cups. My thinking is that an English shell
> can be
> tapped "out" to Italian, since Italian is a larger OD, but that there is
> no
> meat, just air, where one would attempt convert Italian to English. Is
> this
> true?
> If the paint and chrome on the face of the b.b. shell are original, then
> it seems to me that it could not have been turned down to the narrow
> width,
> after-market ... it must be from the factory. I am about to perform a
> test with
> French threaded cups, which seems crazy, but we know that anything can
> happen.
> I submit this conundrum to the List for suggestions of a solution ....
> HELP PLEASE!
>
> Ciao,
> Mark Agree
> Southfield MI USA
> ~ ~ ~