LOSING ONE'S BEARING

I can't remember the last time I packed the bearings in my bike's bottom bracket. Probably 3 years ago. So here goes. I took the crank arms off with the extractor (a clever device if there every was one) and then unscrewed the lock nut on the bottom bracket. Finally I unscrewed the removable bearing cup on the left side of the bike.

The grease was old and there wasn't enough there so it was way past time to repack the bracket. I pulled all 22 bearings out . . . 11 from each side. . . and washed them in paint thinner. I thoroughly cleaned the inside of the bottom bracket, the removable cup and the fixed cup examing both for wear. I then repacked each cup with a ton of grease. I turned the bike on its right side and positioned 11 bearings in the fixed cup. I slid the axel in so that the bearings would stay in place.

I next placed the removable cup's bearings and carefully screwed the cup back on trying not to jar any of the bearings loose. Once I had adusted the bearing cup and the lock nut, I replaced the crank arms on both sides. It was then that I noticed a lone bearing lying on the cloth I used to clean bearings. Aaarrgghhh!

So . . . starting over. . . I had to redo the entire process; but the bike is back in action and the bearings are all in place enjoying a bath of grease.