Advice on changing a bottom bracket

Simple job, get the Park Tool tool as it includes the tool for removing the preload cap. Also comes with a plastic adapter so you can fit DuraAce cups. The arm on the tool is just long enough to torque by feel.

Rubber mallet is useful for tapping out the axle but not essential. It will need a decent whack.

Pay attention to the threads - give them a really good clean when taking the old one off, and apply general purpose grease. The new BB should screw in with minimum force initially - make sure you don't cross-thread it. First few turns you shouldn't need the tool. At least with a steel frame it's not too big a deal if you bollocks it up, you can always get your LBS to clean the threads up.

I've heard people suggest removing the inner plastic sleeve but my LBS says this is A Bad Idea as it will allow water to get to the bearings from inside the BB. 

When reinstalling the cranks make sure you've pushed the drive side hard up against the cup - there's enough leeway on the threads to install the non-drive crank arm without it all being snugged up. 

Avoid the BB-R60 (supposedly Ultegra quality) unless you are a fair weather rider only.

I fitted one to a friend's bike and in less than 6 months it was creaking like crazy.  When we took it out, you could see the rust coming from the bearings - completely unsealed except by a single o-ring on the central sleeve. 

Put in a second hand Tiagra quality unit (original diameter HT II ) and all was quiet again.

Shimano - I am not impressed!

Good shout, 30 ft/lbs is ~40 nm.

Oops...I tell a lie, it's 28-210Nm.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633567-Torque-Wrench-28-210/dp/B000L...

"Is it essential to torque the BB cups? I have a small torque wrench but not a large one (which are quite expensive)"

If you're happy to have something not overpriced because it's allegedly made especially for bikes (I.e. a generic tool with a label on it), Silverline do a 20-105Nm or a 40-210Nm torque wrench for about £20.

There are now three sizes of Shimnano external bottom bracket cups!

The original Hollowtech II  (10 speed) - 16 notch x 44mm

Ultegra and below (11 speed) - 16 notch x 41mm

Dura Ace (11 speed) - 16 notch x 39mm

Got to love industry standardisation!

I think Shimano were worried that they were missing a trick, what with Campag needing a new tool for just about every occasion.

You'd only need the one tool because you fit each of the two cups in turn and then stick the axle through them. Not sure about Dura Ace but the Ultegra uses a different cup diameter to all the bottom brackets below it in the range. If you needed a tool to cover those as well then yes, you'd need two  bottom bracket tools. 

Don't forget that the cups have different threads - left-hand cup has a right-hand thread and the right-hand cup has a left hand thread. So as you face the bike (from either side), it's clockwise to loosen and anti-clockwise to tighten.

No need to torque it, just pretty tight as mentioned above. Give the shell a really good clean out and grease, hand install the cups as far as possible and if in doubt, back out the cups and reinsert to make sure you don't cross-thread.

This is a very easy job but bear in mind the Ultegra bottom brackets are smaller than standard Hollowtech 2 bottom brackets and will need the new Park Tool BBT-59.2 rather than a standard Hollowtech 2 tool.

When fitting the new one, the correct torque value is approx. 30 ft/lbs but mechanics have been hand tightening them for years though so just use common sense. Make sure you can screw it in a few turns by hand before you use tools, this will reduce the chance of cross-threading.

Lube-wise, I always use copper grease for bottom brackets but any good grease would. Be liberal with grease and grease both the threads on the bottom bracket cups and the threads in the frame. Water tends to accumulate inside the bottom bracket area so you can never have too much grease.

The crank itself should be easy enough to remove. If it's a bit stuck just wallop the end with either a plastic hammer or a lump of wood, there's nothing holding it in once the left crank is off so it shouldn't give you any grief.

When you're re-installing the left crank, as you install the plastic preload keep pausing and swinging the crank arm. As soon as you start to feel a smidge of resistance, stop and tighten the two bolts on the crank arm.

Have fun!

Certainly there's a risk of crossed threads but a low risk on the Equilibrium 20 because it's a steel frame - messing up the threads is harder to do with steel. Likewise, probably no need to tighten the cups to a specific torque - with a steel frame you can get away with tightening them to "quite tight". I've changed a Shimano Hollowtech BB and it's not that hard.

HB