I have a shiny new titanium frame that I will be building up. I had the shop press in a headset and it looks like they used grease at the interface. Should they have used anti seize? I also need to press in a BB86 bottom bracket and I'm also wondering if I should use anti seize for that. I believe some people use a version of Loctite for press fit bottom brackets to eliminate creaking. Would Loctite act like an anti seize for titanium?
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1see bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/34970/…– stijnCommented Feb 22, 2016 at 17:03
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2 Answers
Generally speaking you shouldn't need either. The tolerances for press fit parts are made to do just that Press Fit! I have seen some mechanics use grease when pressing the headset but that is more so for ease of installation. It takes a lot more pressure to get it out than it does in. Being that you may need to change them at some point I would stay away from loc-tite as that layer will also effect the tolerances for said parts.
The best bet is to always check the manufacturers specifications as well.
In short I would use neither as long as you have the correct press tools.
I agree with @NateWengert . I'd add that anti-seize is used for... anti-seizing. If there are no seizing problems (many modern BB external shells are actually made of plastic, and plastic doesn't seize with Ti), don't use anything.
If you want to use something, use anti-seize (or grease, I'd recommend a specific Ti anti-seize though), but very little, or you'll prevent the fitting to be correct (I recall Shimano and SRAM specifying tolerances of less than 0.05mm, I can't find a link though), and you'll more likely get creaks and cracks in the long run... but most definitely, as @NateWengert said: if there's no reason to use anything, don't.
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I'd prefer not to use anything at all. My only fear is that I use an aluminum headset cup or bottom bracket cup in my titanium frame and there's no way I can get it out 2 or 3 years later. It doesn't seem like there's a super clear answer on this, other than Loctite is probably not the product of choice and definitely use anti-seize on threaded titanium parts. I think I'll use a very small amount of Park Tools anti seize just to be safe. Commented Feb 23, 2016 at 19:15
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1@BenMills I'd definitely not use loctite on a press-bit BB. If you want to use a very thin layer of anti-seize, that's ok, but not loctite. If you are worried the BB cups may come out (that'd be the only reason to use loctite... but they don't, believe me :-) ), just have a rubber hammer around where you store the bike and knock on the cranks every now and then... but seriously, don't be: I've been running a Shimano press-fit BB for quite a while and been hitting it a lot, and I've never had even the slightest impression that they'd come out even a millimeter– JclCommented Feb 23, 2016 at 19:19
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1@BenMills you may check out these if you haven't bought your BB86 yet, their new and supposedly solve the issue of press fits creaking after awhile by threading the 2 cups together essentially. Just a thought wheelsmfg.com/… Other than that if using a tiny bit of anti seize makes you feel better than go for it I would just use it very sparingly if you do go that route.– Nate WCommented Feb 24, 2016 at 16:40
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@NateWengert I'd be wary of that and check if that can go in your frame beforehand. I've seen several press-fit frames which have frame "protuberances" (don't know how to call them) within the bottom bracket hole, so you may not have enough space to fit that inner BB tube in... an example of that would be my current Commençal Meta AM. I actually had to cut the "connecting" inner tube so it could fit (in my Shimano BB it only serves as a water/dust protector for the axle though so it's ok to go without it... or saw it as I did :-) )– JclCommented Feb 24, 2016 at 16:55
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Not sure if it can be seen in this image, but there's a "notch" inside the BB hole. It looks small in that photo, but it isn't!– JclCommented Feb 24, 2016 at 16:57
