Servicing the bottom bracket on my bike.

It all started with the 100 k Charity ride from Brisbane city to the Gold coast.
My bike is a Gitane 1800 road bike going on 3 yrs old and done around 8500 km.
No dramas apart from the odd puncture, my "black gipsy lady" has been reliable and low maintenance.
Anyway on this particular ride I started to hear a ramdom tick tick whilst pedalling under load, not loud but a little annoying. I like my bikes to be absolutely noiseless with only the beat of rubber and tarmac.
A cursory check for noise source ruled out pedals, chain and the like it all seemed to point to the bottom bracket. This was further confirmed whilst googling "bottom bracket problems" on the net.
 All roads led to the BB (bottom bracket) as the most likely source of "tic tic".
Next step was to get to the BB and check it out ...easier said than done ! At least i had an 8 mm Allen key for the 1st part of the operation. Which was to remove the end screw on the crank but then i came to a grinding halt because then you will need a "crank extraction tool" . First trip to the local bike shop (LBS) and $25 outlay. Beware here as there as basically three varieties depending on your bike vintage etc. Tip (1) take a photo of the part in question when you go off to buy the correct tool.
Ok ...home again insrt the tool into the end thread showing and gently screw to near the limit and with 2 spanners ( one holding, outer one screwing Gently clockwise) wonders of wonders the crank arm slowly but surely disengages itself from mother bike.  Take a deep breath make a cuppa whilst you consider the next move.
Reading from several internet sites the consensus was that the cup should be removed from non-drive side. Oh yeah look at that..... a beautiful octo-splined thingo that is on tight. I know what that means special tool and another trip to the LBS. Tip (2) take another photo before you leave there are choices.
So now I have 2 special tools and still havent got to the BBB (bloody bottom bracket) yet. Never mind I am having fun ain't I ?? Back home with special tool I need a real big wrench to turn special tool 2 (SP2). I have one but it fails but about 1 mm to open wide enough to accommodate the nut bit on SP2. Oh well look for my plumbers stilsens . And I needed them as this ring ding thing was on damn tight ( NOTE: normal ccw undo). Lots of RP7 and grunt got this 2 bob cup from the bike. At last I can see the naked end of what appears to be a seal bearing cartridge. Time for another cuppa and a think as I turn the bike around so I can observe the drive side of things.

First 2 steps relatively painless with allen key and crank "extraction tool" , the drive crank is off. Beauty !! Of course the chain is off as well. And whats this I see another bloody cup or is it ??
As it turns out its NOT..it is an integral part of the sealed cartridge bottom bracket bearing (a.k.a the BBBB). and oh guess what another special tool required if you can find one. My LBS did have but at a prohibitive price (over $60), per chance was near Anaconda, so pop in ask the bike mecho there and he showed his personal Park Tool variety and told me this is what you want.  But we dont sell em! ha ha ! dont believe him and from pure fluke I was browsing  the cheapo tools for sale (levers etc).  Low and behold there it was my 22t shimano BB tool and for only $15. Special tool #3 in my hot hand I am home to finally remove mister BBB  from mother bike.
Ok tool in place bike steadied and this time its left hand thread turn CW to loosen against all logic but do it. Slowly with big stillsons on board it started to creak and move.  Lots of RP7 and 20 mins later I had BBB in my hot hand and here is a pic to prove it...

TOOLS  Required to get the bottom bracket sealed cartrige removed...

Plus a 38 mm open ended wrench,shifter or in my case plumbers stillsons !


Now you would think the rest would be straight forward right ..WRONG !
A call to my LBS said they could match it with a generic type ..Wrong they would have to order.
A 2nd LBS said yes bring BBB  in they could do it (i.e match ) No wrong again.
Thank goodness for the net. I was able to positively  identify this Shinamo BB  on ChainReactionCycles in the UK ..link here http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=906  and at $40 bucks a better deal than anywhere in OZ.
Just to look at the possible variations of Bottom Brackets makes selecting the correct one a bit of a nightmare.
In the wash up I cleaned up the rust and grime from the present BB stuck it back in and ordered new one from UK. BEWARE when installing the BB the threads are fine and soft alloy very easy to cross thread which could forever ruin your best friend! Also add a good coating of light lithium grease as there is a corrosive issue between the mild steel of the BB and the alloy bike frame.
Hopefully when the new BB arrives I will be able to replace and install in under an hour.  Have I learnt from this episode..sure have !!

p.s I done my regular 60k loop ride to city  this morning ...the tic  tic was with me going out but coming home I could detect nothing but the beautiful sound of fast rubber on tarmac.
Maybe all my effort was for Zilch !
Anyone need a bottom bracket ??