Background info: I got this 2007 (I think) Specialized Allez off FB marketplace earlier this year. I took it to my lbs and got a full tune up. I've been riding pretty frequently since.
I started noticing my left crank felt weird while riding, It felt like the left pedal was angled downward. I didn't give it much thought until 2 days ago, when the left crank started making a creaking sounds when pedalling. The bike didn't make any noise when it was on my repair stand, so I assumed some parts were loose. I tightened the pedal and the left crank arm and went for a test ride, and it didn't make any noises. However, I got that feeling of my left pedal being sloped after 20 mins of riding, so I got off to check. Immediately after I got back on, thinking that everything was okay, the left crank just fell off.
What should I do to fix this issue? Should I take it to a professional? Should I replace my crankset (I have a spare crankset)? Thanks for your help!
by Intelligent-Set-459
4 Comments
Sorry to say it, but this era of FSA cranks are probably some of the worst crap ever made and they fell apart all the time. I imagine it’s better now, but who knows.
In any event, I used to deal with this all the time, and here is the official fix from FSA (which I remember by heart):
Throughly clean the spindle and the pre-load cap. Apply a coating of green threadlocker to the spindle, making sure you cover most of the interface. Then apply blue threadlocker to the preload cap bolt (I usually recommend a new one, because they’re super cheap and come with Loctite pre-installed), and tighten to torque (which is like .07nm, so basically finger-tight IIRC). Then let everything to sit for at least 24 hours in order to allow proper cure time. Preparation is key here – you really MUST clean the interfaces and remove all residual grease and oil.
The end cap bolt is badly stripped, you may need a new bottom bracket, or if you’re lucky just a new end cap.
Edit: leaving my original comment untouched, but this is wrong and I’m mistaken.
It does look stripped.
But when you say you ‘tightened the crank arm’, did you tighten the threaded piece that features in many of your photos, or the two small bolts at the (prximal) end of the crank in the thrid photo? Because the latter are the key here, and need to be tightened to the torque printed on the side of the crank.
I see that it is FSA, but it appears to be comparable to a Shimano Hollowech setup.
The purpose of that end cap is to adjust bottom bracket preload. The two smaller bolts at the end of the left crankarm are how that crankarm is secured to the spindle.
> I tightened the pedal and the left crank arm
Did you tighten the two small bolts on the crankarm after setting preload, or did you just tighten the preload cap?
>What should I do to fix this issue?
After confirming that the parts are still in good condition, set the preload and tighten the two fixing bolts to the correct torque.