{"product_id":"bottom-bracket-tap-1697-bsa","title":"Bottom Bracket Tap 1697 BSA","description":"\u003cp\u003eBSA (1.37″ × 24 TPI) is the threaded BB standard our mechanics see most often on North American benches, and the 1697 is Unior's complete tap set for chasing it. Two thread directions live inside a BSA shell: right-hand on the non-drive side, left-hand on the drive side. Both have to cut cleanly before a cup torques in without binding. The 1697 ships as a paired chasing tool that runs both sides at once, so the drive-side and non-drive-side taps stay parallel through the shell.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat the tool does\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 1697 is the assembled BSA BB tap set: paired tap cutters in the correct thread directions, locked into a guide frame, driven by twin handles working simultaneously. Running both taps at the same time keeps them coaxial through the shell, which is the difference between threads that come out parallel-and-clean and threads that come out skewed enough to bind a cup at install.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRun the taps through the shell after the frame comes back from paint, after a frame swap, or any time you want to confirm the BSA threads are clean enough to torque cups in without binding. The taps don't cut new threads in unthreaded material; they chase existing threads, removing paint film, anodize buildup, and minor thread damage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCompatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBSA-threaded BB shells (1.37″ × 24 TPI)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAll steel, aluminum, and titanium BSA shells; carbon shells with threaded inserts\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePairs with the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/bottom-bracket-facing-tool-1699\"\u003eBottom Bracket Facing Tool 1699\u003c\/a\u003e for shell facing in the same setup\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecs\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThread: 1.37″ × 24 TPI (BSA)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePair: one right-hand tap (non-drive), one left-hand tap (drive)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDrive: twin handles, modular handle pattern shared with 1694, 1698, 1699, and Taps T47\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMade in Slovenia by Unior\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIncludes:\u003c\/strong\u003e Right-hand BSA tap cutter, left-hand BSA tap cutter, twin handles, guide frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMade in Slovenia, since 1919\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnior has been forging hand tools in Zreče since 1919, and sponsors professional road and mountain-bike race teams. BSA is the threaded standard that most Unior tool-purchase decisions land on for North American shops; the 1697 is the front-line tap set for the BB thread the bench sees first and most often.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePro tip from our mechanics\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCutting oil on each tap before it enters the shell is the cheap insurance against galling. Run both handles simultaneously, slow and steady, with both mechanics watching the swarf coming off; chunky chips mean the tap is dragging and you need more cutting oil and a quarter-turn reverse to break the chip. The swarf wants to come off as a continuous ribbon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen there's the drive-side direction trap: BSA drive-side is left-hand thread, marked L on the tap, and it cuts when you turn it counterclockwise from the drive side. Forcing it the wrong direction on a paint-fresh frame is how taps get bent or shells get galled. Read the tap stamp before you reach for the handle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull BSA-shell walk-through (chasing threads first, then facing the shell, with feed control and chip-pattern diagnostic): \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/tech-tips\/frame-prep-threaded-bottom-bracket-shells\"\u003eFrame prep: threaded bottom bracket shells →\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Unior","offers":[{"title":"1697 BSA","offer_id":44140846317612,"sku":"626475","price":316.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0012\/5786\/5260\/products\/1697-us.jpg?v=1642720939","url":"https:\/\/uniorusa.com\/products\/bottom-bracket-tap-1697-bsa","provider":"Unior USA","version":"1.0","type":"link"}