OK, so Self-Extracting Bolts

So, the items on a bicycle I've never messed-with are the cranks, BB and headset. I'm pretty sure I need to take the cranks off (or at least off one side) so I can jigsaw-puzzle the sliced-n-diced LeMond into the case for the trip.

So I take a big ol' hex wrench to a crank tonight (Ultegra '02 or '03) and the bolt loosens for about 3/4 or a turn...then it tightens again?! From what I can dig up on the internet too late for a call to the LBS I just need to keep on keepin' on and it will pull/push/wrangle the crank off. I don't need to do anything with the outer ring that has the two pin-holes.

Got this from an old forum: That's what the auto-extracter caps do. As you "loosen" the hex bolts, they will "push" the crank arm off the spindle. The tighteness after the hex bolt is loosened is the hex bolt pushing the crank off.

But I'd feel better about it
if I get a "yeah baby"
from someone who knows

AND, are crank bolts like pedals -- do they loosen on both sides by turning the bolt toward the back of the bike?

I'll get on the horn tomorrow and make a call, but if you can drop a line, that would be great...I hate to...be.....awake.....all night...wor r y i n ..g......ZZZZZzz zzz z zz z z z z z z z
z
zz
~

- T O *snork* B