'91 Team Marin restoration (slow)

[Bearvalley90]

Thanks for that - will most likely follow your advice (also I’m rarely where the bike is so not ideal to try a difficult task with no equipment etc!). How is your bike doing?

I am digging it out from the garage now the weather is less horrific and will get some riding in I think; had a few short rides on it and it’s lovely and fast

 

[JoniMarin]

Nice - enjoy

If you are ever near East london and want to form some kind of Marin Fluro MTB team let me know - I now have this guy to play with while I work on the other Marins

 

[fearfactoryüberalles]

If the seatpost is stuck, I'd try the freezing method. Chemical bonds are very tight, so you need a proper remedy.

Clamp the seatpost into a vice, frame is upside down now. Wrap some sponge material around the seattube where the seatpost stays. Remove BB, and get the strongest freezing spray you can buy. Now you got the frame for leverage. Spray the sponge which keeps the freezing material in place, otherwise it runs down too easily. Get a fitting plastic tube on the spraying nozzle and spray through the BB tube joint, deep down into the seattube. Make sure the whole "stuck area" is properly cooled down. The alloy seatpost shrinks more than the steel seattube, easy science.

Now twist the frame. With a proper bang they sould break their romantic, albeit somewhat annoying chemical bond. Don't worry, if it's not working for the first try, it will budge eventually. Always worked for me so far.

 

[JoniMarin]

If the seatpost is stuck, I'd try the freezing method. Chemical bonds are very tight, so you need a proper remedy.

Clamp the seatpost into a vice, frame is upside down now. Wrap some sponge material around the seattube where the seatpost stays. Remove BB, and get the strongest freezing spray you can buy. Now you got the frame for leverage. Spray the sponge which keeps the freezing material in place, otherwise it runs down too easily. Get a fitting plastic tube on the spraying nozzle and spray through the BB tube joint, deep down into the seattube. Make sure the whole "stuck area" is properly cooled down. The alloy seatpost shrinks more than the steel seattube, easy science.

Now twist the frame. With a proper bang they sould break their romantic, albeit somewhat annoying chemical bond. Don't worry, if it's not working for the first try, it will budge eventually. Always worked for me so far.

Many thanks for the advice I'll give this a go when next in Devon.
For freezing spray do you have a recommendation? I have not used before...

 

[Tootyred]

If the post can be saved...do so. 30.3 is not an available size....i know I've had 2 x 91 teams.

The original french "strong" posts are like hens teeth.

 

[Tootyred]

1 bike i was very lucky with, in that there was a little corrosion inside the seat tube. After chemical treatment a 30.4 went in ok. It was an ergotec.

 

[winjohn]

If the post can be saved...do so. 30.3 is not an available size....i know I've had 2 x 91 teams.

The original french "strong" posts are like hens teeth.

With this in mind I think this is definitely a classic case of biting the bullet and taking the frame to a professional outfit who will do it, usually without damage to the post for about £80. There are a couple of places in London that do it. I had one done in Ealing very sucessfully.

 

[JoniMarin]

Thanks guys - good advice!

Tbh I’m starting to wonder if the issue is that the post is bigger than 30.3mm and has been rammed in … it’s a bit of an ugly number with a fancy anodised red saddle clamp (that rotates ) I’ll try and find a better picture…

 

[JoniMarin]

With this in mind I think this is definitely a classic case of biting the bullet and taking the frame to a professional outfit who will do it, usually without damage to the post for about £80. There are a couple of places in London that do it. I had one done in Ealing very sucessfully.

I’m thinking to get Argus cycles in Bristol to paint the forks, stem and bars … maybe I should just send the whole frame to them and see if they can sort the seat post… (then they could also do the decals for me)

 

[Tootyred]

I would say to try freezing it, but if its not original then there's probably not much point in saving it....especially if the tops already knackered and rotating!

Ive dissolved a few posts...but its messy and dangerous!