Any tips for unsticking a stuck stem?
- Thread starter DrewSavage
- Start date
Re:
I offered the solution, perhaps not clear enough. Drill down through the top of the expander bolt so that the head of the bolt comes off. Use a drill up to about 1/4 inch. Then tap down the expander, thus releasing it. If corrosion still holds it obviously many other suggestions, but best is to clamp the forks in a strong vice, nearest to the fork crown, suitably protected.
Keith
I offered the solution, perhaps not clear enough. Drill down through the top of the expander bolt so that the head of the bolt comes off. Use a drill up to about 1/4 inch. Then tap down the expander, thus releasing it. If corrosion still holds it obviously many other suggestions, but best is to clamp the forks in a strong vice, nearest to the fork crown, suitably protected.
Keith
Re:
I would say don't saw the stem. If you get to the worst possible state the forward reach of the stem can be used for leverage. A sawn off tube in the steerer will be impossible to shift
The key to it is to undo the expander bolt a bit, knock it down to release the wedge and work from that. Are you rounding off Allen keys in trying to loosen the expander or unable to get the required leverage? If the latter, get a Tommy bar on the end of the Allen key
I would say don't saw the stem. If you get to the worst possible state the forward reach of the stem can be used for leverage. A sawn off tube in the steerer will be impossible to shift
The key to it is to undo the expander bolt a bit, knock it down to release the wedge and work from that. Are you rounding off Allen keys in trying to loosen the expander or unable to get the required leverage? If the latter, get a Tommy bar on the end of the Allen key
torqueless
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
I'm with you all the way Keith, but maybe you'd like to offer the OP a replacement bolt, preferably Cinelli, out of your stash?
I'm with you all the way Keith, but maybe you'd like to offer the OP a replacement bolt, preferably Cinelli, out of your stash?
I was facing with the same problem as you. Was unable to unscrew the bolt with an standard allen key. Soaked it was anti rust solvent for arround a week and tried again with that allen key - but nothing moved. When I used an extension on the key I managed to bend the key, but the bolt didn't move a single mm.
In the end I use this to unscrew the bolt:
Put the stem into a vice to have both hands for working. With a lot of force suddenly the bolt was free. The other parts of the quill stem came out nicely as they had been greased before. So the only resisting factor on the stem was the rusted bolt - which had not been greased, obviously.
In the end I use this to unscrew the bolt:
Put the stem into a vice to have both hands for working. With a lot of force suddenly the bolt was free. The other parts of the quill stem came out nicely as they had been greased before. So the only resisting factor on the stem was the rusted bolt - which had not been greased, obviously.
DrewSavage
Retro Guru
Re:
Thanks for all the advice - just back from a couple of weeks' holiday (and a 110km Audax with 8800 feet of climbing which revealed I'm in dire need of a road bike with a triple on the front) so this clearly calls for Plus Gas and then borrowing a socket set with an allen key bit...
Thanks for all the advice - just back from a couple of weeks' holiday (and a 110km Audax with 8800 feet of climbing which revealed I'm in dire need of a road bike with a triple on the front) so this clearly calls for Plus Gas and then borrowing a socket set with an allen key bit...
bedraggled
Senior Retro Guru
Steel frame and alloy stem = Caustic soda.
Destroys the stem but you get the frame.
Prepare properly.
The second video always makes me laugh, I'm thinking 'you can't possibly be thinking of doing that in shorts' but I hadn't anticipated how he was going to dress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dYnSVVDxrE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR9DKMuctTE
Destroys the stem but you get the frame.
Prepare properly.
The second video always makes me laugh, I'm thinking 'you can't possibly be thinking of doing that in shorts' but I hadn't anticipated how he was going to dress.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dYnSVVDxrE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR9DKMuctTE
