Frozen Campag locknut - HELP !!!!

[michophull]

The Campag locknut on my lightweight has frozen solid. I glued it on several years back using some thread lock from a car shop as it kept working loose every few rides.

Can't shift it and neither can my mate who's a car mechanic and stronger than me.

Can anyone give me any advice ? It's not responded to WD40 or brute force and the flats are now rather knackered.

 

[poweredbypies]

Probably need to apply heat. This usually breaks down threadlock and it'll be needing more than a hairdryer.

 

[foz]

if you're willing to sacrifice it in order to get the whole lot apart, then a dremel is the next logical step... if you want it off in one piece, then various combinations of a bench vise, big spanner, long pole, hammer, some heat, and wd40 are the only way to go. I hope you only used loctite on the lockring, not the top cone too!

 

[bm0p700f]

Blowtorch.

 

[michophull]

Thanks for your suggestions so far. I'm considering wrapping the tubes in wet tea towels and using a heat gun. Don't want to ruin the paint though.

I've no objection to locknut destruction as it's now pretty buggered and I've got a spare in the shed. It's alu and I reckon it'll cut easily. I'm also considering cutting diagonally and very carefully with a hacksaw just deep enough so as not to damage the steerer threads.

 

[poweredbypies]

shouldnt need to wrap it in towels it dosent need to be glowing cherry hot.

 

[foz]

careful cutting with either a dremel or hacksaw should get you through it. it's not necessary to actually cut all the way through - once you have a cut from top to bottom that's pretty deep, then a screwdriver or other angle in there should be enough to open it out and break the lat uncut parts. you might need another cut on the other side though. I recently removed a very stubborn top crown race like this, and it came off perfectly. That wasn't screwed on though, obviously...

 

[latman]

because its alloy it will expand more with heat than the steel steerer tube if they are both at the same elevated temps , do you remember what type of threadlock you used ?

 

[michophull]

because its alloy it will expand more with heat than the steel steerer tube if they are both at the same elevated temps , do you remember what type of threadlock you used ?

It was Granville Lock Thread:
http://www.granvilleoil.com/product_inf ... rod_id=150

Heating the locknut is not a problem. What is though is doing so without burning the paint where the top tube joins the head tube.

 

[poweredbypies]

What have you got to heat it with? you only need to heat the locknut as long as its not a flame thrower you should be able to heat the nut without any damage to the frame.