Seat post struck in frame

[sherlylock]

Top work.....and really satisfying when the post starts to move!

Done a couple like this now and would be my first port of call when trying to remove an alloy post in a steel frame.

 

[Graham_hkr]

Re:

Nice Work...
Don't forget if you slot another aluminium post in there just a smear of Copaslip around the tube will eliminate further issues like this..

 

[mk one]

glad you sorted it, nice frame btw

maybe clean the inside of the frame too

mark

 

[fiendish feet]

Awesome result
You can't beat muscle power
Like mark said above
clean inside of seat tube
and grease the post and your never have a problem
good luck with the BB

 

[alainbriot]

Thank you I am sure glad it's out. To remove the rust I will use a de-rusting product 'Evapo-Rust' here but there's several other brands with similar products. Once that's done and after I get the bottom bracket out I am planning to have the frame chemically stripped then polished and clear coated to replicate the original brushed steel look. There's a lot of scratches on it and that will take care of it. I'll also have the decals reproduced.

 

[fiendish feet]

Nice get a build thread up , be good to follow your progress .

 

[alainbriot]

Yes, I'll start a new thread when I get the process started. I bought two ParkPre bikes. One, a Pro 825, is just the frame and it is near perfect. I am rebuilding it with all Campagnolo parts. Back in the late 80's early 90's I dreamed of having a full Campy bike but could only afford the bullet shifters. At the time I rode a ParkPre Hammer on which I replaced the Shimano shifters with Campagnolo bullet shifters. I found shifting by twisting the handle much easier on rough trails than by pushing on a lever. I did not have to let go of the handlebar for one.

The second bike, the one with the struck seat post which is the subject of this thread, a Team 925, was bought as a complete bike with Shimano LX brakes, shifters and crankarm. This one needs a lot of work. It looks like it was ridden hard and left to rust. I am restauring the Shimano LX parts and will buy new parts for the rest (pedals, handlebar, bar grips, headset, etc.) I may also replace the fork which is a Suntour suspension fork. I could keep it but to do that I would need to figure out how and if it can be rebuilt.

Both frames have a brushed steel, clear coated finish which gives them a titanium look. I read that when they were released these bikes got negative feedback because some believed the frames were titanium... I guess they missed the price tag which was reflective of a steel frame, not a titanium one!

The 825 had only half the original decals so I had the missing ones redone. They are on their way to me from the UK. I believe I found the information on the person (Gil) who does bike decal repros on this forum.

 

[coomber]

Re:

The worst BB I removed I got a nut spot welded to it so I could use a spanner and a massive 3 foot pipe for leverage and it made a horrible job a lot easier

 

[MR OX]

Re:

Any chance of a picture of the back of the can to check the ingredients, I've got a can of "air duster" which I'm pretty sure is the same stuff & it's really cheap in my local shop

 

[alainbriot]

I was actually successful removing the second half of the bottom bracket sealed bearing (the right side if seated on the bike and looking towards the front of the bike). I first soaked it for a couple days in rust remover (Evapo Rust) then another couple days in Kano Kroil Penetrating Oil. That did it. The Evapo Rust is fantastic at removing rust and the Kano oil works wonders loosening stuck metal parts. All I had to do is wait and be patient.

Before attempting to unscrew the bottom bracket cup, I bolted the removal tool (a Shimano bottom bracket removal tool) to the bottom bracket using a 6" long screw with a large washer on the left side so that it did not move while I applied force to it. It had moved during my prior attempts and the teeth on the bracket cup had started getting damaged and more damage would have made it impossible to fit the tool onto it.

I still had to apply lot of force using a very large wrench and banging on it with a leather mallet, but it finally moved 1/8th of an inch (I made a mark with a marker on both the bracket and the frame to be able to tell if it moved), then a 1/4 inch, then more and finally it turned loose. I unscrewed the bolt a little bit each time to give it play, just enough to allow the cup to turn but not enough to let the tool fall off.

I may have to get the bottom bracket rethreaded before I can install a new bottom bracket bearing. But for now the frame is free of everything. No seat post, no bottom bracket, no fork.

The next step is having frame and fork stripped then refinished, most likely the way it was originally which is brushed steel with a titanium look clear coat.