Stem rotates but won't come out. Why?

[Mod-Master]

But this also happened to me with a Syncros stem, not the fact that it was stuck, but the fact the stem suddenly decided it wanted to be .5mm larger in diameter. In that case, just keep twisting until your forearm starts going numb and it’ll come out eventually

 

[Mod-Master]

said the wedge had dropped out so assumed it was a normal quill rather than an expander. even with a a standard quill this is the normal process.

hehe wang.

Oh so the actual thing that holds the stem in place is not in the steerer/loose? Can you take it out of the bottom of the steerer or has it already fallen out?

 

[Oldtat]

How is it spinning inside the fork but not pulling out?!

 

[Mod-Master]

How is it spinning inside the fork but not pulling out?!

I asked myself that very same question.

 

[mk one]

If it is spinning inside the fork then probably something inside the headset has jammed or stuck to the stem. Either try to undo the headset and pull the stem out with the headset attached or turn upside down and whack the underside of the stem until it comes out, maybe just a seal has jammed or bearings. Best use a rubber mallet.

 

[novocaine]

How is it spinning inside the fork but not pulling out?!

Magic. there will be a blob of something just above a blob of something else. or it's still got the expander in it. it's also possible, assuming it's an expander type that the tube of stretched slightly.

 

[Oldtat]

If you've tried pulling it out at all points of the clock as it were, then it must be that the tube has indeed expanded?

 

[420mTrax]

Success!
I think those Cinelli bungs are maybe a bit too good. It had been tightened so much that it had deformed the fork tube.
I got it out by getting a thin drift past the (detached) bung and hitting the bottom of the stem from below (lots of blows, alternating the impact point).
I can't get the bottom cup or crown race past the deformity in the fort tube so I'll need to do a bit of frame rolling maybe.

 

[420mTrax]

Sorry, steerer tube not fork tube

 

[jim haseltine]

That used to be quite common. Back in the day there were no recommended torque settings for things so people had no idea how tight things should be. My technique was to tighten a stem until I could only *just* move it by turning the handlebars with the front wheel gripped between my legs.