Stuck Stem - opinions sought

[Robbied196]

Re:

I saw your latest post and was hoping I was going to read that you'd got it out, but it sounds well and truely seized I've cut out a few seat posts and a couple of stems and it always works and with no stress to the frame or paint damage.

You can probably calculate how much of the stem is inside the steerer tube so you can gauge how much you'd have to cut. It is a slow job, but usually one cut and a squueze in a vice will release them. If you are especially unlucky you'd need to cuts a few mm aparts and knock out the cut piece. Then squeeze in a vice.

I must admit I've never tried to cut an aluminium stem from an alumiunium steerer, although I did have a Mk1 979 and I'm fairly sure it was a steel steerer.

I posted this on the CTC forum if it helps:

http://forum.ctc.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f ... ts#p539358

Good luck

 

[FINNEY1973]

Enjoyed reading the CTC topic, everybody appreciates good solid advice. That has to be the thickest seat post I have seen though!! Certainly seems to be a frequent occurrence the stuck post or stem. I got a seized stem out of my Ciocc recently by inserting the stem bolt from the fork crown entry using a multi-stepped wedge from a headset installation tool - the stem wedge popped out immediately and the stem came out with zero resistance - that raised my hopes that i'd succeed with this Vitus, alas I think it's well and truly seized. The plus side is that the stem is perfectly parallel to the wheel so it will be more than rideable in that respect. Just needs some more components, the parts bin has been given the once over, not quite as fruitful as I'd thought. All part of the fun of older bikes though I suppose.

 

[47p2]

A 50/50 mix of ATF and diesel poured in and left for a few days should loosen it off

 

[legrandefromage]

Yes, Diesel - often overlooked as a friend to the stuck/ seized/ dirty bike world.

 

[47p2]

The diesel needs to be mixed with ATF to work best

 

[FINNEY1973]

Not convinced (in this instance) that this is a suitable solution. Absolutely no guarantee it wont end up getting onto the glue in the fork joints. 30 year old glue and a strong mix of chemicals doesn't seem the most sensible route to me. If it was a welded fork I wouldn't have an issue with this suggestion though.

 

[FINNEY1973]

Well almost a year has gone by on this one. It has ended in abject failure. Nothing worked so the final attempt was to install a bar into the stem, attached a 4 foot pipe onto it for leverage and a 19 stone bloke on one end, another bloke holding the frame and me holding an old wheel. With much force and lots of red faces the stem rotated slightly but in a horrendous notchy fashion with this awful noise. Not good. 10 minutes, wasn't getting any better or easier. We even tried a blowtorch in a last attempt to break the unholy marriage.

So I sacrificed the stem :twisted: and then cut slices into the stuck section. But nothing, even when cut it was still attached like a limpit to the steerer. Yesterday it was compressed in a vice in the hope that it break the seal, nope - the steerer just capitulated and distorted. Wrecked!

So the conclusion is that the natural bond that formed between stem and steerer over 30 years or so proved to be stronger than the original steerer tube. The guys in the bike shop have never seen anything like it, and I have to say it's been unbelievably frustrating.

 

[danson67]

Sad news indeed, but interesting that the steerer gave way first rather than the fork crown bonds...given the dire warnings we often hear about the strength of old epoxy joints.

All the best,

 

[FINNEY1973]

Indeed - the steerer is now completely non-uniform, it folded in the direction of the compression from the vice despite the vice gripping the cut stem circa 2" above the top of the steerer. I was pretty taken aback as the force from the vice was incrementally applied to avoid such a thing a happening. It obviously went beyond it's elasticity and just, well, gave up!

Shame, but such is life.

 

[kingbling]

Hard times fella now looks like you needs some forks and I need a drop out just need a written off frame