1994 Kona Explosif

@ shauno

great discription of how to get a stuck seatpost come loose - that I would like to try the next time I had to - but hope that this will never happen again - one time it's enough in a lifetime

Freezing the seatpost out is a very good option, it doesnt damage the paint or seat post like heat and other methods

If you do try it buy some freeze spray, not air you can get it at any hardware/diy store, its designed for plumbers to free stuck pipes

mark

Re:

I used a Stilson 24" pipe wrench and Plus Gas on an old Marin the other day It got the job done but really damaged the post. On a nice Kona (as opposed to a nasty Marin) I'd be worried about the sheer amount of torque going through the seat-tube and definitely wouldn't use that method. On my own Kona I used a penetrating oil and slide hammer to get the seat post out.

Gotta love a well set up mid-90's Explosif - the best rigid bike I've ridden

SP

mkone":1obm43ze said:

Freezing the seatpost out is a very good option, it doesnt damage the paint or seat post like heat and other methods

If you do try it buy some freeze spray, not air you can get it at any hardware/diy store, its designed for plumbers to free stuck pipes

mark

Click to expand...

^^^
What Mark and shauno said:

Use plumber's freezer spray on the Post - not the Frame.

You need to expand the metal of the Steel Seat Tube, while contracting the metal of the Alloy Seat Post.


Rothenberger 90205 Pipe Freezing Spray from B&Q (other builder's suppliers available)



To avoid damaging either frame or post, I would wait for a hot sunny day, and stand the bike in the sun for a couple of hours.

When the frame has warmed up, wrap some cloth around the top of the Seat Tube to keep the spray away from the frame (and your skin) and blast the Seat Post with the spray. This will shock the post, separating it from the Frame.

To go one better, remove the saddle, hold the bike upside down by the Seat Post clamp in a vice with wood the protect it. Cobble up some sort of long thin plastic tubing to thread down a water bottle cage hank bush hole until it is in contact with the inside of the seat post. This will direct the Freezer Spray to where it needs to go. Gently rotate the frame back and forth, and it will go eventually.

Pip

see previous post .

Re:

lovely.

Re:

Hi all, glad to discover this forum ;-)

I had exactly the same, i loved this bike very much. Definitely one of the coolest bikes i has had.
Mine was a bit upgraded with a Marzo XC500 fork, and some changes as Use Ti seat post, Flite, Mavic M230...

Today might just be sunny enough to try the pipe freezer solution...

Sadly I had no luck with the Rothenberger freeze spray, despite finally having some time off during a hot and sunny day. Will mull over different solutions and let you know how it goes.

Re:

Well, I reached the point where I realized there was no way of getting the seatpost out without ****ing it up, and out it came. Sodium hydroxide does nasty stuff to aluminum.