Its not pretty but I got the clamp back on and it seems to hold. Now the replacement post slides nicely for a few inches and then just stops. Need to ream the tube out some.
Rather than reaming the tube (you don't really want to be removing metal...) try using an appropriately sized piece of wooden dowel; gradually hammer it in and it should take out the obstruction, and if it gets stuck you can easily drill it out
It might just need a gentle sanding. I use a half round file wrapped in emery cloth to gently refinish the inside of seattubes, just to remove any surface rust and imperfections. More often than not its something tiny which stops a post form moving down. It's probably just a small bit of corrosion.
You are right Rob it was the left over rust from the stuck post which i smoothed out using the old damaged post and a lot of WD-40. Now the problem is the hack saw damage on the same tube. It is pretty deep and since the Max OR tubeset is so thin I am concerned that all my efforts will be for not as the frame will eventually crack here. Should I attempt to fill it?
Once you have a seatpost in there it should be fine but if you are really worried then i'd get someone to fill it with a bit of weld & then file it back down smoothe. It just means that the frame would need a respray & it would still be a bargain
I'd get someone to fill it with a bit of weld & then file it back down smooth. It just means that the frame would need a respray & it would still be a bargain
Thanks to Matt24777 I now have a fork and so the project can begin in ernest. So I need to get the hack saw damage filled somehow, I could one send it to my friend the frame builder who will do an excellent job but it may be in his shop for 3 to 6 months or find some other solution, what about brazing?