Steel in aluminium. Heat or cool to separate?

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Re:

On stripped cranks previously I've used a hot air paint stripper gun and when they're nicely up to temperature, a good whack with a rubber mallet got them off.

SP
 
Heat gun or blow torch to the crank, go easy with the blow torch. Put tension on with the tool first and some considered smacks with a hammer + punch. Mount the frame in a vice first.

Ball joint splitter is a good call to avoid stripping threads.

Shocking helps - on car ball joints (also often a taper fit steel in alloy) you will put tension on with the splitter, then smack it with a hammer to get it to release.


Otherwise a grinder is quickest, if they aren't particularly special cranks.
 
Re:

Well, half a dozen kettles of boiling water and bashing it with a hammer haven't worked. :facepalm:

Would a hair dryer create enough heat I wonder?
 
Re:

Do you have a photo of it? I have managed to do a few simply by cutting through the bottom bracket with a grinder, sit the back of the crank on a socket - 15-20mm should do - and then just knock the piece out with suitable drift and hammer. Also, if it's a loose bb, you can remove the opposite cup then just use the frame as your 'socket' without cutting the bb.
 
Re: Re:

brocklanders023":3s3k7x2f said:
Well, half a dozen kettles of boiling water and bashing it with a hammer haven't worked. :facepalm:

Would a hair dryer create enough heat I wonder?
Hair drier is unlikely to put enough heat into it. Paint stripping gun would.

Surprised that hot water didn't work. Must be *really* wedged on there.
 
Back
Top