stubborn stem removal techniques?

[riddim-track]

Plus gas is usually my weapon of choice in these situations. However on one occasion when I had a stem that was really really stuck it took a driver doing a right turn head on into me and sending me over his bonnet to free the stem!!! The funny thing was it was so stuck I'd been riding around with the bolt loosened off without even noticing. After the accident the frame was fine and the stem was free I should have thanked the driver if he hadn't bent my handlebars and front wheel.

 

[grilla]

I've just had the exact same problem. It was an absolute nightmare. first I tried WD40, I ended up using a whole can (one of the smaller ones) on the stem, over a period of about a week, to absolutely no effect whatsoever. I then tried plus gas, soaking it for ages and still to no effect, other than a bit of rusty liquid coming out of the bottom of the steerer tube. Much wrangling later, and after a failed attempt with boiling water I decided to give a bench vice a go. Though the stem was OK, and I would have preferred to keep it in good condition I didn't mind sacrificing it in order to get it out of the bike, allowing me to fit the stem I wanted on the bike...

I turned the bike upside down, with a bench vice clamping the horizontal of the stem. Removing the front wheel, and front brake, I placed a spare hub and skewer in the dropouts to keep the forks spaced, and then used a timber length between the forks to work against the stem. It took absolutely ages, and was quite a frightening experience, but eventually I managed to get the stem out! I'm sure this would get pretty much any stuck stem out, just make sure to put a hub in the forks, and go slow and steady to work it loose!

 

[riddim-track]

I'm sure some of the techniques here are transferable in some way or other: http://sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html

 

[lanab]

The secret that most people don't know is to remove wedge the other way around by putting in a long threaded bar between the forkes and push the wedge out by putting a nut on the thread and screw it out, eventually you will hear a "snap" and the wedge is loose.

Also use some real solvents like Omega 636 that is designed for losen frozen metal parts.

Banging the wedge bolt as most people suggest is useless and destroys the threads if it's really stucked for many years

Picture here

 

[Midlife]

That's a new one on me

Nice frame, what is it?


Shaun

 

[lanab]

That's a new one on me

Nice frame, what is it?


Shaun

It's my Nishiki

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=216859