HELP! THIS IS STUCK! with PICS!

[TRACK]

Seatpost is stuck! :(
Its steel to steel. I read online via sheldon brown.

"7. For steel seatposts stuck into steel frames, where the problem is often caused by rust, penetrating oil can do wonders. If you don't have real penetrating oil, any light lubricating oil is better than nothing, but penetrating oil is made specifically for this purpose, and you should buy a can if you don't already have one."

http://sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html

I think its just rusty. Whats a good penetrating oil?
Thanks!

ps. would love to save the seatpost because its a campy :p

[AngryScientist]

i've used a lot working on rust bucket cars over the years. kroil is probably the best i've used.

http://www.kanolabs.com/web_ad_02.jpg

[TRACK]

i've used a lot working on rust bucket cars over the years. kroil is probably the best i've used.

http://www.kanolabs.com/web_ad_02.jpg

thanks for the quick reply! :D

[choke]

PB Blaster is a good choice as well.

BTW, that post is aluminum.

[4Rings6Stars]

Isn't that an aluminum post? And it looks like not much if it is buried in the tube... Spray some pb blaster or kroil, clamp a junk saddle in there, clamp said saddle into a bench vice and twist away...

Edit. Choke beat me to it. Also to clarify, you probably won't need to clamp the saddle in a vice, but I have resorted to that before. Flip over the bike, clamp saddle into vice and use the frame as your lever...

Once you get it to twist just a mm, the battle is over. I've freed a half dozen stuck posts in my day... This one looks like a piece if cake.

[pinkshogun]

looks like an aluminum seatpost. ive never seen an aero steel seatpost unless you crimped it trying to get it out

yea, an Kroil works well

[TRACK]

PB Blaster is a good choice as well.

BTW, that post is aluminum.

:eek: didnt know that!
thank youuu

Isn't that an aluminum post? And it looks like not much if it is buried in the tube... Spray some pb blaster or kroil, clamp a junk saddle in there, clamp said saddle into a bench vice and twist away...

Edit. Choke beat me to it. Also to clarify, you probably won't need to clamp the saddle in a vice, but I have resorted to that before. Flip over the bike, clamp saddle into vice and use the frame as your lever...

Once you get it to twist just a mm, the battle is over. I've freed a half dozen stuck posts in my day... This one looks like a piece if cake.

thank you!! I will try it soon and post the picture!

looks like an aluminum seatpost. ive never seen an aero steel seatpost unless you crimped it trying to get it out

yea, an Kroil works well

thank you! didnt know campy seatposts are alu.

[ultraman6970]

I was going to say the same thing, never seen a seatpost like that in steel ever.

Either way, the good news is that is not stuck too deep.

Good luck.

[TRACK]

I was going to say the same thing, never seen a seatpost like that in steel ever.

Either way, the good news is that is not stuck too deep.

Good luck.

thank you! for everyone whos curious - here is the whole picture of the stuck post!

[buldogge]

Campy Aero post…and…there' maybe 50-60mm sticking in that ST.

Pull the BB, turn the frame upside down and spray Kroil or PB "up" the ST.

Let it sit (overnight if need be) and then twist, as directed.

-Mark in St. Louis

[rustychisel]

"I TRIED. I TRIED. I tried to pull it out so hard I bent the frame!!!!"

[bikinchris]

Typically, aluminum to steel does not respond to rust penetrants. If tugging on the frame with the seatpost in a vice doesn't work try knocking it INTO the frame deeper. If it moves, it will come out. Failing that, cut the seatpost and slice it inside in about three places with a hacksaw blade. Break off the seatpost pieces and it should come out.

I have a tandem in my shop that has two seatposts stuck. Unfortunately, both heads snapped and they turn on the shaft. I cut them off and had to resort to using lye to eat out the posts. Takes a few days, but it works. The rear post is so deep, using a hacksaw blade won't work.

[bikinchris]

"I TRIED. I TRIED. I tried to pull it out so hard I bent the frame!!!!"

Well, that can be fixed. But knowing HOW hard you can twist a frame is an important skill.

[EvanTA]

I had a carbon seatpost stuck in an aluminum frame recently. I hadn't ridden the bike in a while, and it was just stuck. No amount of wrenching would do it, and I had not used carbon assembly compound when it originally went in. I tried to saw it out (first, I sawed it so it was an inch or so proud, then tried to saw out a slice of the post from the inside) but that was taking too long, and I was afraid of going too far and sawing into the frame. I'd read people strongly recommending against prying it out because you'd end up mangling the frame in the process, so I couldn't do that either. Then it occurred to me that the carbon was many layers, and with a good, flat-sided wood chisel I could just take out inner layers one by one until it was a thin layer connected to the frame, and that could be broken/popped out. Sure enough, helped by some experience working a wood chisel, each layer came out pretty easily and in 20 minutes my frame was free of the post.

Removing and cleaning the post is now part of the tune-up routine, and carbon assembly compound was purchased for my new bike.

[ultraman6970]

Hmmm you have like 5mm (if not less) of tubing bellow the seat post clamp cut in the middle of the tube.

Use a piece of wood and try to pry open the seatpost clamp, if you can get a little bit you will be able to get that thing off the bike.

[velotrack]

Quite a frame you got there :p

[YoKev]

If there is a hole in the BB shell, turn the frame upside down and pour ammonia into the seat tube. Let sit. If it leaks, refill.wait a couple days and try to remove it again.

[Saint Vitus]

One additional suggestion not mentioned: Can of air, upside down and freeze the area of interface. Rinse and repeat.

[zennmotion]

If there is a hole in the BB shell, turn the frame upside down and pour ammonia into the seat tube. Let sit. If it leaks, refill.wait a couple days and try to remove it again.

Do this. Penetration oils don't do much for aluminum oxidation which is what is making your seatpost stick. Get some ammonia in the seat tube from the bottom bracket and/or syringe it in through that internal brake cable hole and let it sit for a day or so to dissolve the oxidation.

[Tom]

Wow. Two pages until somebody mentioned ammonia.

Aluminum? Ammonia. Works fast.

[MySweetFixie]

If you have access to dry ice/can of air to super cool the aluminum seat post whilst hitting the steal seat tube w/ a hair dryer. The expansion of the steal with the contraction of the aluminum is usually enough to make it so you can wrench them apart.

[TomNY]

I had same problem years ago w same seat post. Once you get it out..... throw it away!

[zmudshark]

Industrial strength ammonia (10%) if PB and Kroil don't work. In through the BB, and let it sit for a few days.

That's a Record seat post, so saving it is a good idea.

Last time I had a really stuck post, it took a week of ammonia. I clamped a junk saddle in the post, and wedged it in the crook of a tree. Used the frame for leverage. If it moves a millimeter, it will move a mile.

[Gsinill]

Worst case, if nothing else works and you don't mind to ruin the seat post (and assuming that the post is only about 5 - 6cm inserted into the seat tube):


cut the seat post off about 1cm above the lug
use a hacksaw blade to CAREFULLY cut through the post vertically inside the tube (if you just use the blade by hand, you can cut through the post without damaging the seat tube)
Make another cut parallel to the first, about 1cm apart.
if it does not come off already, use a small chisel and drive that small segment between the cuts towards the center until it falls off

After that you should be able to get the remaining piece out without a problem.

[Marburg]

Another positive experience here with ammonia. In my case I was not able to access the inside of the seat tube through the BB. I wrapped ammonia soaked paper towels around post/seat tube for a couple of nights (I don't remember any specific damage to the frame's point but it couldn't have been good for it). There was sufficient wicking into the gap to do the trick.

Then, junk saddle in the post and lots leverage. i believe I did a little twist to break it loose before pulling.

[oldpotatoe]

I had same problem years ago w same seat post. Once you get it out..... throw it away!

or send it to me......

[TRACK]

Thanks for all the reply guys! Should I use Kroil or Ammonia first? Will it damage the internal of the frame? Here is the picture of the whole frameset if people are curious.

Also, is there a place where can I buy the bolt for the seat collar/clamp?

Thank you guys!

[YoKev]

Ammonia first.

[ultraman6970]

Ultra can tell that track doesn't have too much experience wrenching in general.

If one of your friends has a big ass vice, get to pieces of wood, one at each side off the BB, tight the heck out of the vice.

Put a saddle in that seatpost and use the saddle to lever that thing off using a piece of tubing, even you can hammer it down or up once in the vice, use an old saddle obviously because that thing will die big time.

[jtakeda]

You can get a seatpost pin anywhere.

[Fixed]

Call bob
I bet he could free it up
I have had luck with four guys two hold frame two twist post, oil first over night .
If you need an extra helper I am available
:)
Cheers

[champ]

A few years ago there was a test of various penetrating oils by Machinist Workshop magazine, I believe, that had some interesting results:

Penetrating oil ........... Average load to break free

None ..............................516 pounds
WD-40 .......................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .....................214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ............... 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ......................106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix............ 53 pounds

The Automatic Transmission fluid-Acetone mix was a "home brew" of 50/ 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone.

I do use PB Blaster on bike parts and it seems to work fine although you might want to try the home brew above for your stuck seatpost.

[cnighbor1]

1. use and penetrating oil
2. with old seat in place whack side of saddle
3. or using pipe wrench whack side of wrench
4. repeat one next day
your trying to move sp just a very very very little to allow oil to reach new areas
after a few days seat post is free
5 also whack sp on top

[hockeybike]

ATF-Acetone can work very well at getting rid of any bond between parts. Used it on some spokes and nipples which were seized with a ton of success. That was aluminum and stainless steel, though, not cro-mo like yours.

[AgilisMerlin]

A few years ago there was a test of various penetrating oils by Machinist Workshop magazine, I believe, that had some interesting results:

Penetrating oil ........... Average load to break free

None ..............................516 pounds
WD-40 .......................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .....................214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ............... 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ......................106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix............ 53 pounds

The Automatic Transmission fluid-Acetone mix was a "home brew" of 50/ 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone.

I do use PB Blaster on bike parts and it seems to work fine although you might want to try the home brew above for your stuck seatpost.

I need to make a poster out of this.

homebrew : category included

[likebikes]

A few years ago there was a test of various penetrating oils by Machinist Workshop magazine, I believe, that had some interesting results:

Penetrating oil ........... Average load to break free

None ..............................516 pounds
WD-40 .......................... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .....................214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ............... 127 pounds
Kano Kroil ......................106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix............ 53 pounds

The Automatic Transmission fluid-Acetone mix was a "home brew" of 50/ 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone.

I do use PB Blaster on bike parts and it seems to work fine although you might want to try the home brew above for your stuck seatpost.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_17dJ5vcfrA/UszubObGPaI/AAAAAAAAAX4/L2OdIFzDBi4/s1600/Penetrating_Oil_Test.jpg

[TRACK]

Ultra can tell that track doesn't have too much experience wrenching in general.

If one of your friends has a big ass vice, get to pieces of wood, one at each side off the BB, tight the heck out of the vice.

Put a saddle in that seatpost and use the saddle to lever that thing off using a piece of tubing, even you can hammer it down or up once in the vice, use an old saddle obviously because that thing will die big time.

http://media3.giphy.com/media/12CG3zRhS63JJu/giphy.gif

woahh loving all the replies! this forum is toooo awesome!
i will work on the seatpost this weekend and let you guys know how it go!
thank you again!

[GuyGadois]

YIKES! Chill! Tried all the already mentioned things on a Pinarello frame with a stuck post and they didn't work. Then I thought about the different metals fused and figured out a solution that worked. Go to Staples and buy a few cans on that keyboard air stuff. If you turn that upside down while spraying liquid nitrogen comes out, for god sakes, don't spray it on yourself. The goal is to cool the post and warm the frame. Aluminum and steel expand and contract at different rates. If you chill the post and warm the frame and chill the frame and warm the post a crack will happen in the fusion between the two. After about 30 minutes of alternation and slowly turning post the seal broke. Then use the PB blaster and continue the cold/warm. It worked for me and others. Try it out.

GG

[ultraman6970]

Like this idea less Violent :D

I like my pictures with the monster tho :)