Frozen Seatpost

[Too Tall]

Pls. post your successful and best method for "unthawing" an aluminum post from a steel bike.

Working on a CIII with a Thompson post that I'm sure has not been out in 3 yrs....I can see corrosion.

I tried:
1. B-Blaster
2. Heat and B-Blaster
3. Ammonia
4. A big rubber mallet

Stop me before I use bad grammer.

[Len J]

I've used a penetrating oil, let it sit and then use a hair dryer to slightly heat up the seat tube. This has been enough to allow me to work loose the post.

Len


Pls. post your successful and best method for "unthawing" an aluminum post from a steel bike.

Working on a CIII with a Thompson post that I'm sure has not been out in 3 yrs....I can see corrosion.

I tried:
1. B-Blaster
2. Heat and B-Blaster
3. Ammonia
4. A big rubber mallet

Stop me before I use bad grammer.

[EdK]

Too Tall

When all else fails cut the post off leaving an inch or so above the set collar. Assuming since you are too tall there isn't 12 inches of post in the seat tube, start with a single ended hack saw and slowly saw vertically down the inside of the cut off seat post. This method will only work if there is max 5-7 inches of post in the frame less is better obviously. Take you time and lube the blade (use a new very fine one as well). Eventually you should be able to create a slit in the post. Once this is done take your favorite vice grip or large channel locks or even a solidly mounted vice and squeeze in on the post. I have nuclear caustic sweat and have had to resort to this method on two different steel frame aluminum post combos. I also actually had to use this method to get a carbon post out of an aluminum frame, that was quite a bit easier than cutting aluminum but it works the same.

[Peter]

The top end of the post should be either "blind" or the opening should be plugged with something non-absorbent like caulk.

Remove the wheels and the crank. Remove the bottom bracket. Invert the bike in your bike stand. Pour a can of Coca-Cola (You read that right!) down the seat tube, filling the post and and beyond so the flluid can "spill" over the edge of the post and begin to seep into the gap between the post and the seat tube. Let sit overnight.

The bike should be clamped in the stand so no part of the clamp secures the seat tube where the seat post length may be inserted.

You will now have to sacrifice your post to remove it.

Using a hammer, rap on the post firmly for about five minutes. Then, using large channel locks, grasp the post by the head, and with the bike still inverted of course, try to twist it out. If it doesn't work and you haven't lost any fluid, rap the post for another five minutes then let sit overnight. Repeat until the seatpost frees up.

If channel locks don't provide enough leverage, clamp the seatpost head in a vise and use the frame for leverage. Have one friend twist one end of the frame while you twist the other end. If the head breaks off the seatpost, merely crush the remaining seatpost shaft in the vise and repeat.

Coca-Cola REALLY works, but if you don't like the idea, then use Liquid Wrench or equivalent with the technique above.

In the future, use anti-seize compound instead of grease for your post.

[pale scotsman]

After all else fails; the redneck way to sacrifice a seatpost is to drill a 1/4 inch or so through the post. Get a large, one of those foot and a half screwdrivers, and twist/wrestle that bad boy off. Clamping a seatpost in a vise and twisting it off can work too, but as soon as the heads gone it goes down hill.

I’ve knocked a few years off my life getting posts out when I was a shop rat, seriously. One of the strangest things I’ve heard about was a co-worker with his head over a bmx post pulling straight up with both hands. When it let loose the top of the post left a semi-circular gash above his eye. This dude would faint at the sight of blood so when he went over to the sink and saw what had happened he passed out in the shop sink with the water running.

Harold, the former marine didn’t even bat an eye. He reached over with one hand; the other had the phone to his ear, and pulled the guy up still talking to another guy on the phone. Glad I was off that day.

[Tony Edwards]

No offense, but there are several posts (no pun intended) above that are really bad ideas. 98 times out of 100 you can remove a stuck post without sacrificing either post or frame.

You need a big, beefy bench vise (if you don't have one, go to your LBS).

Drizzle penetrating lube into the seatpost clamp and its slot.

Remove your saddle and the top of the seatpost clamp. Turn the bike upside-down and firmly clamp the top of the post (i.e., the lower half of the clamp) in the vise. Turn the bike.

I have never seen an aluminum post that could not be freed with this method. I guess there's a first time for everything, but you might as well start with a non-destructive method.

[Jeff N.]

Must agree with Tony Edwards above. Jeff N.

[Too Tall]

Everyone's collective experiance is appreciated. She's still stuck and soaking in more penetrating fluid. I'll report back this eve.

Yah know what? I'm not surprised it was stuck...after seeing the worn out cassette, worn out 10 spd. r. shifter, chain rings mostly shot. It is VERY cool to see a bike that's ridden hard...but sad to see results of being put away wet.

[Ahneida Ride]

Too Tall

I would try numerous attempts of Ammonia with the frame upside down.

Let the chemistry do the work.

[Tom]

WD40 and the like are great, but you need to chew away the oxidation from the aluminum. They won't. They will screw up your Framesaver, so if you use them you'll need to reapply that stuff if you're into that kind of thing.

I had the same issue last year, Ahneida Ride told me to use ammonia and it worked. Have a little patience, it does take more than one application and an overnight if it's really frozen in there.

[Kevan]

on how the seat clamp's designed, is there anyway to ever so gently a way to slightly pry apart the clamp (I'm talking 1-3 mm's only, if even) to help relieve pressure?

Also, if you are reduced to sawing and drilling, I'd probably remove the bb so a proper cleaning can be done post-surgery.

Here's a stretch, even I wouldn't recommend, but someone more knowledgable might support it or shoot it down: drain cleaner. Crazy? Yes, but does anyone really know what harm it could cause? Hey, I have a wild imagination, what can I say?! :D

[Ahneida Ride]

T**2


Ammonia should work. Just be patient and use multiple applications.

It's the least likely method to offer a destructive potential. Placing
tons of torque on the frame scares me.

The Chemistry makes sense. The Ammonia will disolve the oxide.

Careful with the Coke, it does ruin paint. Imagine what it does to
our insides ?

Please keep me posted.

[OldDog]

TT,

Before using your frame as a lever, have you determined the structural integrety of the tubes themselves? Todays thin tubing may not take the beating as would on older SL/SLX frameset. You may solve one problem, removing the post, and create another, an out of alignment frame. I would not even think of clamping my modern steel frame in a spring loaded Park stand let alone twist the snot out of it while the post is clamped. If you have a thin wall frame, consider the chemical treatment and cutting the post lengthwise as earlier suggested. Good luck.

Maybe e-richie, Dave Kirk or one of the Serotta boys can chime in here?

[Richard]

One caveat to the upside down, in the vice, twist method. Twist only until you feel the post "rebind." Work slowly back and forth with small motions or you risk galling the tubes. Other than cutting (I don't have the patience), it is the only certain method.

[Too Tall]

It is a good thing to have y'all on board as it helps with my patience on these things. Well, I went back to ammonia and will give it a couple more days of soaking and rubber mallet whacking before I cut the post and saw it out. Comment regarding galling the ST struck home....all's I need is that to contend with as well. This bike needs to be ready for a major tour in two weeks so no time for FUBARs!

[csb]

this is more abrasive than coke so be careful, please:
(small dabs)

mothers milk

[Too Tall]

SUCCESS!!!!

Went back to ammonia. Tied some rags around the seatpost and everytime I walked by that POS I poured a teaspoon of Ammonia on the rags and whacked it with a rubber mallet. *Especially liked the whacking part.

Finally it budged. Now I have to deal with a very pitted out CIII seat tube. Ah, an excuse to buy another tool. :) :)

Thanks to all. Patience is a virtue.

[Peter]

Get yourself a flex hone to clean up the inside of the seat tube.

Check out this site if you need more info:
http://www.newmantools.com/flexhone/

Or call Serotta direct and ask for advice on how to clean up the I.D.

[Dekonick]

You can also try to ice the seatpost (wrap ice in a bag around the seatpost, just above the frame) then wait a bit. Then heat the frame gently and try to work post free - dunno if this will work, but the characteristics of Al and steel are different enough, they should heat and cool at different rates thus possibly work themselves apart?

Good luck!

you could also show my posts to your bike; the spellig and gremer wuld du tha trik.

[Tom]

What, if anything, do you apply?

[Too Tall]

In this case it is a Steel bike and Al seatpost so use generic white lithium lube.

Last eve. I repl. the right Brifter and found out more. This rider has sweat from Mars! We are talkin' fused cable stops, rusted stem insert, Brifter fastener rusted solid...yesh. When I got it all cleaned up I put it all back together just like I used to build Mtn. bikes for guys who don't do much wrenching....lots of heavy grease on all the places where moisture collects.

HEY! Who'd pay for a "buff n' polish" service? I would if a really good mechanic performed all the basics eg. re-lube, wipe down stuff that I do that prevents long term problems. What's it worth...maybe $25. What's included:
1. relube cables
2. degrease chain
3. clean drive train, relube jockey wheels.
4. clean and relube cable stops.
5. check and re-torque basic fittings.
BONUS BUCKS eg. "buff n' polish AAA" service = $45
1. All the above plus
2. true wheels
3. pull seatpost and relube, clean seat tube
4. wash bike

Just line em' up against my garage. First come, first serve. I'll trade you for garden work or fish tacos.

[PaulE]

instead of grease on bikes? Back when I did wrenching on cars, we always used it - spark plug threads before going into cylinder heads, brake bleeder nipples, suspension nuts and bolts, splined hubs for knock-off wire wheels. We used it instead of grease because grease dries out over time. I've used it on my bike when I install my own pedals, and I would think it would be better than grease for a seat post. So, does anyone else use Anti-Seize?

[Tom]

It's the first thing my hand landed on, though. Good thing it wasn't a jar of plumber's putty.

[pale scotsman]

Ah, the sweat from another planet. I used to wrench on a guys bike that you almost had to don a respirator to work on. He had a QR tri bike where the aluminum top top was pitted like hell. Nothing stood up to this guys sweat. A heck of an athlete though. Later on he lost his arm in a shark attack off Gulf Shores, AL. He's still competing strong even after that.

TT I'll let you use my patented shoe shine technique for your buff and shine. I use an old t-shirt and "shoe shine" the exposed part of axles, bottom brackets, cassettes, and headtube areas to get and keep 'em shiny clean. Spray a little degreaser on the cloth for cassettes and real grimy stuff. You'll be suprised at how well this works.

[Too Tall]

I'd use more copper anti-sieze but that crap gets on everything and it stains. Yeah it is very effective and holds up great but yesh only where it's needed pls.

I GET IT! A strip of cloth, thread it through the dirty bits and yank back n' forth. Clever boy. thanks.

[chrisroph]

The anti-seize can also cause a vicious rash if you don't treat it like plutonium and keep all residue off of your skin.

BTW TT, the CSi is one sweet ride, a very special machine. I'm looking forward to more miles in her saddle. I've only ridden her twice because its been raining a bunch and I've also been riding the tandem a bit to get ready for our road championships this weekend.

[Too Tall]

You race tandems also???? You getting that bike was ment to be.

[chrisroph]

This will be my first tandem race. I've got a beautiful, heavy 15 year old fillet brazed Rodriguez that has 48 spoke Phil wheels (I'm running an old 36 hole campy/mavic on the front), a triple and a 7 speed drivetrain, which I've recently improved with NOS campy built mavic (?) branded brake/shift levers. I'm riding the race with a friend who has been a teammate/riding buddy for 30 years. We're very compatible on the tandem and are doing the race for the experience and for the story that we will tell for the next 30 years.

[Ahneida Ride]

Too Tall

Glad to see that the Ammonia worked.

[Too Tall]

Ahneida, PM your physical address. Next time I whip up a batch of Plum Jam I'll send your just desserts. You did have the answer afterall :) Thank You.