Advice needed: cleaning Ted Wojcik seat tube out

[YoKev]

The Ted Wojciks in my stable don't have a drain hole in the seat tube. The bottle braze-ons or whatever he uses protrude into the seat tube as well.

Gunk and stuff seem to accumulate at the bottom some how.

I'd like to clean the nastys out of the bottom, but it nearly impossible. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[Peter P.]

Google, "long bottle brush" to find a suitable brush.

Then Google "rust converter" or "rust remover", and find a suitable solution. Add the word "homemade" if you want to see if something around the house will suffice.

Junk usually gets in a sealed seat tube from the seatpost junction and is either kicked up by the rear tire and exacerbated by rain. The rearward facing slot on the seat tube doesn't help.

Sean Walling at Soulcraft (I own a Soulcraft) created a solution. Assuming you use a separate seat post clamp on your frame, go to the hardware store and get a #20 O-ring. Slip it over the seatpost. Slater grease around the seatpost/clamp junction then slide the O-ring down until it touches the clamp. You want a film of grease to form under the O-ring as you slide it down.

Also, slather some grease into the seat tube slot just prior to sliding the clamp over the seat tube.

You can see what I'm talking about in THIS thread. Sean smartly builds his frames with the slot facing forward, which removes one access point for gunk.

[paredown]

If the tube opens into the BB shell, you can also use a home-made bike equivalent of a rifle bore cleaner. Use a wad of soft cloth tied with a string and a weight. I've found it easier to work upside down--weight dropped so that it clears the top of the seat-tube, and then slowly work the cloth through the shell opening and up. Soak the cloth in the cleaner of your choice--I generally will use odorless mineral spirits,

The brush works great for the top sections as well,

Grease seatpost (for steel frames) before insertion--and generally when I'm cleaning like this, I will Framesaver.

[JAGI410]

If the seattube is accessible from the BB, why not just pull the cranks/BB annually and clean it out?

If it's not accessible, spray some cleaner down there, let it soak for a few, then blast it with an air compressor. Flip over to let it all drain out. Then do the Soulcraft O-ring trick mentioned above.

[Peter P.]

Some seat tubes are "totally sealed", meaning there's no access to the BB from the seat tube, and the seat tube waterbottle bosses are sealed as well.

Independent Fabrications is one builder that has this feature.
That's what I understood from YoKev's original post.

[Dino Suegiù]

With a sealed tube (no access from bottom bracket in this case) one can even pour Coca-Cola down the tube, let it sit even overnight, and then flush out well, allow to dry, then treat with FrameSaver again if desired.

[paredown]

Originally Posted by Peter P.

Some seat tubes are "totally sealed", meaning there's no access to the BB from the seat tube, and the seat tube waterbottle bosses are sealed as well.

Independent Fabrications is one builder that has this feature.
That's what I understood from YoKev's original post.

Ah,--I read drain hole and thought bottom of BB--your reading comprehension is better than mine!

[cachagua]

What's the argument against drilling the BB right through from the bottom, to create a drain for the seat tube? Grease, O-ring, slot at the front notwithstanding, stuff's GONNA get in there. And even if you did a thorough cleaning a few times a year, the stuff's gonna SIT in there for long periods of time... so why not give it a way to get out, is what I figure.


Doubtless there's an opinion to the contrary?

[PacNW2Ford]

Fat Chances have this "feature" too. Christopher Igleheart is well-versed in saving old Fat frames. I think it involves a really long drill bit down the seat tube to make the drain hole. As far as just cleaning it out, sounds like some good ideas have already been offered.

[YoKev]

"Feature". Yeah, that's one way to describe it

Some great ideas, thanks all!

[charliedid]

Drilling it out only helps with water, right? What exactly is coming out of this seat tube?

Pics?

[William]

Clean and then...

Drill, clean, and then...

Non-toxic and it works.





William

[pbarry]

Yep to the suggestions for drilling a drainhole in the bb shell. Top down is better as the burr will be dowside. A long jobber bit and a good flashlight will get the job done. FC had returns as early as 1989 on the sealed ST feature.

[chrismoustache]

Very long flex-hone?