Seized Seat Post to Titanium Frame

[carrara.g]

Hi,

The aluminum seat post has unfortunately seized to my titanium frame. This was originally mounted years ago and I was not aware of the product that needs to be applied when mounting components to ti frames...

I have tried letting penetrating oil soak in and have given it some strong pushes. However, the post remains locked.

Is there anything else that can be attempted? Thanks!

[prototoast]

Put the seatpost in a vise and use the frame as leverage to twist.

[yinzerniner]

Originally Posted by carrara.g

Hi,

The aluminum seat post has unfortunately seized to my titanium frame. This was originally mounted years ago and I was not aware of the product that needs to be applied when mounting components to ti frames...

I have tried letting penetrating oil soak in and have given it some strong pushes. However, the post remains locked.

Is there anything else that can be attempted? Thanks!

Sounds like a perfect case of galvanic corrosion.

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html
https://www.velonews.com/gear/stuck_seatpost/

Saddle trick is crazy effective. Get an old saddle, secure it to a bench vise, or other unmovable object, then rotate the frame around the post. Might want to freeze the post a bit before trying.

Other than that you'll probably be going into destructive methods, like cutting the alloy post with a hacksaw to remove it.

Good luck.

[weaponsgrade]

I've read something about coca cola being used to help free a seized post. Never tried it myself, but worth a shot.

[5oakterrace]

I had that problem. I took it to the kitchen, held the seatpost over a flame. Aluminum heats up and expands at a different rate/temperature than titanium. Twisted it loose afterwards. Worked like a charm. Learned the trick on Sheldon Brown's website. Good luck.

[AngryScientist]

There are various methods to unstuck a seatpost, depending on just how stubborn it is.

Depending on the level of tools and equipment you have available, there are lots of things to try. mild application of heat to the seat tube might help, various penetrating oils, etc. The advice to clamp the post in a vise, secured to a stable platform and use the frame as leverage is a great place to start.

Worst case you have to cut it out. takes some finesse, but totally doable.

[skouri1]

it's a nightmare honestly. I have tried to get a carbon wrapped alu post out of an aluminum frame. boiling water, penetrating oil, freezing snow + boiling water, using saddle as leverage etc. no dice. ever. began to cut it out. but even then, difficult to get slivers out.
if I had a vice might have worked. Main problem is head of seatpost failed before post budged.
I have had TI in steel frame stuck, that was released with penetrating oil treatment.

[duff_duffy]

Was it a Thomson post? If you don’t have vice can flip over and drill two screws through the head of post into 2x4. Stand on 2x4 and spin frame around it. Worked for me on a post that just would not budge with any other method. Took a while but eventually got out.

[MikeD]

Originally Posted by 5oakterrace

I had that problem. I took it to the kitchen, held the seatpost over a flame. Aluminum heats up and expands at a different rate/temperature than titanium. Twisted it loose afterwards. Worked like a charm. Learned the trick on Sheldon Brown's website. Good luck.

Heat won't work but cold might:

The torch technique is worse than useless when you are dealing with an aluminum seatpost stuck in a steel or titanium frame, because aluminum expands twice as much as steel, and 2 1/2 times as much as titanium for the same increase in temperature. In fact, the exact opposite technique will often do the trick for aluminum seatposts -- cool the seatpost down as rapidly as possible. The contents of a CO2 tire inflation cartridge applied inside the seatpost can shrink it down just enough to do the trick. [As will dry ice, which is also CO2, and can get the seatpost colder-- John Allen]

[dsimon]

http://www.finishlineusa.com/product...cts/chill-zone

[truth]

If you want to try chilling you can remove the crank and BB, plug the seatpost if it leaks and fill the seat tube from the BB with crushed dry ice and acetone.

You'll want to do the chilling in concert with twisting with high leverage.

You'll want to be able to clamp the seatpost into something that won't slip. A vise or pipe vise could work. If you have access to a lathe, clamping it into a 3 jaw chuck is ideal. You'll need plenty of leverage so that vise or lathe ought to be bolted to something solid and you can wrench the frame around the seatpost.

You can also spray methanol into the seatpost/seattube junction from above.

Where are you located?

[JMT3]

Preventative medicine. I’ve been riding titanium frames since late 80’s and was told always use anti-sieze. I’ve never had to deal with this on any frame including the Lynskey R 320 I rode for over 10 years. It sounds like your lesson has been learned and do the right thing moving forward.

[David Kirk]

What brand seat post is it?

dave

[Nickt]

Chilling/coefficient of expansion methods for unmarrying the two metals is a good first step. I might suggest trying to isolate the cooling to seat post as much as possible and avoid cooling the seat tube. If the two shrink in concert, you won't get them to decouple.

A trick I learned years ago was if you turn a compressed air canister upside down and spray - the ones you use for cleaning keyboards etc - you can get a very concentrated area of extreme cold. I might try that on the seat post first because you can control it precisely.

As others have said, I would definitely install a sacrificial saddle and clamp that in the vise so you can twist/leverage the frame simultaneously.

Best of luck.

[BobC]

I had this problem & tried pretty much everything listed above.

I recommend this only as a LAST RESORT

1. Cut the seat post horizontally (recommend as close to top as possible). Give yourself as much seatpost as possible to work with.
2. take a sharpie and mark the edge of where the seatpost is in relation to the frame.
2. Take a vise grips & clip it on with one claw in the seat post/ one out (the vice grips be in parallel to the seat post). Recommend the large claw be on the outside. Make sure it is VERY tight.
3. Take a hammer and strike the vice grip clamp parallel to the seat post and away. BE CAREFUL. Don't strike the frame.
4. Check the sharpie mark to see if it has moved.
5. Repeat as necessary. Shouldn't need to do this too much once you get movement.

Oh yeah. I had an old Scwhinn wind trainer I used to hold it.

Like I said. LAST RESORT. But it worked for me. Not good times though.

I have pictures somewhere. But they are not pretty.