Cinelli 1A Stem question

[GParkes]

Gang: I was fortunate enough to acquire a Colorado LT and built it up with SRAM Red 10 speed and some miscellaneous parts to test fit, ride etc. I began to forge ahead and grabbed a Cinelli bar and 1A stem. Where I'm having the issue is the stem will not tighten enough to keep from twisting with what I would consider only moderate force.

What I've done; confirmed 22.2 mm size of stem and ID of steerer tube, checked to make sure threads on expander bolt aren't stopping wedge from moving upward, lubed said threads. I've tightened as high as 12 nm, but still moving. I do not want to go any higher on torque for fear of damaging steerer tube (it is in good condition - not rusted/rotted, but still...) or cracking the stem itself.

Anyone have thoughts on this? Anyone ever have a similar issue? I will say, I had two other stems in it that snugged up fine. In fact, I had a threadless adapter in first for test rides. I'm flustered.

Thnx, GP

[Big Dan]

I had terrible luck with the newer reissue 1A stems.
The binder bolt got stripped in the process.
If you want a forged stem, the Nittos do a great job.

[Waldo62]

Either get a Nitto or a vintage 1A -- plenty of them on eBay.

[OtayBW]

Cut a shim out of a coke can or similar....
EDIT - oops, sorry. I thought you were referring to bar clamping. Nm....

[Tychom]

Could be a previous owner over-tightened a stem and there's a resulting bulge in the fork steerer. Particularly those stems with a conical wedge like the 1A put all their force across a small area. Stems with an angled wedge like those from Nitto can work better.

[ap_az]

In in going through a bin of parts that need to be re-homed I realized that I have a new-in-box Nitto Pearl (100mm) that needs a bike. If this will solve your problem let me know.

[oldpotatoe]

Originally Posted by Tychom

Could be a previous owner over-tightened a stem and there's a resulting bulge in the fork steerer. Particularly those stems with a conical wedge like the 1A put all their force across a small area. Stems with an angled wedge like those from Nitto can work better.

That's the first thing that comes to mind for me too..

[GParkes]

Originally Posted by Tychom

Could be a previous owner over-tightened a stem and there's a resulting bulge in the fork steerer. Particularly those stems with a conical wedge like the 1A put all their force across a small area. Stems with an angled wedge like those from Nitto can work better.

Nope, I've had two other stems that worked fine. The Cinelli was for final build.

[GParkes]

Originally Posted by ap_az

In in going through a bin of parts that need to be re-homed I realized that I have a new-in-box Nitto Pearl (100mm) that needs a bike. If this will solve your problem let me know.

Message sent

[GParkes]

Thank you for the input, gang. I wasn't thinking poor product at this point. I originally wanted to stay Cinelli/Cinelli, so passed on a Nitto. So, I'll have to live with non-matching cockpit (GASP!)

[smontanaro]

Originally Posted by Tychom

Could be a previous owner over-tightened a stem and there's a resulting bulge in the fork steerer.

This happened with my Medici. It had fork alignment issues. Turned out it had been in a front end shunt, though the seller didn't disclose that. Months later, I went to build it up and discovered the wackiness. I took it to Ron Boi (RRB). He straightened the fork but told me the steerer tube had a bulge. It was apparently only a few thou, so Ron just turned it back to the proper OD. Given its age (very early production, so mid- to late-70s), it had almost certainly been built up originally with a Cinelli or 3T stem with the aforementioned conical nut.

[Tandem Rider]

Are you sure it's a 22.2? French is 22.0 and a Cinelli 22.0 will never tighten up in a 22.2 steerer. (I learned that the expensive way)

[dddd]

I've encountered this problem a couple of times, same fix both times.

What I did was to run some WD40 down into the steerer, which allowed the stem quill expansion and some twisting to displace a slippery layer of hardened old grease, and thus achieve good grip inside of the steerer.

I was then able to then re-grease the steer tube and have the re-installed stem quill not slip.

You could alternately use today's installation/mounting compound (gripping grease) to achieve the same or better results, since the particles would tend to penetrate the slick layer in the tube.
Maybe do both for good measure?

Also best not to use a Teflon grease, for obvious reason!