Stem seized-Help!!

brayblue24

I've picked up an old steel frame that I plan on fixing up in the new year but I've now come across a stem I'm going to fit. When I went to do so today it appears that the old stem is seized within the frame. Any notions for its removal? Everything considered

Lusk Doyle

A hammer and a towel and the customary cringe as you apply hammer to stem via towel.

Edit: Repeat as necessary.

kona

Use a penetrating oil such as GT85 or WD40 and leave it for awhile, repeat until it comes off.

Dont bate the thing with a hammer if you want to use it again.

Lusk Doyle

A night in the cells might change its mind

macken04

you could heat the stem so the metal expands and then remove.

lescol

If it's an old frame I guess you have a quill stem. Undo the bolt then tap with a hammer to release the expander, then grab handlebars and twist/pull until the stem comes out!

Tonyandthewhale

If tapping out the expander bolt and yanking it doesn't work then leave it in oil over night. If that doesn't work, try heating it and then try hammering it out from the bottom. Finally you can just cut it out but that's a very finicky job because you'd have to cut it while it's inside the headtube but obviously you can't cut the headtube.

Lusk Doyle

Hammer time! Do do do do can't touch this!

Holyboy

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

If tapping out the expander bolt and yanking it doesn't work then leave it in oil over night. If that doesn't work, try heating it and then try hammering it out from the bottom. Finally you can just cut it out but that's a very finicky job because you'd have to cut it while it's inside the headtube but obviously you can't cut the headtube.

Hammering from the bottom with wedge bolt still in just jams it tighter usually and with wedge bolt removed it's very difficult as it's not a flat surface you're hammering against, but it can sometimes work.

OP do you own or have use of a bench vice?

macnab

Throw a kettle of boiling water over it for starters, the differential expansion rates will hopefully give you a good start, then soak it in diesel or a good penetrating oil if you can get some (WD40 is not actually a penetrating oil so it is of limited use) use a soft hammer if you intend hitting anything made of metal. Have patience, the slightest movement will allow the oil to penetrate further.

brayblue24

Thanks for all the above folks, it's "soaking" overnight so I'll see what awaits tomorrow

cheers all

Holyboy

Just a quick word of warning, DON'T grip the front wheel with your legs and try to turn the bar/stem TOO much as you WILL twist the fork blades, so go easy!

Tonyandthewhale

Holyboy wrote: »

Hammering from the bottom with wedge bolt still in just jams it tighter usually.

Yes, I meant leave the hammering until the expander bolt is out, suppose I should have been clearer. Hammering from the bottom has always worked best for me (although I've only had to do it a handful of times so haven't really developed a system yet) but then again I don't have a vice so maybe clamping the frame and twisting the stem would work better, sadly it's never been an option for me.

Holyboy

Tonyandthewhale wrote: »

Yes, I meant leave the hammering until the expander bolt is out, suppose I should have been clearer. Hammering from the bottom has always worked best for me (although I've only had to do it a handful of times so haven't really developed a system yet) but then again I don't have a vice so maybe clamping the frame and twisting the stem would work better, sadly it's never been an option for me.

I used to do it my self in the early days and it can work with enough hammering but I've found better ways, I have to say the last few months have really made me think out side of the box as I didn't have all the fancy and very expensive tools I had been used to demanding when I worked in other shops, I think it's helped me in a strange way, but now I have shiny new tools for most jobs so screw out side the box, haha:D

tomasrojo

macnab wrote: »

use a soft hammer if you intend hitting anything made of metal.

I don't have a soft hammer or mallet, but for loosening quill stems I used to use an ordinary claw hammer, but put a bit of soft wood between the hammer and the expander bolt.

loyatemu

had similar issue recently with an old town bike - after brute force failed I soaked it in "rustola" penetrating oil for several weeks, giving the stem the occasional sideways tap with a hammer to assist the penetration.

Did this work? No. It didn't budge an inch.

In the end (with help) I cut the top off the stem, drilled out the remaining piece as thin as possible with successively larger drillbits, then cut it lengthways with a hacksaw blade and wrestled it out with a large set of pliers. Absolute PITA - hope you have better luck with the penetrating oil route...

kona

macnab wrote: »

(WD40 is not actually a penetrating oil so it is of limited use)

I think youl find that it is a penetrating oil.

Hermy

kona wrote: »

I think youl find that it is a penetrating oil.

WD40 is primarily a water dispersant as far as I know.
There are better dedicated penetrating oils on the market.

Holyboy

I won't comment http://www.wd40.com/faqs/#a97

kona

Hermy wrote: »

WD40 is primarily a water dispersant as far as I know.
There are better dedicated penetrating oils on the market.

Yes there are better products that WD40, but saying its not a penetrant is plain incorrect.

Holyboy

kona wrote: »

Yes there are better products that WD40, but saying its not a penetrant is plain incorrect.

Go on then, I will comment, it does penetrate rust but the OPs problem isn't rust it's aluminium oxide,saying that any kind of liquid that can work it's way in will help but something acidic would work better lemon juice or vinegar for instance, it's brilliant to watch it bubble as it works it's magic,but at the end of the day WD40 won't do any harm so it's worth a try,for steel on steel there are much better products out there though.

brayblue24

Didn't get time to get near it today but I got as far as Woodies for WD40. Decided to try a bit of non fatal force first!!

Thanks for all the help. All other suggestions listed will be looked at as the need arises

kincsem

Sheldon Brown (RIP) always has a few suggestions.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/stuck-stem.html

Although a bit of swearing and wild swings with a sledgehammer would be more amusing.

kona

Holyboy wrote: »

Go on then, I will comment, it does penetrate rust but the OPs problem isn't rust it's aluminium oxide,saying that any kind of liquid that can work it's way in will help but something acidic would work better lemon juice or vinegar for instance, it's brilliant to watch it bubble as it works it's magic,but at the end of the day WD40 won't do any harm so it's worth a try,for steel on steel there are much better products out there though.

Im well aware of the properties of aluminium oxide, how and ever I have no Idea where this is mentioned by the OP and I cant remember ever working on a bike that used either an Aluminium Expansion bolt or An Aluminium frame with a alloy expanison bolt.

In the OPs case hes talking about steel, I mentioned WD40 because its the easiest example people will understand for a penetrant. Personally I think WD40 is useless and dont even own a can.

Lusk Doyle

Lads, chillax FFS. It's about them stem and its remedies, not the merits or lack of merits of WD40!

Holyboy

Lusk Doyle wrote: »

Lads, chillax FFS. It's about them stem and its remedies, not the merits or lack of merits of WD40!

Why aren't you off watching the match:D

Lusk Doyle

Holyboy wrote: »

Why aren't you off watching the match:D

I am! In bed!

brayblue24

Eureka-a few days soaked in WD40, put fork in work bench, was about to at it with a hammer (and soft wood) and decided to give it one more go by hand and after a bit of hard work away it came.

So, thanks for the advice all, I used a combination of everything, starting with the most "holistic" (and cheapest:D) option, and success achieved.