This is infuriating, lip on the bonded insert means the normal method won’t work.

Have made a tool out of a screwdriver that can just get into the small gap but is not shifting no matter how hard I dare hit it with a rubber mallet.

Got the exposed bit of cup sat in ice water trying to shrink it a bit but not hopeful.

Looks like the only way is to destroy the bottom cup in a vice.

I remember this problem – think you might need a metal hammer with the screwdriver to shock it out

Hmm, resisting getting the metal lump hammer out but might have to. It’s hard to support the frame too so got it sat on another rubber mallet head. Thinking I m taking too much energy out with all the rubber.

Yes I think so too

Once it starts moving you could revert to the rubber mallet

Still not budging.

arghhhh!

So I made a tool out of a cheap screwdriver and all that has done is take chunks off the cup.

I then made this tool which is much better but it’s not budging and I am scared to hit the frame any harder!

I think all that is left to do is get the dremel on it and cut it out.

Aluminium cup, steel bearing?

Heat it up, don’t cool it down. Aluminium expands at approx twice the rate of steel. Plunge it into a pan of hot water, THEN smack it with a hammer/drift. (even water at 100 degrees centigrade shouldn’t have any noticeable effect on the CF or the adhesive holding the cup in, unless on-one REALLY cheaped out and used dairylea instead of resin.)

Ah, ignore me, its an aluminium cup in an insert. Plumbers freeze spray might do it rather than cold water.

Have tried ice water after heating all up with a heat gun first, did think about a plumbers freeze kit but that’s more than the headset is worth.

And yup, aluminium cup and frame insert. Was well greased on insertion but been there 5 years.

I just leave mine in and replace bearings.

I wouldn’t be taking it out if just the bearings were gone, am fitting an angleset

I went with the bottom cup in a vice and twist the frame approach.

Then fitted a hope one so I’d not need to remove the cups again (although hope was a bit shallower so less of a problem)

Not a chance! Put a decent one in to start with and change bearings… The insert makes it impossible to remove without destroying the bottom cup.

Only way to get the bottom cup out is to put it in a vice and pull the frame off. Official on-one advice, that… Assuming you’re changing the headset anyway you won’t want to reuse it.

I put the stupid headset design with the 2 year crash replacement warranty, which turned out to be something stupid like 10% off RRP of a new one…

The tool I made is a big lump of nylon with steel tabs so I am wondering if it’s not fully transferring the shock loading bit I am hitting it with a metal lump hamer and thick metal bar. Frame supported on a block of wood won’t help either but no option with the carbon.

I am concerned it is too corroded in for twisting as it might rip the cup out.

I am wondering if I should carefully slit the cup and fold it in on itself like you do really stuck seatposts

Only way to get the bottom cup out is to put it in a vice and pull the frame off. Official on-one advice, that…

Yes it was.
It was the final nail in my C456s coffin as it was the second major design flaw I found on the bike (there was one minor one too) and I sold it quickly after that. Whoever designed it should have been fired.

I dont think the guy worked there for long after.

Love the bike but wish I had just asked for a refund when I had the short head tube problem and bought a soul.

If you’re anywhere near Malvern I’ve got a tool I made to make it much easier that you can borrow..

Cheers Stevie,

Your tool probably would have been much better than mine but I still don’t think it would have gone anywhere.

It is now out though. The cup’s not pretty but the only casualty on the frame is I damaged the edge of some heli tape when I slid the frame on the floor when knocking it out the last bit 🙄

After trying a variety of cutting discs and small milling cutters on the fake (rubbish) Dremel I stuck a bigger cutter in the cordless drill and it munched through the cup. Vertical cut down until I just got to the cross section to see how thick the walls were and then a trench almost all the way through.

Quick squeeze in the vice to buckle the wall and then still had to resort to using a chisel on the outside, it was now still tighter than any headset I have fitted or removed!

No corrosion in the slightest. Must have just been a very tight fit and the cup does have some quite coarse milling marks for something that is press fit which could act like barbs and a seriously deep insertion adding to the problem.

Going to be a late one building the bike now for my ride tomorrow when my friend comes to pick up the new bike I built her!