Not used the PA for a while, pulled it out of the shed the other day and the seatpost will not budge! 😥
Tried hammering it out, molegrips etc, no joy. No quick access to a vice, so whats the next option? I`m guessing cutting it out.
Any tips?
Oh yeah, not bothered about seatpost, but dont want to damage the frame.
Penetrating oil (3 in 1, WD40, GT85...)
Move the saddle back on the rails to increase your leverage, boiling water round the seattube, mighty heaving using a foot on the headtube to keep the bike steady.
That might get it moving. If not, try prising apart the seatclap slot with a screwdriver, and getting some more penetrating oil in there. leave for a bit (overnight?), then try the boiling water and mighty heaving again.
You might be into cutting or blowtorch warming if that doesn't work.
turn upside down, take BB out (to gain acess to seat tube) and soak overnight with penetrating oil?
or
won't caustic soda eat the ally and leave the steel intact?
Boiling water has worked well for me in the past with stuck parts. Apparently soaking in plus gas (whatever that is) overnight helps as well.
Casutic soda is alkaline no? You want acid to eat the Aluimium oxide that hs formed?
Sheldon has all the tips IIRC. Sawing out is a last resort!
Cannot use the saddle as leverage, tried that and ended up snapping the top of the post...so post is now despensable!! 😀
[url= http://www.sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html ]15 ways to unstick a seatpost[/url]
Coke in an upside-down seatube over a weekend was what made the difference when I did it (carbon post in an ally frame, but Aluminium Oxide was the cuplrit of the stickery)
oop north - Member
Cannot use the saddle as leverage, tried that and ended up snapping the top of the post...so post is now despensable!!
cut it out then! Otherwise you're on a hiding to nothing without any leverage!
Apparently soaking in plus gas (whatever that is) overnight helps as well.
Plusgas is is a so-called dismantling lubricant, and is designed to penetrate seized parts to help in their removal. It's available from motor factors and places like that (but seemingly no Halfords near me).
This is what you're looking for: [url] http://www.lawson-his.co.uk/scripts/details.php?cat=Penetrating%20Oils&product=30700 [/url]
I have used it to remove stuck BBs and the like. Just be aware that it may well leak out, so hang the bike over a bucket. I also favour the BB out and bike upside down approach.
Does it make a difference being an alloy post? will that affect the expansion if using boiling water etc?
Ok I had this problem with my salsa a while back...seat post had been in place for around six years I reckon.
Anyway...what worked for me was...
Step 1: Remove all components from frame
Step 2: Using electrical tape or similar cover all the holes in the frame.
Step 3: Suspend bike upside down with seat tube as near to vertical as you can get it.
Step 4: Pour Coca-Cola into the seat tube through hole in the top (i.e. now at the bottom of) the bottom bracket shell.
Step 5: Coca-cola is probably now pissing out of the frame all over you, all over the floor and everywhere else. Wipe frame down, use tape to plug all holes now discovered.
Step 6: Re-attempt step 4.
Step 7: When the level of coca-cola in the frame is sufficient to be seen through the bottom bracket shell...you can stop pouring the stuff in.
Step 8: Leave frame in said position for at least 48 hours. Stop by occasionally to 'top up' the frame with coca-cola.
Step 9: Empty frame of Coca-Cola. This is very messy and best done somewhere your wife/girlfriend/partner/RSM won't discover you or the evidence of what occurred there.
Step 10: Put seat pin in vice, it should now take very little pressure to release it. So much so that I'm inclined to think that a pair of mole-grips would probably be sufficient.
Hope this helps!
Several applications of Plusgas (from the BB end as mentioned earlier) over several days, heat gun the seat tube & use stilsons on the post.
If that doesn't get it out (it didn't with mine), bung the top of the post up and turn the frame upside down again. Soak in acid* from the BB end and rinse thoroughly after!
End result: http://flic.kr/p/7uY1Zo
And some superficial paint damage.
*can't remember exactly what we used, can find out though if it comes to it.
Sounds like its gonna get messy!! 😥