I have a great 1980's Dawes mountain bike I am using for the Tweed Run.
My problem is that the seatost is stuck and I need just to raise it a little.
Any thoughts on a quick fix to unseize it, its steel and a alu post. Heating will be fine as its painted in a rather fetching Hammerite finish.
Unlikely anything will work that will save the post. Google caustic soda seat post.
You could try Plusgas but tbh it never worked for me though ,seatpost was stuck in a One one 456ss frame, ended up throwing the lot in the skip, but I do know it has worked on occasions for folks, worth a try 🙂
hi
not worried about the seatpost, I can hopefully get another...
or do i just grin and bear it, its not a huge amount i need to raise it by
Second the seat post man, he saved my bacon in the same situation.
Vice and use the frame as leverage. Penetrating oil helps.
Or
Caustic soda. Just do it outdoors and wear gloves. Foul stuff but effective.
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/seized-ali-seatpost-steel-frame
I had to resort to Caustic Soda in the end.
Throwing out a frame because of a stuck seatpost. ouch. Caustic soda works I've don't that and even the hacksaw way does. Would never skip a decent frame for that reason.
Sheldon Brown has lots of ways.
Also, try plumbers freeze spray. That can work.
Worth a shot:
Mix up some olive oil and some ladies nail polish remover (acetone). Give it a good dousing and leave for a while.
Can't remember where I first heard of it, but I use it all the time on seized bolts on the car. Works much better than WD40/Plusgas etc.
Yo if your near a decent Bike shop they should be able to do it
My local Edinburgh one http://www.harts-cyclery.co.uk/
cheers
Caustic might also trash the paint.....
I've had one VERY stuck (no amount of vice etc would shift it).
I cut it off flush and reamed it out with expanding hand reamers. It worked perfectly without harming the frame, but took hours and produced buckets of sweat. Next time will be the seatpost man.....
Don't bother with WD40, waste of time.
Vice is easiest solution. Caustic soda can damage paint but is a good choice, never heard of it not working.
Penetrating oil, messing with temperatures or cutting and 'crushing' can all work
back ground is; the bike was chained up for a year or so in my village. some nice bits on it; campag chain set, suntour thumbie. had a word with the local pc, who said lets unclip it and i gave a donation to a local charity.
so its been outside for a long time; i cannot shift the bottom bracket, so the method of attack is from above.
If it hammerite painted then blow torch the bottom bracket shell. That'll get it out. I had a 25 year saracen like that and it worked brilliantly
What happens when the owner comes back from traveling to find his bike's been nicked by a local scrote with assistance from the police?
You can drill a hole or pair of holes all the way through the post and slot a steel bar or pair of bars through it it will give lots of leverage but ruin the post. hammering the bars first might jar it loose, get it to move even just a little and work some oil in to it.
I spent a few days removing an oversized post from an old bike. Regular soakings in plusgas but what sorted it in the end was removing the saddle and smacking the post with the biggest hammer I could find. Once I'd bashed it down a half inch I refitted the post and found I could twist it out (still took two evenings I seem to remember!)
How much do you need to raise the saddle? If it's less than an inch, you may be able to sort it with a taller saddle...
tedspecial; it will be legal and you would have done it too...
I think I iwll try the saddle and slimmer pedals, got some bear traps on at the moment. Also some penetrating oil and or plus gas; i dont want to wreck the frame, with just a few weeks to go.
Don't risk it.
Use the seatpostman
10/10 plus he saved my seatpost as well
I freed a stuck Gravity Dropper main tube with boiling water on the frame, freeze spray down the post and a big hammer to break the bond. Then used two G-clamps to grip and twist it out.
& I'll third - the seatpostman.
well... it happened!
screwfix no nonsense penetrating oil, sprayed it on, brushed the area first with a small wire brush and hey presto... this was on 30 year old frame left outside.
all replies appreciated, but do go easy first.
anyhow, rode the bike with the right height saddle on my test trail and crikey a 30 year old bike rides really good and I mean good!