I have a Slim Jim pedal stuck. The right hand pedal cam out fine but the left will not budge.

I put some get 85 on the threads and let social for an hour, I tried extra leverage but started to round the head, I have rounded and twisted an Allen key.

What do I need to do next?

Posted 8 months ago

Heat the crank up a bit, use a hot air gun, not a blowtorch! Then try. Remember: shock is way better than sustained pressure for freeing up stuck stuff.
So hit the Allen with a hammer…

But first, the patronising question: you’re turning it the right way, yeah? (Sorry, had to ask!)

Posted 8 months ago

Make sure you’re turning it the right way. (Left way, in this case.)

Use a proper pedal spanner, which will give you much more leverage than a normal spanner.

Try a large adjustable wrench if you can fit the jaws in there (by large, I mean 12″ or more). Small adjustable wrenches are terrible for rounding bolts off, but large ones have very strong jaws so they don’t spread under load like open ended spanners. If you can fit one in there, wriggle it around and tighten the jaws up as tight as you can. Then put a piece of pipe over the handle for extra leverage.

Try hammering a torx socket into the Allen key hole and use a 1/2″ drive powerbar instead of a regular Allen key. Allen keys are hopeless for high torque situations. A hex drive on a powerbar will allow you to exert much more torque and will be much less likely to round off the head. Now that you have rounded it off, the next best thing is to hammar a torx driver in there.

If you can strip the pedal off the axle, try clamping the pedal axle in a vice and heating the crank arm, then unwinding the crank arm.

Cut the axle off with a disc grinder, drill it out, and have the crank arm helicoiled.

Throw it all in the bin and buy a new crankset and pedals.

Buy a new bike and sell the old one on e-bay.

Posted 8 months ago

So hit the Allen with a hammer…

Allen keys are very springy. You won’t be able to shock it by hitting it with a hammer.

Posted 8 months ago

Experience successfully using the above method tells me you can. You just need to hit them close to the pivot point 🙂

Posted 8 months ago

Turning clockwise and have used a pedal spanner. It’s on Minis 20 inch bike so it’s not the end of the world, I will just have to buy new pedals now instead of in a few years when Micro is big enough for the bike.

I thought about hitting it but decided against it due to close proximity to the chain ring, I’m not very accurate with a hammer!

I will go an give it a go.

Edit. I don’t have a hot air gun, I’m guessing new pedals will be cheaper and leave the Jims where they are.

Posted 8 months ago

Just pour boiling water on it. Then don’t burn yourself on the metal. Maybe wear gloves

Posted 8 months ago

Gentlemen! Excellent work!

I’ve just sprayed freeze spray on the axel end and poured boiling water on the crank before going Incredible Hulk with the pedal spanner.

Came straight off first go.

Thank you all.

Posted 8 months ago

On shocking a seized thread. the best way needs 3 hands. One to load up the tool with torque and two with a hammer in each and hit both sides of the crank. the idea is to get the crank to ring like a bell. Hitting a tool is very much second best.

Heat is also good. Even boiling water will help. Wrap a rag around the crank and pour boiling water over it

Posted 8 months ago

Great minds ampthill ! 😀

Edit: I’ll remember the Wrag next time tj

Posted 8 months ago