Bicycle Mechanics - Cleat stuck in SPD pedal?

I just bought a 1992 Bianchi with Shimano M535 SPD pedals. The only problem is that the previous owner had one of the screws connecting his shoe to the cleat strip while riding. I'm not sure how he got the other screw free, but the cleat is still stuck in the pedal. I have no real way of getting leverage to pry it out of the pedal.

Is there any way I can disassemble the pedal to get the cleat free? Worst case, I'll take my Dremel with a cutoff wheel to the cleat, cut it in half, and remove the pieces, but it seems like there should be an easier way.

Thanks!

maybe pry it out with a couple of screwdrivers? torque one from the left and one from the right. Also, adjust the tension down as far as it will go to make it easier.

jim

maybe put another bolt in the open hole and get leverage on the bolts with vice grips. Good luck.

I'd try a couple things:
1. Put pedal in dead crankarm, clamp dead crankarm in vise, use hammer and chisel type thing to pop out cleat. Key words: eye protection.
2. If possible tighten vise on cleat itself, twist pedal using your gloved hands.
3. Use screwdriver/chisel type thing to try and move pedal piece that engages the cleat. Works if you have vise and can clamp something undamageable (like #1 above, or if there is some bit of the axle that's not threaded that you can grab, do that).

When Look pedals first came out, I wanted to see how they worked. With Aerolites the cleat just popped off, so I hadn't gotten used to not popping a cleat in. So I popped a Look cleat into a pedal. Okay, that was easy. Now how to get it out...

I like vises,
cdr

Thanks for the tips. I hadn't tried too hard with anything other than screwdrivers, but I'll give a punch, a vise, and some vise grips a shot this afternoon.

On my spd pedal, the front retaining clip is held on with 3 screws. If you try unscrewing it, the last screw will probably go flying due to the spring pressure.

Or - can you fit a thin screwdriver or awl into the back clip from underneath, by the coil spring, and lever the clip backwards? It should fit in there.

I just bought a 1992 Bianchi with Shimano M535 SPD pedals. The only problem is that the previous owner had one of the screws connecting his shoe to the cleat strip while riding. I'm not sure how he got the other screw free, but the cleat is still stuck in the pedal. I have no real way of getting leverage to pry it out of the pedal.
!

How about a pin spanner in the two SPD wholes?

The first thing to do is loosen the tension on the pedal. There should be a place to insert an allen key that adjusts how hard it is to get out of the pedal. Slack that off and you should be able to get it out a lot easier. I'd use needle nosed pliers rather than the screwdriver. And I would wear decent work gloves to protect my hands.

The first thing to do is loosen the tension on the pedal. There should be a place to insert an allen key that adjusts how hard it is to get out of the pedal. Slack that off and you should be able to get it out a lot easier. I'd use needle nosed pliers rather than the screwdriver. And I would wear decent work gloves to protect my hands.

Yes, this method works, as I have had the same thing happen once.

Loosen the clip spring tension, pretty much all the way. Eventually, the spring will become loose enough that you will be able to get the cleat out of the pedal easily.

I got it out this afternoon without too much difficulty. I turned the tension down and used a screwdriver to push back on the retaining clip. A pair of pliers pulled it out pretty easily. Thanks!