Bicycle Mechanics - stuck threadless headset?

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hackybiker
10-12-08, 09:12 PM
Trying to take apart an FSA Orbit threadless headset but it seems stuck.

Reading the Todd Downs book... it says once the stem is off, the headset pieces should slide off, but they don't. I tried tapping the steerer tube with a mallet to get it to go down through the head tube, but it won't.

I feel like I'm missing something. Do I need to loosen the top parts of the headset somehow? It looks and feels like the retainer or upper cone pieces are too tight, and I can't figure out how to loosen them.

Thanks for any help.

hackybiker
10-12-08, 10:55 PM
Figured it out.

On this headset, the retainer is beveled and expands when fitted down into the upper cone. There's a tiny space beneath the upper cone; I slid a flat screwdriver tip into it and pried up very, very gently. That did the trick.

FSA Orbits seem pretty crappy. I've had my IRO about 3 months, put maybe 300 miles on it, only a few days in rain. Already it looks like there's some corrosion in the cups.