Lakerat

On Sheldon Brown's page on stems he discusses methods of removing stuck ones. Josh Brobst comments that most methods of removal are a waste of time and just take the bike to a frame maker for removal. I exhausted many methods and finally had to destroy a GB stem, drilled for a brake cable to get it out. Cut it off about 1/2" above the head tube, split it internally with a hack saw blade, crushed it with vice grips, finally budged with a few hammer blows. Wish I had the time I wasted back. The corrosion that bound the parts seems to be as good as any modern adhesive.


I've joked that if the Brits had figured out how to make the vehicles they manufactured impervious to rusting, they'd have ruled the world. That's a two pronged joke, since they did rule the world, but weren't very innovative on rust prevention. The frame I pulled the stuck stem from is fully chromed EXCEPT FOR THE STEER TUBE! The stem was installed in an uncoated carbon steel steer tube in about 1964, likely without any grease. Maybe it was the first time a steel brit bike got a quill stem stuck.


What methods have worked for you in removing stuck stems?

3alarmer 

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...I always assume that it's the corrosion of the alloy stem surface that's binding everything, so before I try anything else I put the stripped down frame, fork and stem in a stand and let it sit upside down for a couple of days with ammonia (straight undiluted) inside the steerer tube, poured in from the bottom which is now on top.

Then I empty that out and poiur in some ATF/acetone (50/50 mix) in the same way overnight.

Then take it over to the biggest vise available, and clamp the fork ends into a Ronco Fork-U-Matic, and use the bar to twist. It's possible to tweak the fork if you are not careful, but this usually works for me. If you can grab the crown in soft jaws of the vise (fork turned sideways) without damage to it, this is safer for your fork alignment, but I have access to one of those fork alignment jig tool things.

shelbyfv

Who is Josh Brobst and why would we care what he thinks?

Shimagnolo

I think he was a close friend of Shelton Braun.

shelbyfv

Lakerat

I believe he is the heir apparent to Sheldon Brown since his passing and updates the web pages. Care or don't, no big whooptie.

Shimagnolo

Pssst!
He died a year ago.

Lakerat

Josh died too?

shelbyfv

A little Google will keep you from going further down this rabbit hole....

Lakerat

I meant John Allen. Sorry for any confusion. The focus of the thread is stuck stems.

shelbyfv

You are getting closer. Sheldon's article was concerning seatposts and linked to comments by the late JOBST BRANDT about stems.Stuck Handlebar Stem by Jobst Brandt

fietsbob

'' stuck stems '' as search terms Bike Forums - Search Results

davidad

Cause he knows grasshopper.

3alarmer 

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...tough crowd.

frankenmike 

Jobst literally wrote the book on bicycle wheels, and was generally a brilliant if not somewhat kurt mechanical engineer. I(and many others) find his essays on bicycles interesting and somewhat humorous and opinionated.

shelbyfv

Linky to his book https://www.amazon.com/Bicycle-Wheel...s=jobst+brandt

shelbyfv

Here is another good source for the novice mechanic Repair Help Articles | Park Tool

JanMM

A friend gave me that book in the '70s. Helped me appreciate well-built wheels but have yet to actually build one.