removal of bent pedal
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
removal of bent pedal
Yet another pedal removal question.
Facts:
I have a pedal wrench.
I have removed pedals on other bikes before.
I know how the threading works and what way to turn the wrench.
I removed the left pedal with ease, the right pedal is the problem.
I sprayed with WD 40 and let it sit.
The bike is a hybrid of late 80s, early 90s vintage. I do not know what the crank is made of but it is marked Shimano Biospace SG.
Issue:
The right pedal is bent. If I push hard on the pedal wrench I can get it to move a bit. But it never loosens up. Now it won't move at all.
Ideas?
Facts:
I have a pedal wrench.
I have removed pedals on other bikes before.
I know how the threading works and what way to turn the wrench.
I removed the left pedal with ease, the right pedal is the problem.
I sprayed with WD 40 and let it sit.
The bike is a hybrid of late 80s, early 90s vintage. I do not know what the crank is made of but it is marked Shimano Biospace SG.
Issue:
The right pedal is bent. If I push hard on the pedal wrench I can get it to move a bit. But it never loosens up. Now it won't move at all.
Ideas?
#2
Si Senior
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Posts: 2,669
Bikes: Too Numerous (not)
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 23 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 10 Times
in
8 Posts
If the threaded area is bent you might have a damaged crank. Any chance you can un-bend the pedal to maybe get the threaded portion to move more freely?
#3
Thrifty Bill
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Mountains of Western NC
Posts: 23,523
Bikes: 86 Katakura Silk, 87 Prologue X2, 88 Cimarron LE, 1975 Sekai 4000 Professional, 73 Paramount, plus more
Mentioned: 96 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1236 Post(s)
Liked 964 Times
in
628 Posts
WD40 is basically worthless as far as freeing stuff up. PB Blaster is better, Kroil is better than PB Blaster (but less available).
__________________
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
Please don't confuse ebay "asking" prices with "selling" prices. Many sellers never get their ask price. some are far from it. Value is determined once an item actually SELLS. Its easy enough to check SOLD prices.
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I found some Max Penetrant in the garage, didn't help.
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 33,656
Bikes: '96 Litespeed Catalyst, '05 Litespeed Firenze, '06 Litespeed Tuscany, '20 Surly Midnight Special, All are 3x10. It is hilly around here!
Mentioned: 39 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2026 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1,095 Times
in
741 Posts
I expect the impact the bent the pedal also ovalized or otherwise damaged the crank arm threads and you may have to remove the pedal by brute force. If the arm is still ok and the crank worth the effort, you may need to helicoil the pedal thread hole.
#6
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Whacking on the pedal did nothing to free it or straighten it. I am concerned about what exactly is damaged and agree with HillRider that the crank arm threads may be damaged. With everything I have to increase leverage I just get a slow moaning turn of the wrench and nothing frees up. I am a 103 pound woman. I'll see if my beefier cousin can free it by brute force.
Last edited by goldfinch; 07-24-12 at 12:10 PM.
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 97
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Brute force is one way, but I prefer to use a breaker bar to gain leverage. I use a piece of PVC around the wrench handle, or another, bigger box wrench.
Can the pedal go back the way it came? It may give you a clue as to whether or not the threads are round, or break free any corrosion that's sticking the pedal in place.
Can the pedal go back the way it came? It may give you a clue as to whether or not the threads are round, or break free any corrosion that's sticking the pedal in place.
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 11,128
Bikes: 1986 Alan Record Carbonio, 1985 Vitus Plus Carbone 7, 1984 Peugeot PSV, 1972 Line Seeker, 1986(est.) Medici Aerodynamic (Project), 1985(est.) Peugeot PY10FC
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 150 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 34 Times
in
27 Posts
Use the crank arm to your advantage by gripping the pedal wrench and crank arm together and squeezing them towards each other like you would do with scissors. Squeeze the two towards each other with both hands if you can but be careful not to trap and pinch any part of your hands between the wrench and the crank arm. You might want to wear a pair of work gloves to protect you hands and cushion them against the usually thin edged pedal wrench. I've loosened a lot of really tight pedals crank bolts this way and avoided too much "drama" in the form of pulled muscles or flying tools and bike parts.
BTW, forgot to add, you might want to take off the chainrings from the crankarm to give you more room to grip on to the crank arm.
Chombi
BTW, forgot to add, you might want to take off the chainrings from the crankarm to give you more room to grip on to the crank arm.
Chombi
Last edited by Chombi; 07-25-12 at 10:12 PM.
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 7,639
Bikes: 61 Bianchi Specialissima 71 Peugeot G50 7? P'geot PX10 74 Raleigh GranSport 75 P'geot UO8 78? Raleigh Team Pro 82 P'geot PSV 86 P'geot PX 91 Bridgestone MB0 92 B'stone XO1 97 Rans VRex 92 Cannondale R1000 94 B'stone MB5 97 Vitus 997
Mentioned: 146 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 392 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 49 Times
in
31 Posts
If you place the right crank at 2 o'clock and then position the pedal wrench so that the free end of the wrench is a couple inches above the center of the crank, you can place your shoe on the free end of the wrench and step down, using body weight. Wear closed toe shoes with sturdy soles (tennis shoes are ok). Make sure the wrench is fully on the pedal spindle and press down gradually. If you don't have enough arm or hand strength, this can work.
#11
Engineer
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bucharest, Romania, Europe
Posts: 591
Bikes: 1989 Krapf (with Dura-ace) road bike, 1973 Sputnik (made by XB3) road bike , 1961 Peugeot fixed gear, 2010 Trek 4400
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 38 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
First apply some pb blaster/liquid wrench penetrating oil (or wd40 but it far less useful than a real penetrating oil).
Adding heat is also a good idea not only for the expansion of AL (and less expansion of the hard steel pedal spindle), but most threads have a paste that acts as thread sealant/thread locker (not the case here)/ thread protecting/antiseize whatever. This paste loosens with heat (this is a very useful tip for stubborn bolts that have this paste on threads and usually found in mechanical bolts on engines/transmission/chassis of cars/trucks/motorcycles. on bikes.. idk, it's not a widespread practice of applying loctite thread grease of some sort on bolts like in cars/aviation maintenance, but more and more I see bike bolts with various thread pastes applied on threads so who knows.. )
Adding heat is also a good idea not only for the expansion of AL (and less expansion of the hard steel pedal spindle), but most threads have a paste that acts as thread sealant/thread locker (not the case here)/ thread protecting/antiseize whatever. This paste loosens with heat (this is a very useful tip for stubborn bolts that have this paste on threads and usually found in mechanical bolts on engines/transmission/chassis of cars/trucks/motorcycles. on bikes.. idk, it's not a widespread practice of applying loctite thread grease of some sort on bolts like in cars/aviation maintenance, but more and more I see bike bolts with various thread pastes applied on threads so who knows.. )
#12
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 97
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
#13
bike whisperer
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Melbourne, Oz
Posts: 9,537
Bikes: https://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=152015&p=1404231
Mentioned: 15 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1523 Post(s)
Liked 716 Times
in
508 Posts
This is what I'd try next, but it's sketchier; proceed with caution. For instance, the wrench may swing into the crank and gouge the hell out of it, or worse things could happen. You need to be very deliberate in your movements with this.
__________________
Sheldon Brown's bike info ~~~ Park Tools repair help
Half-step triple, using double gear ~~~ 6400 STI rebuild walkthrough ~~~ Want 8/9/10s @126mm OLD? OCR. ~~~ Shimano cassette body overhaul ~~~ Ergopower Escape wear repair ~~~ PSA: drivetrain wear
List of US/Canada bike co-ops ~~~ Global list
Sheldon Brown's bike info ~~~ Park Tools repair help
Half-step triple, using double gear ~~~ 6400 STI rebuild walkthrough ~~~ Want 8/9/10s @126mm OLD? OCR. ~~~ Shimano cassette body overhaul ~~~ Ergopower Escape wear repair ~~~ PSA: drivetrain wear
List of US/Canada bike co-ops ~~~ Global list
#14
Senior Member
Thread Starter
I've been gone for a few days, I don't have the pedal off yet. I am going to ask for a stronger person's help. I am out of tricks. I did talk to the LBS guy I know and his thought was with the moaning of the pedal and not freeing up that it got cross threaded a bit when it bent or that the pedal was put on incorrectly. He wasn't encouraging and thought that odds are that the crank threads are damaged. The crank is hardly worth repairing.
#15
Senior Member
Thread Starter
OK, I brought the bike over to my cousin's and he put the crank arm in a vice, put a pipe on the wrench, and slowly got the pedal off. Not surprisingly, the threads were stripped. Who knows how it happened, but a young person riding aggressively is the probable cause.
The bike isn't worth much of anything. Any kludgey fixes? The crank is one of those weird biospace kind of oval cranks. I wouldn't want to spend much to replace it.
The bike isn't worth much of anything. Any kludgey fixes? The crank is one of those weird biospace kind of oval cranks. I wouldn't want to spend much to replace it.
#16
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 1,053
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 16 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
My guess would be to use a heli coil to replace the damaged threads. A machine shop or a very good bike shop might be able to make the repair. I don't know what the charge would be but it might be in the $25 range.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Beaufort, South Carolina, USA and surrounding islands.
Posts: 8,521
Bikes: Cannondale R500, Motobecane Messenger
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 11 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time
in
1 Post
Sometimes threading the pedal in from the rear can retap the threads enough.
#18
Senior Member
Thread Starter
#19
Senior Member
Would new crankset like Shimano Acera work? Those are about $30 so not much more than inserting a helicoil. I don't know how that compares to the Biopace cranksets though.