stargazer48

Hi all,

It's been awhile since I visited the forum. I have been travelling since November. I have the Chrom Moly Swift frame. I have been in Thailand, a country with a high level of humidity and I unpack my folder 2 months ago and regrease the fitting where the connecting bolt goes. I decided that it was time to loose the bolt and regrease as I have been noticing more and more rust spots on my bike frame. To my surprise the bolt is frozen solid. Yesterday evening the landlord gave me some spray that may be similar to WD40 but it did not have a stray pipe nozzle to concentrate the spray so I don't know if I reached the threaded area. I left the bike on its side and this morning it was still frozen solid. I don't want to force it to hard because I am concerned about breaking the allen key which is not a metric one or stripping the female end. I will go out today and buy some solvent and soak the area. I am not sure if you guys with the alum frames would have similar problem with the bolt housing if it is not alum as well. Btw, the bike has not had an accident yet.

I would appreciate any other reasonble solutions to help loosen the bolt.

I put in an email to Peter but can't be sure when he'll get back to me so I am hitting all bases.

Thanks

james_swift

Try tapping the nut with a hammer and screwdriver, or maybe heating it up with a lighter.

bookishboy

[EDIT] Wintergreen oil, not mineral oil. My mistake, see post further below. -bookish [EDIT]

I've read accounts that mineral oil is one of the best "liquid-wrench" type solutions there is. It may be something that's fairly easy to obtain in Thailand at any pharmacist/chemist, since you don't have to search for a brand-name, but probably will want to get someone who's fluent to write the name down for you.

What part of Thailand are you hanging out in?

It'd be neat to hear how things are for you over there, particularly with regards to bike usage.

Personally, I'd fear for my life riding a bike over there. Car users drive like maniacs over there.

stargazer48

To add to the complication, I think the problem may be where the bolt crosses the horizontal bar not the screw area. I may not have tightened the bolt hard enough. When I remove seatpost and fold the bike, the bolt moves along with the horizontal tube and not with rear stays. The rust could be built up on both sides of the horizontal tube. I was told at a bicycle shop to take it to a machine shop, they'll fix the problem. With the language barrier, I am afraid they migh damage the frame. I am in a bit of a pickle.

bookish boy, you mentioned mineral oil, if wd40 cannot get to the area to loosen the rust how will thicker mineral oil, please explain.

jur

Sounds like you need a super wick-in product (NOT the Loctite product that does the opposte!). WD-40 is not really meant for that sort of job, it simply evaporates after a while. A wick-in oil is runny but has high capillary action to get to the problem areas. Unfortunately that is as far as I can suggest, no brand names.

Polaris43

Liquid Wrench in the US

bookishboy

Sorry!

Please disregard my earlier comment. It isn't mineral oil that came recommended, it was wintergreen oil. I really should have gone back to find the link the first time. Apologies, I'm always jumping around in different corners of the web, and when a neat thing "sticks" with me, sometimes it doesn't stick quite correctly.

From Kevin Kelly's "Cool Tools" website:

Wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate) is the most penetrating of all penetrating oils. It is available at most drugstores at minimal cost. If you work on old machinery that is anywhere near saltwater (or salted highways) it's an essential weapon in tackling otherwise hopelessly rusted/frozen threads. It smells good, and though toxic and not to be kept within reach of children, is intended for topical application to human skin.

-- George Dyson

https://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001533.php


Another possibility for you: "Rust Buster"

"As a DIY'er, this is one of my favorite products because it REALLY works. I came across it by accident at a small tractor supply store in southern Missouri. The product typically works instantly, but on heavy duty applications, I like to apply a little (or a lot) on a rusted or frozen bolt or car part, tap the part lightly to aid penetration, and wait. After a few minutes, rusted bolts, screws, shafts, piping, any types of "frozen" connections and assemblies will now break lose. I have tried a variety of other loosening products, but they tend to use heavier oils that don't penetrate as well. Smaller hardware stores, and farm supply stores will probably stock it.

-- Mike Farley

Zoom Spout Rust Buster
$1.39

Manufactured by
La-co"

Rust-Buster may not necessarily be available over there, but with the extreme humidity, any farm-equipment operators may have something similar.

Added: Kano Kroil gets a lot of positive feedback.
https://www.kanolabs.com/


With any of these solutions, you'll have better luck if you take your time; multiple applications over the course of a week or more. Also, tap the parts with a hammer which will aid in separating the rusted surfaces and allow the oil to penetrate further. Even better, apply a regular vibration to it. If you're an audiophile, strap a transducer to the bike frame. Or, spread a blanket on top of a clothes dryer, then strap the bike down on top and feed Bahts into it for a few hours.

stargazer48

Just an update.

I finally got my bolt out. I just kept using sonax a Thai version of wd40 for 3 days and bang on both sides of the frame where the bolt is housed, which loossen up the rust. On the 3rd day, the bolt moved ever so slightly. I knew I had this one licked. I learned my lesson. If in the tropics, I will unloosen the bolt at least once a month. I applied a generous amount of waterproof phil woods grease.

juan162

Stargazer,

Glad to here that things are working right again. Keep us up to date on your travels,

Juan

stargazer48

Thanks Juan.