Hi all:

I started a tune-up of my old Fuji TS IV last night, and discovered the stem is really stuck in the fork steerer tube. I got the wedge nut loose easily enough. But no amount of force has dislodged the stem. I tried some PB blaster, but so far, no luck.

Now to be honest, I don't NEED to remove the stem. So, I'll likely just leave it. The bike's been mine since new (30 years), and it fits me fine. And I can get to the headset bearings with the stem in place. But let's say, for the sake of argument that I wanted to remove it.

The bike is in really good shape, so my preference would be a non-destructive method. I see several references to soaking in ammonia. Would this damage the paint on the frame? If so, are there any other chemical methods I might try?

Similarly, heating the steerer tube is out of the question, as I don't want to repaint it.

I guess my last option would be to cut the stem off, and drill it out of the steerer tube. I can probably buy another stem just like it if I look hard enough. It's an original Nitto, if that matters. But again, I'll likely never need to remove it that badly.