Originally Posted by
plonz
Didn't know about using lye for this. Interested in your opinion on this approach for a seized stem in a fork that's still on the bike. Could it work if I seal off the stem end, fill the steerer tube with oven cleaner and let it sit? How long do you think I'd have to wait?
Oven cleaner isn't strong enough and is usually a modified ammonia. Lye based draine cleaners can harm paint. For stems, a few days of repeated penetrant like PB Blaster or the WD 40 equivalent, qnd a rap with a mallet or hammer downward are usually enough to free a stem.