Removing a baulky stem nut on a '60s American middleweight
10-01-10, 09:12 PM
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Removing a baulky stem nut on a '60s American middleweight
I'm in the process of refurbishing a late-'60s/early-'70s middleweight American bike for my wife. The one bit that's holding me up is that I can't manage to remove the nut at the top of the neck. I've tried soaking it with Liquid Wrench, I've tried heating it up with a propane torch, I've offered it cookies, I've threatened it with a turkey baster. Nothing.
I don't suppose that stem nuts were ever reverse-threaded, were they? Any suggestions?
I don't suppose that stem nuts were ever reverse-threaded, were they? Any suggestions?
10-02-10, 11:29 AM
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Try flipping the bike over & squirting the underside of the stem bolt. Vise grips will loosen the bolt, or twist it in half. Either way, your problem is solved.
Unless you mean the nut that holds the fork in the headset. Do what you did, and use a pipe wrench. The nut will be trashed, but it can be replaced.
Unless you mean the nut that holds the fork in the headset. Do what you did, and use a pipe wrench. The nut will be trashed, but it can be replaced.
10-02-10, 08:27 PM
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Stem nut or headset nut? If it is the headset nut, reinstall the handlebars and stem, they give you a lot more leverage. PB Blaster works a lot better too. So try some of that, you can find PB Blaster at Walmart or Big Lots cheap.
