Square taper stuck into crank...broke my park standard removal tool

broke my vise! See...after crank removal tool broke I saw-zalled the crank arm off...leaving the BB shaft inside the crank.

Drilled it out spindle (some tough metal btw) and used a threader so I could thread a bolt into it and hopefully pop it out with my vise....but broke the vise!

My only option I see is to get the hole a bit larger (hard to do as orig. hole a bit offset) and get a jigsaw blade in there to cut into the corners and tap out the pieces with hammer and screwdriver.... but hoping for a better solution?

Afraid to use heat as the alu crankarm is softer than crmo spindle/axle.

Have even supported crankarm and railed on offending spindle bit with numerous blows...it no budge-y.

Kroil, penetrants, make no difference...a seriously bodged crankarm that I would love to save (old ultegra) and it looks good, not deformed, just a bad case of dissimilar metals bonding?

any input would be great!

The words "crowbar" and "sandbox" come to mind.

Why did you jump right to destructive removal techniques when a few minutes of searching BF/Internet first would have taken you to Chuck's wedges and other techniques that would have worked better?

When you find yourself at the bottom of a deep dark hole, drop the shovel. Maybe stop the random thrashing and use known-good methods -- or take it to someone who can.

heat the arm with a heat gun, then put a socket under the crank arm, and a hydraulic press will get that spindle chunk out... or, not having a press, put it in a BIG bench vise, using a socket again, and a proper punch, then tighten the vise, maintaining a level plane of pressure... it's more a case of over-tightening the crank, than corrosion... those crank spindles are high carbon, HARDENED steel... similar to tool steel.... the fact that you drilled it successfully demonstrates your skill.... you could drill it out to as large as possible, without getting in to the crank material... this might relieve some of the forces involved...

and buy a bigger vise next time... ;-) and a 3 lb. drilling/auto body hammer .....

tip for removing STUCK cranks... install the crank puller until the threads bottom out, crank up the pressure... then HIT the end of the puller bolt with a heavy hammer like a 3 lb. body hammer...

Nice! =)

THanks Maddog! Good to get some real help and info! Other comments....not so much...sometimes you get into a frenzy ya know?

I thought you wrote "any input would be great!" You're welcome.

and after looking at chucks wedges....that would not work/fit at all.

but thanks for info!

They ought to have done the job before you started sawing things apart, I meant.

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...if I understand correctly, what you are now doing is to separate the portion of the spindle that now remains stuck in the crank ?

Several suggestions:

1. the best penetrating oil, by an order of magnitude, is ATF mixed 50/50 with acotone.

2. Freeze-Off (auto parts stores) is also a highly effective penetrant, and has the advantage of chilling the part you want to shrink microscopically in order to break any corrosive bond between the dissimilar metals.

3. Since the spindle is already beyond saving, and what you want is to save the crank, support the crank by drilling a hole in a piece of wood big enough to accept the spindle and let it hang free, unsupported in any way, but small enough to support the crank arm spider well (using wood minimizes the chance you'll damage the softer aluminum of the crank.)

Then insert a bolt in the spindle end (if you can at this point) that will tighten in the spindle hole fully, that extends some distance outside the crank.

$. Use a very large hammer to hit the end of the bolt and drive out the spindle end using impact.

If you want to heat the crank arm, using a propane torch, that will also help to expand it and break the bond. You'll have a hard time damaging the aluminum crank arm with a torch, but it is possible. Exercise a little restraint. If you use both the torch and the Freeze-Off, try to remember that Freeze-Off is flammable, so don't use them both at the same time.

...I've used them successfully a number of times, but they don't work in every case. It would be swell if they did.

Hmm, I have to confess that I've never actually used Chuck's wedges myself (never needed to), but had not yet heard of cases where they didn't pop the cranks right off! I'll amend my post.

"Sometimes the magic works, and sometimes it doesn't."

Bit late now, but if a standard crank puller is nearing what seems like it's limits, a tap on the end with a hammer usually does the trick. Tapers often need a jolt to break them, while under pressure.
So now, grab a heat source like a paint stripping gun and some freeze spray like 3alarmer says. Get the arm hot and the spindle cold and pound away. The other thing that may help, is before you do this is give the taper a rap into the crank, to break the cold weld between the spindle and crank.

I'm just surprised that a decent crank puller and a vise would break before the threads in an aluminum crank stripped.

THANKS maddog.....worked like a charm....heated crank with oxy/acet torch for about 1.5 mins....placed on small socket and whammed it with the trusty hickory shaft from broken axe...that lil' piece of crmo spindle popped right out! Cheers!

This was yes...after breaking 2 vises (with a bolt screwed into the bb shaft) and breaking'dethreading a park removal tool.

Hey, been riding since '81 and never had this problem...the crank is still is great shape...no bodging of squareness and it fit perfectly on new BB.

This was (one of) the same vise that saved a NOS centurion ironman from the recycle bin to get the seatpost out (nice to get a tange 1 frame for nothing because the seatpost is stuck)....that was penetrol overnight and seatpost in the vise while twisting frame back and forth icywtk.

Thx again maddog!

I meant to say threads no t stripped on puller, but puller actually broke internally....threads still good....maybe too old of a puller with too many inches pulled?

The flame wrench is my go to when mixed AL and steel wont budge. Galvanic action can make our jobs difficult.

Glad you got it apart OK.

-SP