Stuck pedal
 

I have a bike I'm returning and disassembling; I have removed one pedal, but the other won't budge. I've been trying with an Allen wrench from the back side of the pedal per the instructions in the assembly manual, but my wrench is too wide to fit between the pedal and the crank. I'm trying not to make any marks on the bike, but I have tried hitting the Allen wrench with a dead blow hammer and even putting a section of pipe over it for additional leverage, but it doesn't move. Any suggestions?

I’ve had some success with removing the crank and clamping it or the pedal wrench in a vise and applying pressure that way. Maybe soak kn penetration oil before trying to turn it.

what am I missing here? If you’re using an Allen wrench on the back of the pedal, what relevance is clearance between the pedal and the crank? You’re operating on the opposite face of the crank from the pedal 🤔
couple of things - 1-ensure you’re unscrewing in the right direction, 2-I find it easier to insert the Allen wrench so that the long shaft forms an acute angle with the crank arm, and then squeeze the two together. Slightly more drastically, and if you don’t mind modifying your tools, cut back the short arm of the Allen wrench so the long shaft is closer to the crank arm - more direct leverage that way

Try a longer pipe and/or a heat gun.

First, make sure you're turning the correct way. The non-driveside pedal is reverse-threaded and coming at them from the back means you have to turn the wrench the "opposite" way.

I take it the pedals don't have wrench flats? Using a ratchet and Allen socket is more effective than a regular L-shaped Allen wrench. I like to orient the wrench almost in line with the crank and squeeze them together. It's a good way to get leverage.

Finally, I suggest using pedal washers on all pedals. I've never had a stuck pedal since I started using them. They also keep the face of the crank in better shape.

LH pedal has LH thread, so to loosen it you want to be turning the Allen key anticlockwise as you look at the inside of the crank.

You don't identify which pedal it is. However if you rotate the crank so the pedal you wish to undo is at the bottom of its stroke or outside of the down tube, then you should have plenty of room for your Allen key no matter the size. Perhaps you have a bike that is not what we typically think of when a person says bike. So telling us exactly what it is or putting a picture in the Gallery here on BF will help.

As other have said, Left pedal is left threaded, right pedal is right threaded. And remember when using Allen key and coming at a screw from the other side, you reverse the direction of the threading. So which ever pedal you are undoing, turn towards the rear of the bike.

You didn't use a cheater bar on the Allen key when you put them on did you? If you used too much force and cracked the socket in the end of the pedal, then the cracked socket is probably expanding and wedging itself in the crankarm when you are trying to get enough force to undo it. If the pedals have flats, then you'd be better off to use a pedal wrench. Though it's most likely you are turning the wrong direction.

Or you have the wrench oriented so it's pull wants to move the crank and that works against you too. So change the orientation of the wrench/key till you find the direction that minimizes the crank wanting to move. Or as another said, put it in a vice. A piece of cardboard, leather or something can be used to pad it so it won't get scratched. Even a old inner tube.

As @FastJake and @Iride01 noted above, make sure you're applying torque in the proper direction. Use penetrating oil, try heat, and a breaker bar with an Allen socket can provide more leverage.

For those direction-ally challenged,
INSTALL pedals - turn the wrench towards the FRONT of the bike
REMOVE pedals - turn the wrench towards the BACK of the bike.

But if the wrench is pointed down from the pedal, it might have to go toward the front of the bike first! <grin>

Since you were talking to directionally challenged, they also may not understand that mechanically we always consider the movement as seen from at the top of what's being turned. Regardless of the wrench orientation.

Another way of saying this is "looking through the wrench" at the object being turned. :thumb:

The problem with the terms "clockwise" and "counter-clockwise" is that the "frame of reference" needs to be specified. If a (analog) clock were transparent, looking at the face the hands would appear to move clockwise. Looking at the hands through the back of the clock, they would appear to be moving counter-clockwise. So it helps to add the orientation for clarity. :innocent:

My preferred way to get leverage when removing pedals is to orient the pedal at about the 3 to 4 o'clock position on the right side (drive side) and 8-9 o'clock on the left side pedal. I then put my foot on the pedal then put my weight on the pedal to push it down while pulling up on the wrench. It can be a bit tricky keeping your balance doing all of this. If needed, get a helper to keep the bike upright ans apply brakes, so you can concentrate on keeping your own balance and perhaps even use both hands to pull up on the wrench.

I also strongly suspect the OP is turning in the wrong direction. Apparently it is a new bike and they recently put the pedals on it. Seems very unlikely the pedals have gotten stuck in such a short time.

No need to put foot on pedal.

If removing pedal, put crank arm forward and horizontal, put good length pedal wrench on pedal spindle flats with wrench pointing back and just a bit above the crank arm at the bottom bracket. Now step on the wrench near the bottom bracket. This will both apply great force, and keep the crank from rotating. The above works for both sides, right or left threads, just keep the crank arm forward and wrench pointing back.

To tighten the pedals, do the reverse, crank arm pointing back/aft, wrench forward.

dude doesn't have a pedal wrench, and his pedals , most likely, only have a narrow 15mm surface, negating use of a standard open end 15mm.

and considering that he hasn't responded again, Roger, most likely, got the pedal loose.

Some MKS pedals (AR2-EZ, for example) have a surface too narrow for a standard pedal wrench; a 15mm cone wrench works fine though.

ya know.. i bet he doesn't have one of those, either.

i have four of them.
i run a co-op bike shop.
he bought a bike off the internet

Allen wrench can be used with pipe for leverage, in same directions as indicated for pedal wrench.

I can't remember about my '89 roadbike with 105 cage and then Shimano SPDs, and I had to grind a 15mm open end thin to work on pedals on a wrecked Motobecane in the late '70s, but the cage pedals on my current bike (came off a Giant hybrid) have wide hex flats:

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...89c068ae37.jpg

My advice about proper wrench positioning I posted to a thread months ago with similar issue, dude didn't know how to get pedals off while keeping the crank from rotating, he was super happy after learning this trick. No one taught me, I just figured it out one day while packing said road bike for a flight.

Thanks everyone, I had to purchase a proper 15mm peddle wrench and I got it.

I have owned my pedal wrench since 1973. It was worth every penny

When I bought my Park one in '89, I got one with headset size wrench on the opposite end, used a few times, now all newer bikes don't use that, and it's a plus, way easier to adjust headset preload.

Wow.

It's just fun picking. I did mark it with a <grin> Which is what we did on bulletin boards before had graphic's and emoji's. I'll use the emoji for this if it helps. :)

I find long 0.5m breaker-bar with allen-bit works very, very well.
Also great for removing freewheels from hub.
In extreme cases of removing motorcycle axle or sprocket nuts, adding pipe extension makes things easy.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5ced35cad8.jpg

As for rotation setup, I find putting pedal at bottom of rotation so it doesn't spin crank helps.
Then install wrench so handle is aimed horizontally back (parallel to chain-stays), then push down. Done!
Aiming horizontally back takes care of loosening right-hand threads on right and left-hand threads on left pedal.