Quill stem issues
 

Probably been asked a million times before. I cannot loosen the bolt on my quill stem. Where to add penetrating oil? I assume it’s the wedge end where lube is needed. TIA

EDIT: this is a new-to-me bike, I should have looked at the underside of the fork before posting, it is sealed. The only access to the quill bolt and wedge would be through the top of the stem.

Turn the bike upside down. Squirt the stuff up the head tube. Leave overnight I guess.

is the draw bolt not turning at all?

or are you able to loosen the draw bolt, but the wedge won't budge?

Cannot loosen the bolt. On the verge of stripping it with the hex wrench.

Yes, that’s my thought, too.

Steel in steel, add some water....

Penetrant applied to wedge while frame's upside down does help if you give it enough time to do it's work.

If not, try taking something small enough to fit in the draw bolt's Allen head's aperture (I've used a small pin punch -

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...30a1d40e91.jpg
but a large nail set -

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ff904d6ee1.jpg

will work) then placing it into the draw bolt's Allen head recess.

Give the punch a few light taps with a light weight hammer or a block of hardwood.

Vibrations imparted to draw bolt may help to loosen the rust holding wedge to draw bolt, may also help loosen wedge stuck inside steerer's tube.

If you plan on re-using that fork, do a thorough job of cleaning then inspecting the inside of the steerer tube for rust pitting and too-thin steel before you proceed.

Could be galvanic corrosion under the bolt head, could be the thread is seized in the wedge, so try squirting both ends with a corrosion release product and leave to soak for a while. Also if you have a suitable length of steel rod or tube try whacking the wedge up through the steerer from underneath, to shock the thread. If in the worst case the bolt head rounds out, you can still drill it off to remove the stem.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3cfa76b67.jpeg
Left one-good. Right one-bad.

i have a bike with the design in the right. It’s horrible to remove or adjust up.
The way I deal with it is to loosen everything thing, then hold the bike down with my foot in the wheel. Then with one hand pull up as much as I physically can at 56. Then use the other hand to tap down on the loose bolt. And you might need your other hand to hold a punch or something to minimize damage to the bolt.
I’m guessing maybe that annular wedge deal is digging into the stem body, so when I try to tap it out of the stem it gets tighter.

i hate that design. As much as i hate the straddle cable release on my Panasonic.

two cents from the internet. Spend it wisely.

Sometimes those cone expanders have a small tongue that is supposed to fit in the slot, and keep the expander from turning.
Check that that tongue (should it exist) isn't somewhere other than the slot, and digging into the stem.

(And of course you have checked the top of the slot for cracks, and if none drilled a hole to prevent them?)

Sounds like you're doing something wrong. That's how the Cinelli 1A stem works, all it needs is a hammer tap to release it once you loosen the draw bolt a couple of turns. Are you using the wrong expander for that stem, and it's getting stuck?

I edited my opening post: there is no access to the steerer tube from the bottom of the fork, it is sealed. I can only add penetrating oil from the top of the stem which I have done for two days now. I also tried tapping the draw bolt head with a nail punch and hammer according to advice from spclark above. No dice—I cannot loosen the draw bolt with a 6mm allen wrench, and I can only apply a limited amount of force (still quite a bit) to the wrench for fear of stripping the bolt head.

How about some pics?

Yes, a picture should always accompany the question. Gets to the point without asking random questions. That a carbon fork?

You might also try the proper sized bit in an impact driver - after you've let everything soak.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...305fbaf53e.png

After you've tried everything else, take the bike to a welder and have him weld the allen wrench to the bolt.

Would help us out here, it would.

(Anyone ever hear of a left-hand threaded steering bolt?)

Were I confronted by this I'd prolly just drill bolt head off, as suggested earlier. Already know the shaft beneath's not going to turn once drill's close to bottoming out.

I’ve got a Schwinn branded 21.1mm stem

does it have the right expander?
After 49 years, I’ll say… maybe!

to the OP, I was offering a “solution” since it doesn’t sound like they know what they got yet. Hopefully the intended humor made its way out of the screen….

As a last resort, like prior to drilling, bash a torx bit into the hex hole.
A Torx will often grab and let you get more torque.


Oh, and IIRC weren’t some some Cinelli stem bolts weird, like 7mm weird.

Barry

OP's already fearful of twisting the bolt head off.

How might applying more torque help, other than simply avoid simply drilling the head off?

Biker Pete I have to ask: have you tried tightening that recalcitrant steerer bolt yet? Sometime a stuck fastener will break free with a turn to tighten when it's resisted every effort at loosening.

spclark ,
OP is worried out rounding out the Hex, not twisting the head off.
Rounding out the head means you can't get enough grip to put down enough torque.

Barry

A 6mm allen wrench ‘wiggles’ a bit too much and I can’t apply a large amount of torque for fear of rounding out the aperture in the bolt head. 7mm and 1/4” wrenches are slightly too large; 7/32” wrench is too small. It’s meant for a 6mm wrench but unfortunately when I received the bike the bolt head aperture was already slightly buggered. It’s a late 1990s 3TTT quill stem. The carbon fork has no opening to allow access to the steerer tube from below. I’ve had Liquid Wrench pooled in the top opening for two days now. Pics enclosed. And thanks everyone who has chimed in.

P.S. In an ideal world I’d like to raise the stem by about 1/2” but honestly, I can live with it the way it is. But it bugs me that something is f’d up on this otherwise BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING Serotta Legend Ti bike!

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...9715b41db.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...abe435a43.jpeg

Sometime a rounded hex socket isn't rounded at the very bottom.
Grind the end of the hex key flat so you have six good points, hammer it home, it might work.
Otherwise that looks like a job for a drill-motor and a good bit.

Was an EZ out extractor already mentioned?

As usual I’m having a hard time keeping up.

I understand you don’t want to butcher anything. And you also don’t like the idea of riding with something “wrong “ even if it’s safe.

https://www.acehardware.com/departme...RoCuZ4QAvD_BwE

I hope he tries the impact driver before drilling holes in stuff.

I don’t have one. But I’ll ask a friend who’s a tool hound. Possibly using an impact wrench with an allen wrench that has had the end ground completely flat (my two 6mm allen wrenches have the edges ever so slightly rounded right at the tip) as suggested by oneclick will do the trick. At worst, the bolt head aperture will be buggered beyond use and other more destructive methods like drilling will be the end result. Either way, once the stem can be removed, I’ll need a new draw bolt and wedge (or a completely new stem).