A while ago I fitted a spare pair of carbon forks with a very long 1" alloy steerer to an old Peugeot Premiere frame. I used a Cane Creek 1" Aheadset but managed to snap the star fangled washer when driving it in. I then removed the broken washer and fitted a "Weyless" top cap & expander for carbon steerer forks. It worked.

I now want to retire the ols Peugeot frame as it's really too big for me. My replacement frame will have a much shorter head tube, so I thought I'd "recycle" the forks, headset and carbon spacers for when my "new" frame arrives. Problem is, I can't get the forks out! I've also mislaid the instructions for the expander and can't find any info on the internet on this product, bought on ebay. I don't really remember how I put it in.

Sorry no photos but the situation is as follows: I've removed the top cap & bolt and the stem. The Weyless expander has an alloy insert that fits into and overlaps the top of the steerer tube. The insert won't come out. This has a hole in the centre which the top cap bolt goes into. Through this hole I can see a black threaded component. I thought "Simple - it must be like an old quill stem, so I put the bolt back in minus top cap and belted it with a hammer - all I did was to bend the bolt! The black bit didn't seem to move and I still can't get the forks out.

Is there a simple method of removing this? I could always saw off the top couple of inches of steerer tube I suppose, with the expander inside it - I'll be shortening it anyway to fit the new frame, but would prefer not to do it that way. I'm bewildered, does anyone have any other ideas/knowledge please? Thanks.

To complicate matters there is a sleeve type alloy shim around the steerer below the alloy insert

So, are you talking about the star nut in the fork?

From what I've heard, you don't get those out. You hammer it down further and put a new one in on top of it.

No, I had a star nut that got broken, so I replaced it with this expander gadget for use with carbon steerers. That's the problem, it won't release and the insert at the top (like a top hat shape in reverse) overhangs the edge of the steerer tube so nothing will come off the top. Must try to post some photos tomorrow. Thanks for trying to help.

some take two allens, 5mm for the expander wedge and 6mm for the topcap.
stick a 5mm in there and turn.

Does your stem look like this? This shows a threadless fork with the top cap and bolt removed. You remove the two stem bolts and slide the stem up and off. Then the fork comes right out, since the stem is holding the fork in place.

EDIT-- I read your posting more carefully and see that you've already removed the top cap. Nevermind.

Photos would be good.

Not exactly, I had a star nut but broke it, so replaced it with this expander type device that does the same job for carbon steerers - my sterrer is alloy, but the expander leaflet said it fits all. I'll try to take some photos and work out how to show them here, probably tomorrow.

The problem is that the expander has a part that overhangs the top rim of the steerer tube and the whole thing is stuck fast - it won't shift by brute force.