how NOT to remove a stuck seatpost
 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2526/...1e239d7355.jpg

the worst part? ...it's still stuck. i stopped caring about the frame (obviously) or the post long ago, all i'm after now is victory.

DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME... or anywhere for that matter.

Anyway I'm michael from KS, nice to meet you all. Don't worry, I do know how to use a few tools besides hacksaws and hammers.

O.k. get a can of penetrating oil. Not WD40 and soak the post real good. If you can't get it to go down on top then take out the bottom bracket and go that way. Let it soak in for a few hours. Get a wrench like a large channel lock that reall grips the post and twist back and forth till it moves. If you don't care about the frame and just want victory get a torch and hit up the part that the post goes into and that will loosen it up. It will ruin your paint job though.

That might be the most extreme method of seat post removal I've seen. Congratulations.

I , also, have never ever seen this new and upgraded method of stuck seat post removal. My last resort always was to clamp the seat post in a vise and twist the frame from side to side, even if I had to crush the crap out of the seat post, just to get it out. Never seen the fork method, though.

Is that a Murray or Columbia fork? (just want to be sure I get the right kind)

One that doesn't even work that great, extreme as it seems. Seatpost head clamped in a vise would've been better.

when you weren't looking, someone slipped epoxy into the seatpost-seat tube contact area

who says it has to be effective?

Save those canti's on the frame! I'll take 'em if you don't want them ;)

What will you do when the extension tube on your repair stand gets stuck?

good point. this would be the best bet whether someone sabotaged the bike with epoxy or not.
but I think the OP's method looks more fun :)

Seems like there's some rust there.

I think the BB has been dealt with.

Had to do this with an '88 Trek 400 I salvaged from a dumpster around this time last year. Post was stuck solid and not moving; it was hard to believe it was the right size post to begin with... felt more like someone had just hammered a 27.2 into a 27.0 with how bad it was stuck. Many applications of WD40 and Liquid Wrench, plus generous brute force finally got the darned thing out.

Maybe a mechanic with a bottle of Elmer's glue ? :D

Use a Dremel or power grinder to slot the seat tube down the side for 6-8 inches. That'll loosen 'er up.

And I would not suggest wailing away with a hammer on a bike that's in a Park stand. Instead, support it on a workbench over a 2X4 or two. Your stand will last longer and the impact of your hammer will be more effective.

That must be one hell of a nice seatpost to be worth that amount of effort :)

could have just tossed the thing into ammonia. (it'll dissolve the aluminum)

I know, total stupid overkill. no it's not a nice post, and the frame is about 45% rust but everytime i walked by i could hear it... mocking me. i was after the post for my winter bike build so the priority was to preserve the post if possible at the frame's expense. tried soaking in ammonia, coca cola, pblaster, no luck. I did however find a little rusty piece of paper inside the seat tube after i cut it open with a previous owners name, address, ph # and serial #'s. Thinking about sending him a letter of apology :)

good advice rccardr. I will try that next, I haven't quite given up yet, even though the post is probably unusable at this point. I did actually get it to rotate a little bit with a pipe wrench on the head of the post and the headtube of another junk frame on the wrench for leverage (just moved in, vice isn't installed yet. frames make surprisingly good cheaters) and started the dance of victory when i realized... the clamp was just rotating on the post! Gar! I think that's when the saw came out.

And Gene, I should have some better cantilevers than those in the basement if you do need a set.

I have an '83 Trek 400 as my rain/beater bike and it does indeed take a 27.2 seatpost. However both the original owner (I bought it used in '98) and I kept the OEM seatpost adequately greased so it's never needed that kind of abuse.

Now that I think about it, removing stuck seat posts was probably the most frustrating and incredibly time consuming repair jobs that I ever did. If a freewheel would not come off the hub, I could always just take off the individual cogs, clamp the body in a vise, and voila, get it off. However, stuck seat posts, like the original poster, sometimes became 3 to 5 day battles of wills, or wits. I guess it is sort of like man versus machine, sort of. You know that it is there, right in front of you, and challenging you to get it the heck out. Once you start removing the crankset and pouring various liquids down the seat tube, it starts getting might personal. By the way, I do recollect some very funky 27.0/27.2 Trek seat posts problems-bad fits. Could have been the seat post diameter being off a bit, but I really think that the problem was either the tubing/paint or contamination in the tubing, or seat post tubing not bored out correctly. Just enough of a problem to be a pain.

Possiblecrit, THANK YOU for making my day! Now I'm ready to go out in that nasty Chicago weather!
Charles

Classic Get A Bigger Hammer Situation
 

:roflmao2:

Also. it's a little difficult to tell from the photo,
but the physics of the situation would seem to
call for some other frame support?

If all that's holding it is the park clamp, you're
losing a great deal of your angry energy in
flex. And you started out with too small a
hammer anyway.:lol:

Uh, you guys do realize this thread was started over two years ago don't you?

Also, note to CharlesP: If you are riding in the winter in the Chicago area, be sure to grease your seatpost thoroughly at least a couple of times a year so you don't have to start a new thread like this one. :)

Nope, not a clue.:D What are dates to the retired?:lol: