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Stuck Seat Tube Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

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Stuck Seat Tube Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Old 05-23-11, 12:09 PM
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Stuck Seat Tube Ahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Well I found this pretty nice old Miyata Two Ten yesterday. And unfortunately the seat tube is stuck in the frame. It's sticking out about 3 inches so at least it's not all the way down in there.
I checked Sheldon brown's site, and I know the topic has been covered plenty of times before. Any other ideas? I have tried to pry the frame apart a bit, and tapped on the seat post with a block of wood, and a hammer. It's in there good though. WD 40 is the only lubricant I have.
The shifters were stuck to but I did manage to free them. The cables are done, and need to be replaced.
Not much money. $40 was paid at the crazy thrift.
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Old 05-23-11, 12:24 PM
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I've heard that an ammonia soak can help- and PB Blaster, and clamping the seatpost in a big old vice and twisting the frame around it. Good luck; the 210 is a nice bike.
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Old 05-23-11, 12:24 PM
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if it's a steel frame and an aluminum seat post, oil/penetrants won't help much. Ammonia will eat the corrosion. You can try squirting it around the post. I remove the bottom bracket, flip the bike over and fill the seat tube with ammonia. It needs to soak for quite a while or even over night. Will probably take longer applying it from the top with many applications.
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Old 05-23-11, 12:34 PM
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Old 05-23-11, 12:38 PM
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If you are going to use ammonia, make sure to wear safety gear and DO NOT USE INDOORS!

big vice sounds like a great idea to try.

The one sure way to get it out if you're desperate is to go to a machinist and pay him some money to bore it out.
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Old 05-23-11, 12:42 PM
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Local Bike Shop would be my best bet after anything else.
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Old 05-23-11, 01:21 PM
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Haven't used it myself but you can try Kroil.
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Old 05-23-11, 01:38 PM
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Do you have a bench vise? Clamp the post in the vise (so the bike will be upside down) and pull at the whole frame. I've always been able to get them out that way.
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Old 05-23-11, 02:06 PM
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Originally Posted by FastJake
Do you have a bench vise? Clamp the post in the vise (so the bike will be upside down) and pull at the whole frame. I've always been able to get them out that way.
I have hand tools, but space does not allow for a workshop with vices, and bench mount tools.
I will try the liquid ammonia, and maybe something else. I probably would not have purchased the bike knowing the seat tube was stuck. I don't think it's worth the effort unless it's a higher end bike. I have been lucky to long I guess.
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Old 05-23-11, 02:09 PM
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cycle maven has the exact solution that never fails me, clamp the seat tube and twist the frame.
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Old 05-23-11, 02:16 PM
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Going to need. A bench vise. As far as ammonia, the household strength is way too weak.

Odds of WD40 workin? Almost zero. PB Blaster, Kroil, ATF acetone mix, etc.


Do a search, and you will get a lot of ideas.


I used to think I could free up any stuck seat post. I was ten for ten! Well now I am ten for eleven.

Avoid the caustic/drano suggestions. IT will damage your paint.

Last edited by wrk101; 05-23-11 at 02:21 PM.
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Old 05-23-11, 05:01 PM
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I had a steel seatpost stuck in a steel Gary Fisher frame. Heated it up with a plumber's torch- not enough to burn the paint, just to get it nicely warmed. Soaked it in PB Blaster, clamped it in a bench vise, and twisted.

The seatpost twisted in half like licorice. Ended up cutting it out with a hammer & chisel in thumbnail size pieces. About 2" is still in the frame, rattling up and down. Still won't come out.

But the frame is usable and there was no damage to the seat tube. An artist with the old H&C am I.

And that's a good score. Nice bike.
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