stubborn seatpost
 

I am going to replace this seat post (if I can get it out). I am able to twist the post around, but it does not appear to be raising out of the frame. Should I continue to pry and hammer or should I get it to a shop?

http://sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html

Also, I'd say continue whatever you're doing, put a piece of tape on to gauge how much it's coming up when you twist/pull. Make sure you protect the frame above all else, the seatpost is garbage so direct all your hammer blows to it.

Qhave you tried to put a little bit of wd-40? This happened to me the other day on one of my older bikes.

Keep at it...perhaps drill a hole on the top and put in a nut and bolt to help give you some leverage pulling up as you turn...if its turning, its not completely frozen, you have a chance.

Looks like aluminum post, steel frame, WD40 won't do much to get rid of the aluminum oxide buildup that is causing this.

You could VERY carefully wedge the seat tube ears apart if the tube is smaller at the top although this is somewhat risky. Penetrating oil (I like Kroil) may not break down the corrosion but it will get in between the surfaces and lubricate them which might ease your task. Friction will heat the post and tube which may make the fit tighter; stop and let things, including youself, cool down from time to time.

Don't spread the frame, that's probably not where the problem is.

Start by using a penetrating oil like Kroil, or similar. Or make your own with a 1:10 oil:mineral spirits mix. Paint a mark on the post as a reference to see where you're going.

Now twist the post by the saddle while pulling up. Or remove the saddle and put the post in a vise and twist the frame while pulling it back.

The key is to keep it oiled, and work slowly to prevent heating. Check the frame for heat, and if it's hot to the touch, rest it until it cools. With patience, you'll have the post out with a minimum of untoward consequences.

My last two stuck seatposts had diiferent endings. The first was a steel seatpost in a steel frame. After a week of soaking, heating, and pounding, a drilled it and installed a bolt to pull against. Seatpost broke off. I ended up taking it out in over twenty little pieces with a hammer & chisel. There was a 2" stub left in the frame. The frame was not damaged (much) by my efforts.

The last one was an aluminum post in a steel frame. I soaked it with WD-40 overnight and used my cut-off pickaxe handle to pound it out. Took about 15 minutes. Everything came out OK & undamaged.

If it turns, it will come out. Forget WD40, Kroil is the best, PB Blaster is an OK substitute.

If the post is spinning, you are halfway there in getting that post out. it's just a matter of getting a grip of it and applying some impact force upward to break the small corrosion ledge that had formed between the post and the seat tube.
If the post is already trashed or damaged. just find a way to get a C clamp on the head portion of the post and while rotating it, hit the the C clamp as close to the post with a mallet upwards and that thing should start to move out of the seat tube....take you time and avoid going all "gorilla" at it when hitting the clamp with the mallet or hammer. Keep an eye out for anything that might start distorting on the seat tube to avoid damaging it. Graduate slowly the amount of force you are applying with the mallet/hammer hits so you do not stress things more than you have to.
BTW, WD40's pretty much useless in trying to get really stuck seatposts and stems off bike frames...PB Blaster, Kroil or Freeze-Off (my personal favorite) are much better products to use in these situations.

Good Luck!

Chombi

Thanks guys I found someone with a workbench vise clamp and pulled for a while. It did finally come out. Now the real work begins.

A brake cylinder hone may be useful to smooth out the inside of the frame..

this time pull and re grease the new aluminum seat post, more often. :innocent:

Change "may be" to "is". Few people under 50 have seen one much less own one. Yep, I got one.

This was a 100$ CraigLister. Needs alot of work.

My recommendation for Craigslist bikes is to bring along a knowledgable friend or go to a shop with the seller to get an estimate. **You should either use the shop for at some of the work or offer to pay something for the estimate. It is rare for a bike that has any steel components to be worth $100 unless it is a true collectible/vintage.

I bought it mostly for the 40 spoke reynolds wheels. :)

I routinely pick up bikes off C/L. The best deals tend to be neglected bikes, as buyers want clean, complete, and ready to ride bikes. But with such projects, you need to have the tools/time/aptitude to do the work yourself, or have a good bike friend with these attributes, or have access to a co-op. I always check used bikes for a stuck stem and seat post. While I will buy them with stuck parts, I look for a discount, as some come out easy, some come out hard, and some have to be cut out (which takes time, and means the part is destroyed).

That is becoming standard procedure around here on almost any frame that has either the seat pillar or stem taken out for any reason.


Fangowolf what kind of frame is that?

The story was, it was a Reynolds bike that Jeff Shoemaker rode, I think he confused the wheels for the frame. He stripped all the components except the wheels. I needed a sturdy frame and wheels :), so I saw a steel frame with 40 spoke wheels and went and took a look. The wheels are stout and the frame is steel. There doesn't appear to have been any decals or markings on the bike. The seat post they pulled out made my 400mm post look small.