In the process of trying to move a stuck quill stem, I managed to remove the long bolt and dislodge the expander wedge, however I've since decided to give up on the stem and leave it in its current position, however now the expander wedge appears to be loose in the forks somewhere and I can't get the bolt to thread back into it. I've tried turning the frame upside down in an attempt to shake the expander wedge back into position but am not having much luck. Also, the bottom of the fork is sealed so I can't access it through there.

Anyone have any ideas?

I suppose the ideal solution would be to try to remove the stem again but I suspect it might be quite stuck, in which case I could possibily get away with riding it without the stem secured and hope that the stem doesn't suddently decide to become adjustable again when I'm going down a hill!

"Some men, you just cain't reach." --the Captain (maybe the expander is one of them)

you know that soon after starting a ride, that that wedge will come unstuck from where ever it IS stuck and start rattling around in there and drive you nuts, don't you?

although that may not be such a bad thing. you might then stand half a chance of fishing it out.

and i woudn't worry about the stem coming loose while riding without the wedge in there. after all, that's what you would like to have happen, right? and if it did the handle bars would just drop down an inch or two, maybe lsss. you're holding a flush to a five card straight. can't lose.

flip the bike over and bang the wedge out from underneath .. the bottom side of the fork steerer.

He mentioned the steerer is closed at the bottom. A longer bolt might be able to reach the wedge or tape or superglue an extension to the original bolt.

Except maybe a few teeth and some epidermis

Uhhh, they would more than just drop, they will rotate without controlling the front wheel. Sounds like a fast trip to the ER (or morgue) looking for a place to happen.

I hope you were kidding about riding as-is.

next guess

take the bolt out of the stem and go fishing with it .. or how about a magnet

we old people have one on s telescoping shaft (ala Car antenna)

or N+1, just buy a new bike ..

No. You'd lose the ability to steer and likely crash. Happened to me once (bolt broke). Broke several ribs and collapsed a lung. Wouldn't like to do it again, thanks.

Managed to get a old coat hanger down there to pull the wedge up. Quill stem is still stuck but at least it's securely stuck now...

When I was a young teenager, and known around the neighborhood as one who could work on bikes, a neighbor came to me with a bike that had a stuck quill stem wedge. The stem came out just fine, it's just that the wedge was rusted thoroughly in place in the steerer, and the stem bolt wouldn't go back in. The wedge needed to come out. I soaked with penetrating oil for a week, poked, pried and banged on it with anything I could get in there, and had every other kid in the neighborhood do the same. After a couple weeks, I gave up and went and bought and installed a new fork and the problem was solved.

Since I was into bikes, I left the old fork in the garage as a souvenir just leaning against the garage wall. It became a toy for all the neighborhood kids, as it was a good-sized tuning fork. Bang it on the concrete garage floor and it actually had a neat sound as the fork prongs vibrated. By the end of the summer, enough kids had used it as a tuning fork that the rusted-in wedge came loose and fell out.

-Ken