Help a Campy seatpost newbie
 

I picked up (among other choice bits) a Campy (NR?) seat post circa 72 this week. It's one of those with the bolt nuts on top under the saddle. There must be a trick to mounting, unmounting saddles on this baby - care to clue me in?
BTW - the Avocet touring 2 saddle was sadly trashed as was the legnano frame.

Always check Jon's excellent database first:
http://www.velobase.com/ViewSingleTo...5524C&AbsPos=0

I use a 10 + 11mm, closed-ended, offset box wrench. Use the 10mm side:

http://www.rapidparts.com/Catalog/081-RP9248200.jpg

http://www.rapidparts.com/prod/RP924...x-Wrench/2661/

It's slow, but gets the job done faster then any other way, and it fits.

-Kurt

I've always the box end of a standard 10mm combination wrench. It's probably even slower.

I've found that a combination of applying the wrench from different angles, and flipping it over every other turn or so, maximizes the amount I can turn the bolt each time.

Right, that's what you need, an offset wrench.

BTW, here is my NOS Campy Gran Sport seatpost (26.8mm). I'm going to use this on my Superior project.

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3j6z2/s...ures/CSP01.jpg

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze3j6z2/s...ures/CSP02.jpg

Also tears up the bolt head and makes life a pain and slows the process down three times what it would if it were done with the offset wrench. Won't cost you much, won't round the bolt edges, and you'll breath a sigh of relief when you can put a saddle on within 2 minutes.

-Kurt

^ "Also tears up the bolt head"
While that can happen, in my case it did not. I used a 10mm open ended off set wrench, I was careful, and the bolt head remained unmarred. It took longer than 2 minutes though, more like 5.

Time to visit the Craftsman store. I have a set of those angle wrenches (pre Craftsman) but only in SAE.

My next task is cleaning/buffing/polishing. I ordered a 6" buffer and have a hand drill set of wheels and polishing compounds. I need to find the how-to link for superior polishing.