I have an old fuji frame that has a piece of metal rattling around inside the down tube. I can move it around by tipping the bike upside down and such, but it won't move out of the down tube.

Anyone have suggestions for getting it out? I thought a torch might melt it onto the side, but I don't have a torch. I also tried to maneuver it into the seat tube and out the top (with the seat post out of course). No luck yet.

If don't want to pull the bottom bracket, could you squirt a little expanding foam insulation (Home Depot) through one of the braze-ons for the water bottle cage, then tip the bike around until the piece sticks? Let it set overnight....

DON'T torch the frame. Unless you know exactly what alloy the frame is made of, that's the easiest way this side of a sledgehammer to ruin it.

The expanding foam idea is as good as any; when you rattled it around, were you able to get it near the head tube? It's a lot easier to pull the fork than it is the crank/BB. The way to do it from that end of the downtube is to hang it by the rear wheel after pulling the fork....

I really like the foam idea. I'll try pulling the fork first and see if it will dump out. Thanks to both

Just read about the tradition of putting a Rattle off the snake in Fiddles .. practical. ?

What if you remove the seat post, stick a long rod (wire coat hanger) with masking tape wrapped around the end, then pull it out with the sticky stuff?

Vacuum cleaner?

Squirt a little linseed oil into the tube's vent hole and let the debris fall into it. Within a couple days the linseed oil will harden into varnish and hold the debris in place.

Did you resolve this?

Yeah, did you? I too have been holding my breath!