[CR]re: stuck seat post

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:00:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: <chasds@mindspring.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]re: stuck seat post

andy wrote:

I am in possession of an older Tommasini with a very, very frozen SR seat post.

Any suggestions?

Andy Bohlmann

Colorado Springs, CO

http://www.tourofcolorado.com http://www.sandcreeksports.com (C.O.N.I. chapters here!)

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I had one of these recently, and I despaired of ever getting it loose, but I did. Here's how:

1) get as much KROIL down the seat-tube/seat-post joint as possible. Let sit for a day. Then put some more down the joint. Let sit for a day. Wipe excess off any paint, as Kroil may damage paint.

2) Put a crappy plastic or leather saddle into the post clamp. Tighten. Put wheels on the frame, if there aren't any. Get a big hammer. Straddle the frame to hold it still. Hammer on the nose of the saddle to break the post loose. Hammer on one side, then on the other. You're just trying to break things loose, to give the Kroil more space to work. Even a bit of movement is a start.

You will ruin the saddle doing this, so use one that's cooked.

3) put more KROIL down the joint. Wait a day. Put more KROIL down the joint. Hammer some more.

I believe Kroil will work every time, but it may take as long as two weeks, so be patient. My project took over a week before the Kroil seeped around and through enough of the corrosion to allow the post to break loose. Even then, it took another couple of days soaking, and a lot of elbow-grease (and a lot of hammering on a hapless plastic saddle), to finally get the post out.

Kroil morning, and night, let sit, hammer, repeat.

Do NOT saw it off. That is absolutely the last resort, in my mind. I've never had to do it yet. Using the hammer-the-saddle method, with a lot of Kroil, and patience, and the post should come loose eventually.

Use only Kroil though. I've never tried it with anything else, and I doubt anything else would work as well. My experiments with ammonia have been nasty, and unsuccessful.

My two cents.

Charles (I keep thinking I've seen everything that can go wrong in a used vintage lightweight...until I run across yet another gremlin)
Andrews
Los Angeles