J
Jim
Guest
I recall a thread here from sometime back regarding this, I didn't pay too
much attention 'cos I had a creaky stem. Then the creak stopped and when I
wanted to lower the handlebars a bit I found the thing had frozen.
Anyway I finally managed to release the stem from the steerer, ironically
using Loctite Freeze & Release spray.
The wedge plug thingy was already loose but I couldn't pull it out the
bottom of the steerer tube (it must be narrower at the base) so I needed to
pull it down away from the stuck quill stem to get space to spray the
freezer. The nozzle of the freezer spray isn't very long and I would have to
spray it through the wedge nut to get at the base of the quill. I put a
piece of heat shrink sleeving over the pipe to get the extra length. The
longer pipe from a WD40 can would probably be better here.
As the bike was already cold I decided to warm it up a bit so I played a
heat gun on the steerer under the head tube. I didn't want to damage the
paint so I just did it until that part was too hot to touch. I then wrapped
the top of the forks and head tube in old rags to keep them warm whilst
(hopefully) the heat was conducted into the steerer tube inside the head
tube. After a while I would remove the rags and give the steerer another
blast of heat. With various interruptions I was probably heating the thing
for about an hour on and off.
I then gave the inside of the steerer tube a good spray (through the hole in
the wedge nut) and tried to turn the forks. I used a solid piece of timber
(Ikea Ivar upright) in between the forks (at the steerer end) with my foot
on the handle bars one arm on the timber and the bottom bracket under my
other arm, I think this is termed a Half Nelson. Anyway the bike submitted
and I started to get some movement, once I started to pull up on the frame
and press down with my foot the thing started to ease off readily.
Cheers
Jim J
much attention 'cos I had a creaky stem. Then the creak stopped and when I
wanted to lower the handlebars a bit I found the thing had frozen.
Anyway I finally managed to release the stem from the steerer, ironically
using Loctite Freeze & Release spray.
The wedge plug thingy was already loose but I couldn't pull it out the
bottom of the steerer tube (it must be narrower at the base) so I needed to
pull it down away from the stuck quill stem to get space to spray the
freezer. The nozzle of the freezer spray isn't very long and I would have to
spray it through the wedge nut to get at the base of the quill. I put a
piece of heat shrink sleeving over the pipe to get the extra length. The
longer pipe from a WD40 can would probably be better here.
As the bike was already cold I decided to warm it up a bit so I played a
heat gun on the steerer under the head tube. I didn't want to damage the
paint so I just did it until that part was too hot to touch. I then wrapped
the top of the forks and head tube in old rags to keep them warm whilst
(hopefully) the heat was conducted into the steerer tube inside the head
tube. After a while I would remove the rags and give the steerer another
blast of heat. With various interruptions I was probably heating the thing
for about an hour on and off.
I then gave the inside of the steerer tube a good spray (through the hole in
the wedge nut) and tried to turn the forks. I used a solid piece of timber
(Ikea Ivar upright) in between the forks (at the steerer end) with my foot
on the handle bars one arm on the timber and the bottom bracket under my
other arm, I think this is termed a Half Nelson. Anyway the bike submitted
and I started to get some movement, once I started to pull up on the frame
and press down with my foot the thing started to ease off readily.
Cheers
Jim J
