Help...carbon post seized in Ti frame

[Rippin]

Hello,

I need your advice. My Easton EC70 carbon post seems to have seized to the seat tube of my Dean Ti. I can't seem to budge it - even with a mallet. I think there is an aluminum sleeve in the seat tube.

Anyone experienced this before? What can I do to loosen the post? Would WD-40 work? Help!

 

[Eidetic]

The irony is that Easton's installation guide specifically warns not to put anti-seize compounds on its CF seat post.

I would call Easton TS.

 

[lumpy]

Originally posted by Rippin
Hello,

I need your advice. My Easton EC70 carbon post seems to have seized to the seat tube of my Dean Ti. I can't seem to budge it - even with a mallet. I think there is an aluminum sleeve in the seat tube.

Anyone experienced this before? What can I do to loosen the post? Would WD-40 work? Help!

I'd try heating up that part of the frame with a hair dryer. That should hopefully expand the tube enough to get it out. I wouldn't recommend anything hotter. Hold off on using any kind of penetrating oil until you try the heat first.

I'd call Dean or Easton too just to be safe.

Hope this helps,
Tim

 

[Rippin]

I just spoke with someone at Easton (actually their distributor Veltec) and they didn't really offer any good solutions.
He DID say to NEVER grease a carbon post as the grease will seep into the carbon and cause seizing.

So I sprayed some WD-40 into the seat tube last night and let it sit. This morning I gave it a good twist and it did unbind. I still had to twist it furiously to get it out, but at least it's out now. But the clearcoat on the seatpost is gone - either from the seizing or the extreme amount of twisting I had to do to it. Because there is no more clearcoat I don't feel comfortable in reinserting it into the frame again. Well this seatpost has bit the dust!

I'll most probably have to go to my LBS to get them to ream out any other gunk left on the inside of the seat tube insert before inserting another seatpost. The insert also came out of alignment, so I'll need them to adjust that also.

I don't know if I want to go carbon anymore (for a seatpost) - maybe just another brand? How about the Thomson Masterpiece seatpost?
It's quite light, but the walls may be too thin. I'd hate to dent the seatpost (which I've done with the heavier Thomson post).

I currently have the Deda Blackstick carbon post on my aluminum Casati - I am kind of weary now of it sticking also.

 

[Eidetic]

Glad you were able to extract it. Seizing aside, CF has so many pluses, you might return to CF seatposts.

 

[martroy]

Originally posted by Rippin
Hello,

I need your advice. My Easton EC70 carbon post seems to have seized to the seat tube of my Dean Ti. I can't seem to budge it - even with a mallet. I think there is an aluminum sleeve in the seat tube.

Anyone experienced this before? What can I do to loosen the post? Would WD-40 work? Help!

Rippin,

Just to make sure we don't get the same problem, did you use some sort of grease between the frame and the cf seatpost when installing it ?

Thanks,

Martin

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Rippin
I just spoke with someone at Easton (actually their distributor Veltec) and they didn't really offer any good solutions.
He DID say to NEVER grease a carbon post as the grease will seep into the carbon and cause seizing.

You were talking to the receptionist, the one with her head wedged in butt.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by martroy
Rippin,

Just to make sure we don't get the same problem, did you use some sort of grease between the frame and the cf seatpost when installing it ?

Thanks,

Martin

You do not use grease wit a CF post.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Eidetic
CF has so many pluses, you might return to CF seatposts.

Tell us about all of them.

 

[shokhead1]

Carbon seatpost are great,looning.They dont do anything for the ride,really.CF seatpost stuck in a ti frame.Couldnt be the grease because i'm sure you know you dont do that and if you did,you would have to over tighten it. You used the word mallet,thats not a good word to hear around bike threads,ouch! Right size in the first place?

 

[fushman]

Originally posted by boudreaux
Tell us about all of them.

aww, thats what i was going to say :-(

 

[Rippin]

Originally posted by shokhead1
used the word mallet,thats not a good word to hear around bike threads,ouch! Right size in the first place?

I used the mallet only to try to get the post to loosen - hittting the saddle clamp head to try to twist it (not down). I knew the post was toast so I wasn't worried about doing further damage to it. On the other hand, one must be careful about doing damage to the frame - but Ti is resilient. After 6 or 7 good wacks I knew that it wasn't going to move, so that's when I turned to WD-40.

Yes, the post was the correct size for the frame. When I first inserted the post into the frame it went in smoothly.

On another note: Even though the carbon post stuck to the inside of the frame, I must say the post itself is strong as hell. I'm going to toss it out, but I thought I'd try to break it before doing so

No dice - hammer, vice grips, banging on concrete edges -- hardly put a scratch on this thing. If this was an aluminum post it would be a mess by now. A good carbon post shaft should not break on anyone - where it may fail is at the saddle clamp head where it's bonded to the post.

 

[Eidetic]

Boudreaaux, Rippin said it for me. I have a special Boudreaux filter. It cuts out the vitriol and the word "hooey" and leaves the many genuinely helpful things you post in the message.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Rippin
A good carbon post shaft should not break on anyone - where it may fail is at the saddle clamp head where it's bonded to the post.

Well, actually they do. It matters how something is made, not necessarily what of.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Eidetic
Boudreaaux, Rippin said it for me.

Well yeah, ok I guess. If you buy it. I have a deal on some choice swampland.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by shokhead1
You used the word mallet,thats not a good word to hear around bike threads,ouch!

Actually, a 5 pound hammer should be standard issue for any wrench. Having the IQ to know when and how to apply it is where most fail.

 

[shokhead1]

True,so true.

 

[Rippin]

Originally posted by boudreaux
Well, actually they do. It matters how something is made, not necessarily what of.

This is why I stated "good", such as the Easton post described above. Have you seen the thickness of the walls of an Easton carbon post? - it's solid. I agree that a poorly made anything will fail.

Beyond the whole seizing incident, the Easton post is a quality product and I can't imagine how anyone could break the shaft through proper installation and regular use.

 

[boudreaux]

Originally posted by Rippin
Have you seen the thickness of the walls of an Easton carbon post? - it's solid.

SOLID!! Well then what is the point? Couldn't be lightness. Maybe all that mass will absorb more vibrations? Or, maybe it just looks cool.

 

[fushman]

thomson elite, i trust it very much. thomson masterpiece for you weight weenies. why worry about carbon?