Help: Stem Stuck in Steerer, Require Resources

[clumsymechanic]

I'm using the frame of an older touring bike maybe 80's vintage in a
new build. Bars, stem and fork gotta go.

I fully removed the stem bolt, but haven't been able to pull the bars
and stem out of the fork. The stem can be twisted either direction in
the fork, and can be lifted and depressed over a small range, but then
stops dead. Like I can lift it out about an inch before it stops
budging, push it back in an inch..

I've tried penetrating oil to loosen things up with no luck. I tried
hammering the stem out with a rod from the bottom of the steer tube
with no give. The old headset is still in place, as the lockrings won't
come off with the stem still inserted.

What are my options here? I'm willing to do a destructive removal, I
just really need this frame with nothing on it to build up ASAP.

ThanksIA fellas,

Adam

 

[landotter]

Asking the obvious: did you unscrew the stem bolt a cm or so, then give
it a mighty whack with a mallet? If so, sounds like it's welded itself
over the years.

 

[Hank Wirtz]

"clumsymechanic" <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> I'm using the frame of an older touring bike maybe 80's vintage in a
> new build. Bars, stem and fork gotta go.
>
> I fully removed the stem bolt, but haven't been able to pull the bars
> and stem out of the fork. The stem can be twisted either direction in
> the fork, and can be lifted and depressed over a small range, but then
> stops dead. Like I can lift it out about an inch before it stops
> budging, push it back in an inch..
>
> I've tried penetrating oil to loosen things up with no luck. I tried
> hammering the stem out with a rod from the bottom of the steer tube
> with no give. The old headset is still in place, as the lockrings won't
> come off with the stem still inserted.
>
> What are my options here? I'm willing to do a destructive removal, I
> just really need this frame with nothing on it to build up ASAP.
>
> ThanksIA fellas,
>
> Adam
>

Hacksaw to the quill of the stem? With the bolt out, and no need to keep
the fork, that's probably the easiest route.

 

[clumsymechanic]

More or less what I did.

Dremel tool to cut the stem just above where it enters the fork, then I
was able to remove the headset lockrings, the headset, and finally drop
the fork out the bottom.

The steerer is bulging.. probably from the hammering I did. Looks like
whatever is holding the stem in there was going to need more than
penetrating oil to free up. Too bad I had to destroy the parts but at
least I didn't need them for the build that I'm doing now.

 

[clumsymechanic]

D'Oh!

The bulge in the steerer means the crown race wont come off like it
should. Guess I'ma need to cut it again. Dab, yo!

 

[Zog The Undeniable]

clumsymechanic wrote:

> D'Oh!
>
> The bulge in the steerer means the crown race wont come off like it
> should. Guess I'ma need to cut it again. Dab, yo!
>
Buy a new headset! It must deserve one if the stem has been left in for
so long without preventive maintenance (remove and regrease at least
annually).

 

[Jasper Janssen]

On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:11:33 +0100, Zog The Undeniable
<[email protected]> wrote:
>clumsymechanic wrote:
>
>> D'Oh!
>>
>> The bulge in the steerer means the crown race wont come off like it
>> should. Guess I'ma need to cut it again. Dab, yo!
>>
>Buy a new headset! It must deserve one if the stem has been left in for
>so long without preventive maintenance (remove and regrease at least
>annually).

Agreed. Both headsets and bottom brackets are too cheap (and irritatingly
annoying to replace) to use old, crappy ones in a new build. Same goes for
hubs, for that matter. HS, BB, and hubs are the 4 components on a bike
that you can only replace after dismantling significant bits of the rest
of it, making them the ones where you don't particularly want to skimp.

Jasper

 

[jtaylor]

clumsymechanic wrote:

> D'Oh!
>
> The bulge in the steerer means the crown race wont come off like it
> should. Guess I'ma need to cut it again. Dab, yo!
>

Are you sure?

Crown races sit on a shoulder; typical steerer tube bulges are not large
enough that the race will not fit over the smaller diameter of the (even
bulged) tube; and if it indeed will NOT, how are you going to get a new one
on?

 

[clumsymechanic]

Jasper Janssen wrote:
> On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 18:11:33 +0100, Zog The Undeniable
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >clumsymechanic wrote:
> >
> >> D'Oh!
> >>
> >> The bulge in the steerer means the crown race wont come off like it
> >> should. Guess I'ma need to cut it again. Dab, yo!
> >>
> >Buy a new headset! It must deserve one if the stem has been left in for
> >so long without preventive maintenance (remove and regrease at least
> >annually).
>
> Agreed. Both headsets and bottom brackets are too cheap (and irritatingly
> annoying to replace) to use old, crappy ones in a new build. Same goes for
> hubs, for that matter. HS, BB, and hubs are the 4 components on a bike
> that you can only replace after dismantling significant bits of the rest
> of it, making them the ones where you don't particularly want to skimp.
>
> Jasper

I was planning to reuse the old BB and HS with new balls, since the
cups/cones/races are all in good shape. It's true that neither are
particularly big ticket items, but theres no need to throw money at a
problem I don't have.

Besides I like wearing parts out (after a good long life of service
mind). And I like replacing them. And I've yet to wear out a HS
actually now that I think about it.

 

[clumsymechanic]

No I'm not sure. I will have access to a proper race remover tomorrow
and will see then. I don't need to worry about getting the new one on
because I'm not using the fork again and will probably dispose of it
(cause uhh... theres a chunk of stem stuck in it causing it to bulge..)

I want the race off to re-use, even though Zog and Jasper may find this
practice unsound. It is my sincere hope that the build is completed by
this time tomorrow night.