Stuck quill stem

[Paulus]

The quill stem on my audax bike is stuck. I can loosen the bolt , but no matter how much I tap/hit the bolt the expander nut will not let go. I want to overhaul the headset, so any suggestions? Or is it a bike shop job?

 

[Amanda P]

Hmmm. An alloy part seized inside a steel one. This sounds familiar.

Try turning the bike upside down, then run penetrating oil into the open end of the steerer tube. Let it soak for a day or two, then try again.

Hit that bolt really hard - the worst that can happen is that you strip the thread in the expander bolt and have to buy a new one or a new stem.

If penetrating oil won't shift it, you could try the same trick but with caustic soda solution (sold for cleaning drains from ironmongers and hardware shops - be careful with it; it's nasty stuff).

 

[Alien8]

If you cover the bolt with a bit of wood I would think you could give it a good whack with a hammer without breaking/damaging anything.

Anyway, usual thing I guess - a few cycles of squirt & leave with WD40 or similar.

Maybe you can also squirt it from underneath if it's exposed at all through the fork crown.

 

[Paulus]

Cheers guys, front brake and mudguard is off and penetrating oil is soaking in at at this very moment.

 

[e-rider]

use a wooden mallet and really give it some - if that doesn't work send/take it to a frame builder such as Mercian or Argos and pay them to get it out - usually about £15 and a million times less effort than continuing yourself - which always results in frame damage and a stem that is still stuck!

 

[dodgy]

Take the bolt out and ride the bike for a few hundred miles, the quill will come loose - but possible at the least convenient time

 

[Falwheeler]

Take the bolt out and ride the bike for a few hundred miles, the quill will come loose - but possible at the least convenient time

No wonder they call you Dodgy

 

[Paulus]

Take the bolt out and ride the bike for a few hundred miles, the quill will come loose - but possible at the least convenient time

Do you think I would of got more than a few yards?

The headset has been serviced, but the expander nut is still stuck in the steerer tube. I took the bolt right out to release the forks and when I put it back together, the stem went straight back onto the expander and I re-inserted the bolt and did it all up. Still leaves the problem of the stuck expander. Job for another day me thinks.

 

[Globalti]

Just support the fork solidly and whack it hard with a big hammer, it will go.

 

[e-rider]

yes, I thought the stem was stuck but it's just the expander bolt - that shouldn't be too difficult at all

 

[Amanda P]

So it's a steel expander cone wedged inside a steel steerer tube. A different problem.

If you're able to get the fork off the bike (and you can, because you've had the headset apart), a combination of gentle heat and percussion should shift it. Rest a bit of rod or tube against the expander inside the steerer and hit the other end of the rod with a hammer.

But as you say, until you want to adjust the stem height, it's not a problem.

(You know you're not going to sleep properly until it's done, though, don't you?)

 

[Paulus]

Job all done now with a metal drift (an old large screwdriver) and a big hammer. Thanks for the info guys.

 

[TheDoctor]

Standard engineering approach. If at first it doesn't fit / budge, use a bigger hammer!!