Stuck seat post help

[SteveParry]

I bought an older bike cheap. Then discovered the aluminium seat post stuck in the steel seat tube. I've read all about using caustic soda etc but don't want to try that. I emailed the 'Seatpost Man' in Chorley Lancs. He quotes £80 to remove and sacrifice the seat post. That would also mean a 60 mile round trip - I'm on the Wirral. Does anyone know a mechanic nearby who might be able to help?

 

[Animo]

Worked for me:

Turn bike upside down. Remove a bottle cage bolt from the seat tube. Spray WD40 penetrating stuff down there. Repeat over a few days. Keep giving the saddle a whack. Eventually came loose.

 

[sevenfourate]

For the average guy with limited tools: Lubrication / plus-gas etc from all directions - and some heat; even with a hairdryer - might well help,

Then bike / frame upside down with seat post in a vice TIGHT (Can insert another metal tube up the inside if at all possible; so vice can be done up REALLY tight without crushing the original / stuck post (And causing more issues) - then use the frame as leverage to twist and move the stuck post.

 

[biggs682]

I have had a few seized seat posts over the years and have tried various ways .

The worst ones which i have come up against have been drilled out very carefully with great success .

@SteveParry talk to your local boke shop as some have a seat post extractor

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

In the 90s I had a stuck post in my Peugeot 531 road bike. Turned it upside down, poured can of coke into seat tube via bottom bracket and left it for ~2 days. Turned bike right way up, tapped bit of wood on top of saddle with mallet, all freed up.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Here's a useful 2015 thread for the OP to enjoy. Think the 'answer' is at Page 3. Was the last time.
https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/p...um-seatpost-sticking-in-a-steel-frame.174232/

 

[Cavalol]

There's a fella in Chester who got mine out, careful use of a reciprocating saw did the trick.

 

[SteveParry]

Thanks. Do you have contact details?

 

[Big John]

If you're not careful you'll spend more on getting the seat post out than the bikes worth. Google will give you endless possible solutions but all will require time and patience. I'm not aware of a magical quick fix. What I would say is don't try drilling it out unless you really know what you're doing. The boss of our local bike charity lost a week of his life drilling and not only didn't get the post out but buggered the frame. Not his smartest achievement. The seat tube was a visible mess and rendered the bike unusable.

 

[Gillstay]

Good quality penetrating oil , not WD40. Sea Foam or the Bilt hammer products are good. Heat and patience.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Heat

Since the aluminium seat post will expand with temperature more than the steel seat tube will, what is the beneficial effect of heat?
https://sheldonbrown.com/stuck-seatposts.html

"heating the seat tube technique is worse than useless when you are dealing with an aluminum seatpost stuck in a steel frame, because aluminum expands twice as much as steel . . .
"In fact, the converse technique will often do the trick for aluminum seatposts - cool the seatpost down as rapidly as possible."

 

[SteveParry]

I've sprayed some Plusgas into the inverted seat tube - will leave overnight. Tomorrow I will give a tap or two with my wooden mallet in case that frees it. If not I might try applying cold (bag frozen peas) to the top of seat post while wrapping a boiling hot rag around the seat tube below. Then more taps with mallet. Will update.