Stuck Stem !!

[Landsurfer]

In 50 years of building my own bikes i have had many stuck seat posts to deal with ..... but never a stem !
80's Carlton Corsair .... stem stuck ....
Hacksaw through it, remove the forks, knock it out, with a bit of heat ,,,,
Or is there a less destructive way ?????

 

[biggs682]

Odds are it wont knock out
I have over the years drilled a few out ie cut stem near to top of the threads remove forks from frame and place in vice and start drilling with a 22mm o/d drill bit

 

[Chris S]

Is it an aluminium stem in a steel frame? They've probably reacted and 'welded' themselves together.

 

[Fastpedaller]

How about the caustic soda 'melt' ? Is that what's been mentioned before, or is it something else?

 

[fossyant]

Other than the wedge is a bit stuck, so undo, and whack the top bolt to shift the wedge. soak with plus gas from underneath.

 

[midlife]

It's difficult to bend the cast fork crown, big block of wood tight up against the base of the forks to hold it and then twist the stem might work.

 

[Landsurfer]

Other than the wedge is a bit stuck, so undo, and whack the top bolt to shift the wedge. soak with plus gas from underneath.

wedge is free ... bolt free vertically .......

 

[Big John]

Bit of patience and maybe, if you're lucky, you might be able to free it up after soaking it to death in plus gas as Fossyant says. Turn the bike upside down and pour the plus gas down inside the forks. I've not freed one up for years but that worked for me. Leave it to soak overnight, beat it senseless next day and repeat until you or the bike wins 😉

 

[a.twiddler]

Plus Gas needs to be used in a well ventilated space. It certainly stinks but it has shifted stuff for me that I never thought would move again. Just need time, patience (and maybe a bit of brute force).

 

[rogerzilla]

If it's powdery aluminium corrosion, Plus Gas is unlikely to work. The corrosion product expands and really sticks the stem in place. Caustic soda will get it out and paint damage is unlikely if you're careful.

 

[chris667]

Can you unfasten the headset and slide the stem far enough to get some heat on the steerer tube? Heat will shift anything.

 

[fritz katzenjammer]

After trying heat, chemical warfare and every version of brute force I could think of I recently got a stuck quill out of a 1970s Bridgestone by slowing pouring boiling water over the assembly. I went through about a gallon of water doing it, but it worked really well.

This was suggested by one of the guys over on the CABE forum, a worthwhile source of good tricks for servicing old bikes.