Totally stuck seatpost woes

[BigonaBianchi]

Carbon seatpost stuck in an aluminium seat tube.

I mean proper stuck too....I've tried twisting the saddle but im afraid it will snap, wd 40 , gently tapping with arubber mallet to loosen it up a bit, clamped seat post in a vice , tried pushing down as well as pulling up and twisting etc...tried turning bike as a lever, currently trying to freeze it with ice packs to see if it might contract...

I added a longer stem so want to raise the saddle up a touch....

any sensibe suggestions ..or even ludicrous ones...??

 

[Hugh Manatee]

Try freezing it a bit. The advice given if you get your very expensive carbon fly rod section stuck together is to put them in a freezer for a while. It seems to work too. Some oils make carbon swell up so careful if you try that.

A last resort would have to be careful cutting.

 

[thatname]

My LBS told me some time ago that as part of your weekly clean/degrease/lube session you should also loosen the seat post and give it a little rotation to ensure that it doesnt get fused to the bike because in his words 'you could be royally f*cked'...

 

[Globalti]

When aluminium gets damp it oxidises and the oxide takes up more space than the alloy, so the post gets stuck. That post is probably tougher than you think; the only answer is to turn the bike upside-down and set the head of the post, or an old saddle, in a bench vice and turn the bike around it.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/p...ticking-in-a-steel-frame.174232/#post-3527910

 

[biggs682]

@BigonaBianchi google "johntheseatpostman" no personal experience but got to be worth a try , my heart goes out to you as i have a nice old steelie in same situ

 

[Pale Rider]

If you don't mind buying a new post...

Cut it to just above level with the frame.

Use a plunge hacksaw - or even a hacksaw blade with a cloth wrapped around one end - to cut a vertical slot in the inside of the post.

Grip the post at the point of the slot with pliers and twist it inwards.

 

[gbb]

When aluminium gets damp it oxidises and the oxide takes up more space than the alloy, so the post gets stuck. That post is probably tougher than you think; the only answer is to turn the bike upside-down and set the head of the post, or an old saddle, in a bench vice and turn the bike around it.

I had my carbon wrap seatpost stuck in mt old Bianchi Via Nirone....dear God it wouldnt move. In the end, after all sorts of attempts, left the bike upside down after deluging the seatpost with WD...i resorted to the seatpost clamped in a vive and pure brute force. The screeching and howling from the area beggared belief, like a thousand year old hinge working loose. It still took me 5 or 10 minutes of working it back and forth, millimetre by millimetre until it finally came free. I was absolutely convinced i'd snap the seatpost, perhaps even the frame.
Its a devilish job...undo your seatpost regularly to avoid this everyone, as stated above by Thatname.

 

[Kestevan]

My winter bike still has the fragmented remains of a carbon post inside the seat tube. The post broke whilst riding, leaving only jagged shards. Not enough to get a solid grip on. I tried to saw it, but without much luck. Gave up in the end and simply rammed it down with a new (alloy) post inside the tube - not my finest moment but at least it worked

 

[lpretro1]

I have used 'John the Seatpost man' several times from simply 'stuck solid' to broken off and nothing much showing.and he is brilliant - not m ark on the bike. Not cheap but a lot cheaper than having to buy new parts or scrap a frame...don't resort to some of the 'home brewed' methods you may get advice on from well-meaning folk on this forum. That way lies grief.

 

[Lilliburlero]

My LBS told me some time ago that as part of your weekly clean/degrease/lube session you should also loosen the seat post and give it a little rotation to ensure that it doesnt get fused to the bike because in his words 'you could be royally f*cked'...

Popped a carbon seat post on my mtb last Sunday and had no idea that this could happen.

Thank you for the advice

 

[Globalti]

Hang the bike upside-down and clean the seat tube out by shoving a stick up pushing a rag. Don't let go of the rag, obviously....

Then spray some WD40 up the tube.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

I packed it in those ice things for pic nic bags for several hours then gave it a whack with a rubber hammer again....then put all my weightinto turning it.......it made a god aweful cracking sound...my heart sunk.....but gradually it moved a mm to start then more.....its out now thankfully....phew

 

[dave pp]

Hurray! I just read that whilst opening a crate of ale! I'll celebrate for you!

 

[mickle]

Happy ending yay!