OMG - Help Please !!

Get a dremel and cut a line down the inside perhaps?

I'd take it back to the shop to see if they can help.

On Mar 11, 6:34 pm, gravelmuncher <gravelmuncher.2n9...@no-

mx.forums.cyclingforums.com said:

OK, this is bad.

I bought an '05 pre-loved carbon MTB yesterday - from a bike store.
The store and owner is known by many. He gave me an amazing deal on
frame and brakes, and laced a new disc hub into my wheel for peanuts.
It came with a scratchy Race-Face aluminium seatpost - which didn't
concern me at all, as I was only gonna pull it out and put my Titec
gear in.

And so here we arrive at my disaster. The clamp was loose, but the
post was tight. I wriggled it - tight. I fitted my saddle for more
leverage - tight. I wriggled harder - tight. I sprayed RP7 around the
post and slots, wriggled - tight. Hmm. I removed the saddle and
clamped 2 screwdrivers into the saddle-rail channels - tight. I SWUNG
of the damn screwdrivers - tight. I grabbed it with VISE-GRIPS and
swung off it whilst ALSO swinging off a screwdriver with my other hand
- TIGHT.

This is where I kinda lost my head.

I figured that it HAD to give soon, and seeing that the post was
stuffed now anyways, I drilled a hole through the post about 20mm above
the clamp. I inserted a LONG screwdriver through this hole, and twisted
either end.

This is where I ended up with the top half of the post in my lap -
snapped.

I've spent most of yesterday evening and most of today seeping
Penetrene around the post, and wriggling the remaining 20mm of post
with the vise grips. I don't beleive that it has even moved 1/10 of a
mm. Late this afternoon I rigged up a long bolt with a washer and nut
at one end - which I fed into the wounded post, and when in position
the washer covered the BASE of the post (inside the tube) and allowed
me to hammer the post from the inside-out. Great idea - no result. I
hit it with enough force to omlette the washer, yet not shift the
post.

This is the point where I sit here - SHATTERED. I have no more ideas.
Has ANYBODY ever experienced this with a CF frame ?? Does anybody know
where I can get some help with this. I realise that I may well have
made my problem 100 times worse by snapping the post, but am I lumped
with a write-off ??

🙁 gm 🙁

--
gravelmuncher

Post this onto rec.bicycles.tech . It's full of very experienced bike
shop owners and wrenches and they are bound to have the answer.

Good luck! Jeez, keep your cool mate.

Donga

Quoted post said:

Post this onto rec.bicycles.tech .

Thanks Donga, i'll do it right away.

gm 🙁

On Mar 11, 6:34 pm, gravelmuncher <gravelmuncher.2n9...@no-

mx.forums.cyclingforums.com said:

OK, this is bad.

I bought an '05 pre-loved carbon MTB yesterday - from a bike store.
The store and owner is known by many. He gave me an amazing deal on
frame and brakes, and laced a new disc hub into my wheel for peanuts.
It came with a scratchy Race-Face aluminium seatpost - which didn't
concern me at all, as I was only gonna pull it out and put my Titec
gear in.

And so here we arrive at my disaster. The clamp was loose, but the
post was tight. I wriggled it - tight. I fitted my saddle for more
leverage - tight. I wriggled harder - tight. I sprayed RP7 around the
post and slots, wriggled - tight. Hmm. I removed the saddle and
clamped 2 screwdrivers into the saddle-rail channels - tight. I SWUNG
of the damn screwdrivers - tight. I grabbed it with VISE-GRIPS and
swung off it whilst ALSO swinging off a screwdriver with my other hand
- TIGHT.

This is where I kinda lost my head.

I figured that it HAD to give soon, and seeing that the post was
stuffed now anyways, I drilled a hole through the post about 20mm above
the clamp. I inserted a LONG screwdriver through this hole, and twisted
either end.

This is where I ended up with the top half of the post in my lap -
snapped.

I've spent most of yesterday evening and most of today seeping
Penetrene around the post, and wriggling the remaining 20mm of post
with the vise grips. I don't beleive that it has even moved 1/10 of a
mm. Late this afternoon I rigged up a long bolt with a washer and nut
at one end - which I fed into the wounded post, and when in position
the washer covered the BASE of the post (inside the tube) and allowed
me to hammer the post from the inside-out. Great idea - no result. I
hit it with enough force to omlette the washer, yet not shift the
post.

This is the point where I sit here - SHATTERED. I have no more ideas.
Has ANYBODY ever experienced this with a CF frame ?? Does anybody know
where I can get some help with this. I realise that I may well have
made my problem 100 times worse by snapping the post, but am I lumped
with a write-off ??

🙁 gm 🙁

--
gravelmuncher

How far into the frame is the post? Could you hacksaw off the top of
the post and then saw the inside of the post?

Quoted post said:

How far into the frame is the post? Could you hacksaw off the top of
the post and then saw the inside of the post?

Mate, there's about 120mm still in the post. I was entertaining the thought of doing just how you said, with four hacksawed-slots around the post. But I was worried about scoring the carbon, and even with the cut's I'd figured it'd STILL be stuck AND with the remaining bit of post gone there'd be nothing left to have any purchase on at all.

gm

gravelmuncher said:

Mate, there's about 120mm still in the post. I was entertaining the thought of doing just how you said, with four hacksawed-slots around the post. But I was worried about scoring the carbon, and even with the cut's I'd figured it'd STILL be stuck AND with the remaining bit of post gone there'd be nothing left to have any purchase on at all.

Take it back! Please don't compound an already bad situation.

gravelmuncher said:

Quoted message said:

How far into the frame is the post? Could you hacksaw off the top of
the post and then saw the inside of the post?

Mate, there's about 120mm still in the post. I was entertaining the
thought of doing just how you said, but figure it'd STILL be stuck.

gm

Don't do it! I've been down this path with a fork that was stuck. The
only thing that got it out was a blowtorch. But you're talking CF/alu
not steel/alu so that's not an option. Get it back to the shop, or if
you're in melb maybe talk the boys at Abbotsford Cycles.

DaveB

gravelmuncher said:

OK, this is bad.

I bought an '05 pre-loved carbon MTB yesterday - from a bike store.
The store and owner is known by many. He gave me an amazing deal on
frame and brakes, and laced a new disc hub into my wheel for peanuts.
It came with a scratchy Race-Face aluminium seatpost - which didn't
concern me at all, as I was only gonna pull it out and put my Titec
gear in.

And so here we arrive at my disaster. The clamp was loose, but the
post was tight. I wriggled it - tight. I fitted my saddle for more
leverage - tight. I wriggled harder - tight. I sprayed RP7 around the
post and slots, wriggled - tight. Hmm. I removed the saddle and
clamped 2 screwdrivers into the saddle-rail channels - tight. I SWUNG
of the damn screwdrivers - tight. I grabbed it with VISE-GRIPS and
swung off it whilst ALSO swinging off a screwdriver with my other hand
- TIGHT.

This is where I kinda lost my head.

I figured that it HAD to give soon, and seeing that the post was
stuffed now anyways, I drilled a hole through the post about 20mm above
the clamp. I inserted a LONG screwdriver through this hole, and twisted
either end.

This is where I ended up with the top half of the post in my lap -
snapped.

I've spent most of yesterday evening and most of today seeping
Penetrene around the post, and wriggling the remaining 20mm of post
with the vise grips. I don't beleive that it has even moved 1/10 of a
mm. Late this afternoon I rigged up a long bolt with a washer and nut
at one end - which I fed into the wounded post, and when in position
the washer covered the BASE of the post (inside the tube) and allowed
me to hammer the post from the inside-out. Great idea - no result. I
hit it with enough force to omlette the washer, yet not shift the
post.

This is the point where I sit here - SHATTERED. I have no more ideas.
Has ANYBODY ever experienced this with a CF frame ?? Does anybody know
where I can get some help with this. I realise that I may well have
made my problem 100 times worse by snapping the post, but am I lumped
with a write-off ??

🙁 gm 🙁

Try cooling (freezing) it. Aluminum has a high temperature co-efficient.
It should shrink more than the carbon fibre.

friday

Thankyou to all who have offered their advice. The LEGENDARY store owner has replied to me personally after viewing this thread, and has offered to help me with the problem.

gm

On Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:34:30 +1100, gravelmuncher
<[email hidden]> wrote:

[stuck seat post]

Lennard Zinn had an article about this on velo news a couple of weeks
ago.

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/11799.0.html

--
Regards.
Richard.

Just to let you know - my nightmare has officially ended. With a most ingenious twist, said LEGENDARY LBS owner has extracted the post.

Now, I admit freely to buying stuff off ebay occasionally. However, in this instance, words cannot describe the feeling of relief that I experienced today when this guy took my problem on - and indeed made it HIS problem. This experience has proved to me that, whatever kind of bargain you think you're getting at auction, it compares NOUGHT to the experience and assistance offered by an honest, professional bike store.

Which, in my most recent adventure, was absolutely PRICELESS.

Thanks again Kerry. I wish you every success.

gm

gravelmuncher said:

Just to let you know - my nightmare has officially ended. With a most
ingenious twist, said LEGENDARY LBS owner has extracted the post.

Now, I admit freely to buying stuff off ebay occasionally. However, in
this instance, words cannot describe the feeling of relief that I
experienced today when this guy took my problem on - and indeed made it
HIS problem. This experience has proved to me that, whatever kind of
bargain you think you're getting at auction, it compares NOUGHT to the
experience and assistance offered by an honest, professional bike
store.

Which, in my most recent adventure, was absolutely PRICELESS.

Thanks again Kerry. I wish you every success.

gm

Come on then - how'd they do it? Saw vertically through
remaining post? Put post stump in vice and twist frame?
Wrap towel around frame and soak in hot water whilst
blocking post with something and filling with iced water?
If the post is a thin enough alloy, you could squash it and
fold it (kinda heart shaped x-section) to get it out.

DeF.

--
e-mail: d.farrow@your finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.