Time to rescue a stuck, jungle junker. The 1986 Jim Merz Allez!
#26
The Huffmeister
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You know, I didn't even try! At this point, it is principle.
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There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
#27
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Yea, again , if it was forced in AND oxidized or rusted to boot , I’m not sure the juice will help much . You sure have your work cut out for you. Just think of the elation when you finally get it! Whenever I ride the bike I mentioned earlier with the stuck stem and seat post , I remember the work I put into getting it on the road….kind of makes the ride that much more enjoyable. That , plus the original price of $20 !
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I am likely not the best resource for removing stuck parts. But I have tried Acetone/ATF with good results on a 50th Paramount, and paint damage on an Terry from the lye process. The lye caused a $200 paint job so I don't favor the process. When destructive processes occur I am a big fan of using a pin through the post with a socket specially made to fit over the post and am impact wrench. After that a slicing through the seat pillar with a long blade using a Saws-All and pulling the pillar apart bit by bit from within the tube. Lye is my least favorite method. Smiles, MH
Last edited by Mad Honk; 07-14-23 at 05:28 PM.
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#30
Senior Member
I am likely not the best resource for removing stuck parts. But I have tried Acetone/ATF with good results on a 50th Paramount, and paint damage on an Terry from the lye process. The lye caused a $200 paint job so I don't favor the process. When destructive processes occur I am a big fan of using a pin through the post with a socket specially made to fit over the post and am impact wrench. After that a slicing through the seat pillar with a long blade using a Saws-All and pulling the pillar apart bit by bit from within the tube. Lye is my least favorite method. Smiles, MH
I would think muriatic acid would be a less destructive option.
It works pretty quick too.
read about it.
https://sciencing.com/clean-rusty-st...d-8319296.html
#31
Steel IS Real
Nice find. Don't know much about these bikes but it looks like a real nice steed.
A small piece of advice regarding your stuck seatpost dilemma. If you're going to sacrifice the seatpost, you can cut the top clamp portion with a hacksaw, drill it out with a unibit, then use the hacksaw blade to CAREFULLY cut it apart from the inside out. I did this to a Trek 520 I was restoring a few years ago. Required no lye/chemicals/etc on a hopelessly stuck seatpost...
A small piece of advice regarding your stuck seatpost dilemma. If you're going to sacrifice the seatpost, you can cut the top clamp portion with a hacksaw, drill it out with a unibit, then use the hacksaw blade to CAREFULLY cut it apart from the inside out. I did this to a Trek 520 I was restoring a few years ago. Required no lye/chemicals/etc on a hopelessly stuck seatpost...
#32
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I could search but I’m lazy - has anyone used a slide hammer? Unless it was huge it might not give enough oomph but I thought it was worth asking
I’m lucky because penetrant, time and mild coaxing has always worked for me.
I’m lucky because penetrant, time and mild coaxing has always worked for me.
#33
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Tonight, I will attempt to drill and pin, but definitely soak.
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There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
#34
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Nice find. Don't know much about these bikes but it looks like a real nice steed.
A small piece of advice regarding your stuck seatpost dilemma. If you're going to sacrifice the seatpost, you can cut the top clamp portion with a hacksaw, drill it out with a unibit, then use the hacksaw blade to CAREFULLY cut it apart from the inside out. I did this to a Trek 520 I was restoring a few years ago. Required no lye/chemicals/etc on a hopelessly stuck seatpost...
A small piece of advice regarding your stuck seatpost dilemma. If you're going to sacrifice the seatpost, you can cut the top clamp portion with a hacksaw, drill it out with a unibit, then use the hacksaw blade to CAREFULLY cut it apart from the inside out. I did this to a Trek 520 I was restoring a few years ago. Required no lye/chemicals/etc on a hopelessly stuck seatpost...
This is awesome, and I admire the brave folks that do this but I just can't. I'll have nightmares about sawing right through the steel!
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There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
#35
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Lye is one of those things that should be used only as a last resort. Get it on your skin, and it just feels slick, you wouldn't know it's eating your skin. Fail to neutralize it and you'll probably regret it.
I would think muriatic acid would be a less destructive option.
It works pretty quick too.
read about it.
https://sciencing.com/clean-rusty-st...d-8319296.html
I would think muriatic acid would be a less destructive option.
It works pretty quick too.
read about it.
https://sciencing.com/clean-rusty-st...d-8319296.html
You know, I read up on the lye treatment before attempting it on my Ironman, and yeah you get that Fight Club scene stuck in your head and its just 100% death. But! I did take good precautions, and had no issue. If I remember correctly, I even had little droplets get on my arm (since I did the treatment probably about 10x on the IM) and it didn't really bother me. Either my ratio was way diluted, or I have dragon skin? I dunno. I'm not gonna be dumb, def long sleeves, eye protection, etc. I have a good respect for it but I'm not scared of it.
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There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
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#36
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Okay, so I got the hole drilled for the pin and a pin inserted, so I can use either the head of the post or the pin itself to gain leverage for twisting (and shouting).
You can see from these pictures that it looks as those the seatpost (possibly too big) is causing the seat tube to bulge slightly were the post terminates. While this sucks, it also looks like there is not much post actually in the tube, which is good!
The Huffente took quite an interest in the torture and was there to supervise, as well as give approval for the generous amount of JB Weld used to seal the pin, should it come to the bloodletting (lye).
On a separate note, this was the first time I was able to really see underneath the bike, and I saw this lovely beauty mark -
It seems pretty deep! Aren't chainstays supposed to be pretty high-stress? Let me know y'alls thoughts on whether or not this needs addressing. I don't know how thick the chainstays are, but on a bike like this, I'd imagine not very. Then again, plenty of bikes have suffered from nasty chain suck on the DS chainstay and I can't really remember seeing any trends of the stays failing from it. Maybe these tire rubs are the same, but this looks more like heavy duty rim rub!
This stuff used to really bother me, and prior to the Huffy project such a finding would totally dishearten me, but now it’s just sort of like ‘Oh. Oh well!’
But I will repair it if need be. A good excuse to pull out the torch and burn up a nice bike!
You can see from these pictures that it looks as those the seatpost (possibly too big) is causing the seat tube to bulge slightly were the post terminates. While this sucks, it also looks like there is not much post actually in the tube, which is good!
The Huffente took quite an interest in the torture and was there to supervise, as well as give approval for the generous amount of JB Weld used to seal the pin, should it come to the bloodletting (lye).
On a separate note, this was the first time I was able to really see underneath the bike, and I saw this lovely beauty mark -
It seems pretty deep! Aren't chainstays supposed to be pretty high-stress? Let me know y'alls thoughts on whether or not this needs addressing. I don't know how thick the chainstays are, but on a bike like this, I'd imagine not very. Then again, plenty of bikes have suffered from nasty chain suck on the DS chainstay and I can't really remember seeing any trends of the stays failing from it. Maybe these tire rubs are the same, but this looks more like heavy duty rim rub!
This stuff used to really bother me, and prior to the Huffy project such a finding would totally dishearten me, but now it’s just sort of like ‘Oh. Oh well!’
But I will repair it if need be. A good excuse to pull out the torch and burn up a nice bike!
Last edited by AdventureManCO; 07-14-23 at 10:31 PM.
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#38
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Lye is one of those things that should be used only as a last resort. Get it on your skin, and it just feels slick, you wouldn't know it's eating your skin. Fail to neutralize it and you'll probably regret it.
I would think muriatic acid would be a less destructive option.
It works pretty quick too.
read about it.
https://sciencing.com/clean-rusty-st...d-8319296.html
I would think muriatic acid would be a less destructive option.
It works pretty quick too.
read about it.
https://sciencing.com/clean-rusty-st...d-8319296.html
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#39
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This really looks like a good candidate for cutting, especially if the post is short. dddd is the expert, but the main point is that a saw blade can't really get any purchase on the smooth inside of the tube. As long as you're careful not to get the teeth engaged with the edges (top rim or slot) it's pretty hard to do any damage to the interior of the tube.
Wrenching hard on the already stretched top of the seat tube seems more dangerous than cutting.
Wrenching hard on the already stretched top of the seat tube seems more dangerous than cutting.
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#40
Senior Member
Muriatic acid is even more destructive than lye. It will eat through the steel tube. I would think cudak888 would chime in on this. If I am remembering correctly he managed to eat the threads right off of a steering tube using the acid. Smiles, MH
Lye is nasty stuff. had some bad experiences with it. It'll eat metal too, as well as human flesh, bones (ok, technically bones are metal) and fillings.
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#41
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Okay! Got the center section of the bike slathered in grease, and have the seatpost filled all the way up with ATF juice. About 15min in, I moved it to the vise and tried some gentle/moderate twist action. Nothing yet. We’lol see where we are at tomorrow. I’m willing to give it a week, but if we can’t free it, it’s the nuclear option.
I even used the hammer action of my impact as I was getting the juice in there. Giving it the best shot I can!
I even used the hammer action of my impact as I was getting the juice in there. Giving it the best shot I can!
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#42
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Well, bikes are great and all but, what's the story on the Porsche?
Best, Ben
Best, Ben
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"EVERY PERSON IS GUILTY OF ALL THE GOOD THEY DID NOT DO"
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Voice recognition may sometimes create odd spelling and grammatical errors
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#44
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Also, make sure to lubricate through the bottom bracket inverted. Trying to lubricate through the top isn't going to work; capillary action isn't going to pull it into the gap if/when it pops free.
-Kurt
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#46
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Two doctors are wrong?
My left Achilles tendon has titanium thread woven through it too! ooh, bionic!
Last edited by Schweinhund; 07-15-23 at 05:05 PM.
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#47
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Metals should be temperature-conducting, thermal-conducting, ductile, and malleable. Bones are not those things. (Sorry to be pedantic.)
Last edited by mhespenheide; 07-15-23 at 08:36 PM.
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#48
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I only taught a year of high school intro chemistry once, but elemental calcium is an alkali-earth metal. Calcium in our bones is part of a mineral hydroxyapatitie, written Ca 10(PO 4) 6(OH) 2. The other dominant component of our bones are collagens. So they're really more of a mineral-matrix composite (more like carbon fiber!) than metal. I hope that's not bad news for the steel-is-real metal bike fans here!
Metals should be temperature-conducting, thermal-conducting, ductile, and malleable. Bones are not those things. (Sorry to be pedantic.)
Metals should be temperature-conducting, thermal-conducting, ductile, and malleable. Bones are not those things. (Sorry to be pedantic.)
I have no idea how we got here, but here we are. And, if you recall anything from the Huffy thread, I'm in full support of any/all off-topic posts, as it adds to the post count!
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There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
There were 135 Confentes, but only one...Huffente!
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#49
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-Kurt
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Sadly, my brain does not want to shut off and leave well enough alone. Even when I'm supposedly relaxing. That's how we got here.
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