K44S

I got a schwinn Johnny g original spin bike off Craigslist. $100
Works great.

EXCEPT the pedals are rusted on solid. I’ve tried everything to remove them. But I still would like to use my Specialized Cycling shoes with SPD clips.


is there something I can hook on to the existing pedal that will adapt it so I can clip in.
I’ve googled but I am really not sure what to order or if it will work ~ and can’t afford returns and hassles with shipping.

thanks for help ….

oldbobcat

No.

Use penetrating lube (I like Finish Line's Chill Zone), a solid wrench, and plenty of leverage.

wheelreason

Hit it with some penetrating oil from both sides, cut the axle, and hit it with an impact wrench or tack a long bar on it and twist. A little fire will loosen it up too...

Russ Roth

two things.
1. Did you start with the right side (you're right side when sitting on the bike) and try to remove it by assuming the spindle rotated counterclockwise when looking at it? The right side is reversed thread while the left side is normal threading.
2. Are you using a good pedal wrench? Something like the Park Tool PW-4 which has never failed me in removing a pedal from a bike, this includes the 60s-80s low end bikes with steel spindles that had steel pedal spindles rusted in. At half the price but good for a homeowner, is the Bikehand extra long handle. It looks similar to the park but they're not the same. The Park will last well over a decade in a pro shop, mine is 20 years old and has more wear on the sides from kicking around a tool bag than the jaws have from turning pedals and axle nuts. The Bikehand was brought into a shop I was at, after about 2 years there was noticeable wear to the jaws but it probably turned more pedals in those two years than the average home shop will go through and with a 14" handle it'll move things. I don't recommend either for installing pedals, way to easy to overtighten without a lot of practice and tear the threads out of a crank, I've seen people do it too.

Koyote

Leverage is your friend.

Trakhak

Left pedal is reverse thread. (Never hurts to start there.)

"I've tried everything" - have you tried a pedal wrench? They're about 18" or so long, so they provide sufficient leverage for removal of all but the most stubborn pedals. (Pedal wrenches are designated either 1/2" or 9/16" - or both, in the case of double-ended wrenches. Make sure you use the correct size.)

(Edit: just checked the website of a company that sells spare parts for the Johnny G spin bike and saw SPD pedal hardware listed for the bike. That means that the cranks take 9/16" pedals, including your SPD pedals.)

If you use a pedal wrench and the pedal still won't budge, figure out how to apply more leverage. When customers came into one of the shops where I used to work complaining that a pedal had proved impossible to remove, I'd just grab a Park Tools fork straightener to add another couple of feet of leverage. Never failed.

Here's a picture of the tool, for inspiration.

delbiker1 

The first thought is always “are you turning in the correct direction for removal. Both sides, Always to the rear for removal, to the front for installation. PB Blaster and a cheater bar, strap the crank arm to the chain stay to secure it, use a leg on the cheater bar

stevel610 

I had a pedal that wouldn't come off a new used bike. Tried heat, penetrating oil, finally took it to a mechanic who put a 2 foot pipe on a pedal wrench. It came right off.

SurferRosa

Two words: cheater bar.

Six more words: the left pedal is reverse thread.

choddo

Or remove and ditch the rusty crank and put a new one on. Problem sidestepped.

wheelreason

LOL. When folks bring in "pedals that won't come off" I sit and shoot the **** with the mechanic for a few, if I roll the bike back, and roll it back out in one motion, folks feel they ddidn't get their money's woth.

sweeks

You also need to specify that the wrench passes *over* the pedal.

choddo

I did wonder what “to the” meant. Once you know, you know, but when I needed to remember I always just lined the wrench up along the crank with the pedal towards the front wheel and push down on it.

staehpj1

That should get any pedal off, but also good penetrating oil and time to soak in would help. Kroil is my fav. Don't think stuff like WD40 is a substitute.

Also, while I have never needed one for pedals an impact wrench breaks stuff loose that nothing else will touch.

Trakhak

In my experience, a big lever has always done the job for pedals. Using penetrating oil makes a lot of sense for freeing larger-diameter parts with a higher thread count per inch, though.

You're right. I've always wondered why no one ever seems to think to use one to free a stuck seat post or stem.

grumpus

Impact wrenches are great, but I'm not sure how you're going to attach one to a pedal spindle, unless it has a hexagon (most only have two flats). I suppose you could try a crowsfoot but anything you put between the driver and the screw reduces the shock that's transmitted.

choddo

Fine on a pedal with a hex socket in the axle I guess? Not sure how common that is but most of mine have them.

staehpj1

Yeah probably no good for pedals with just flats, but these days I thought most pedals took a 6 or 8 mm allen key either instead of or in addition to the two flats. Most (all?) of my bikes pedals will take an allen key. I am not sure about the M324s on my folder or the older Look 3 bolt cleat pedals on an old road bike that I haven't ridden in ages, but I think even they do too. I know that at least one pair of pedals on one bike has no flats.

I could probably find some other pedals in my parts box that had only flats, but they likely haven't been used in decades.

My personal preference would be to have both.

zandoval 

Had trouble with a Steel Pedal rusted into a Steel Cottered Crank. Even three days of PB Blaster did not loosen the pedals. I just gave up cause I was not going to use the Cottered Crank anyway. About a week latter I noted my 90 year old Dad messing around with the crank on the picnic bench. He had been soaking the pedals in Vinegar.

Well go figure, They hand wrenched right off...

It would appear that Steel on Steel rust can be treated with Vinegar. But that may not be the case with Aluminum to Steel or other alloys.

WizardOfBoz

First, agree with those suggesting that the wrench is being used in the correct direction. L and R pedals have opposite threads. Use the wrench so that it is parallel and adjacent to the crank arm. You should be pushing on the wrench so that you are putting no torque on the crank. If this fails, soak in penetrating oil or a 50-50 mix of brake fluid annd acetone overnight. If this fails you can, if you are willing to, use a torch to heat the joint (make sure no acetone remains!) If this fails, drill out the thread from the inboard side, usin a LH or RH drill-whichever will unscrew the pedal. If this fails, take your crank arms to a machine shop and have them wire EDM the pedal out. Or buy a new crank…

Crankycrank

Don't use brake fluid but the ATF/Acetone works as good as anything.

WizardOfBoz

Ah, yeah, that's it. I had a brain fart. Use ATF/Acetone 50/50. Thanks Cranky.

grumpus

Except you have that reversed. Right hand pedal is right hand thread, left hand pedal is left hand thread. Right hand bottom bracket cup is left hand thread, left hand bottom bracket cup is right hand thread.

Camilo

As others have said: each pedal loosens as you turn the wrench over the top of the pedal spindle rearward. They tighten the opposite way. Penetrating oil doesn't have to be bike specific - in fact I'm flabbergasted that there is such a thing. I happen to use PB Blaster because I've had a can around forever. Cheater bar as needed.

axelwik

You may be thinking about a bottom bracket. The left pedal is reverse threaded, not the right.