Just a RANT about Necks / Headsets

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Clothespin n

Clothespin n

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I just spent an hour removing a neck from an Old English bike of mine.I eventually took the neck bolt right out...sprayed Wd40 from the top and from the bottom through the fork.The forks where already shot so I was able to stand on the neck and POUND the forks left and right trying to free up the neck inside.

It took an hour!!!

I can't imagine what a guy could do if he needed to save the forks and neck.How the heck do you get it out when years of rust inside hold it together so tight.


so...that was my rant!
 
Calm thy ratself, and remember patience is a virtue, my rat! Next time annoint with lots of holy WD-40 oil and wait, and spray, and wait, and spray, and wait. Miracles don't always happen instantly. Sometimes a ratter must wait and watch, for a week or more. Then, with a few gentle taps from the old ballpeen hammer, out it comes. Ratmen?

Now go and rat some more.
 
I have had great success with a product called PB Blaster.

It's like WD 40 on steroids. I think I like it better since it works much faster as I am the impatient type. Actually its more of a penetrating oil and WD40 more of a water dispersent/lube.

You can find it at Auto Zone, Advance Auto, Wallyworld, even Big Lots.

Rust never sleeps.
 
when I find an old rat to be I soak it...... soak it good in pb blaster and loosen seat bolt and stem bolt and soak some more then I put the bike in the garage and forget about it and when the time comes to ressurect it all is free :)
 
new_dharma said:
WD-40 is not that good of a penetrating oil...i second the PB Blaster..."you know it's working 'cause it smells so bad!"
Click to expand...
Liquid Wrench is a whole lot better than WD if you dont have PB Blaster!
 
stuck nuts..and bolts

I use "Break Free", you should be able to get it at yur local gun store.... er... sporting goods store...er rod annd reel shop... Gittur Dun!! :D
 
So I need to save my forks. Stem/neck is severly stuck. Tried twisting, tapping and now it is soaking in some pentrating oil. Any other suggestions.

Outsider BreakFree is great stuff, but I just used the last of it soaking the skiptooth chain for this Hiawatha.
 
I read this in a forum somewhere, might even be here, it said: " It's not angry at you, it's just stuck." I try to remember that now before throwing my tools all over my shop! You can say that I sometimes have anger issues :mrgreen:
 
cman said:
So I need to save my forks. Stem/neck is severly stuck. Tried twisting, tapping and now it is soaking in some pentrating oil. Any other suggestions.

Outsider BreakFree is great stuff, but I just used the last of it soaking the skiptooth chain for this Hiawatha.
Click to expand...

heat up the fork with a torch and try to twist the stem out, the ideas to get the metal fork hot enough to shrink a little, it wont work if you heat the stem up too. my WF was the same way, so was the seat post !!!

you can always hack it off and then run a saw blade down the center cuttin a gap outta the stem wall but it takes FOREVER, FOREVEr, FOREVer, FOREver, FORever, FOrever, Forever, forever . .. .. ..
 
I helped someone remove a stem from a bike, it was stuck on there so hard that he had to rest the handlebars on the rafters of the shop and just pull and twist.
Eventually it made it off.
 
2 things we can do

I'm assuming you've hammered it already and gotten nowhere.

Gear puller to push the stem bolt/wedge down.

the other is drilling the steerer tube from the bottom and threading a bolt into the wedge from the bottom side and pulling it loose.
 
Larry - sorry didnt answer your question the first time. stem bolt and wedge are loose.

I am going to let sit with penetrating oil and then open a"can of Whoop ..." on it. I care more about the forks that the stem. So I think a sledge hammer to whack it out.
 
I have no patience either. I revert to the mantra I live by.

No problem is too great that it cannot be solved with FIRE, GUNS or a CUT OFF WHEEL.

I would have beaten the living crud out of that bolt in a fit of rage and looked like an idiot.

Luckily nobody is around when bad Paul comes out.

Seriously though, I have found with stubborn bolts, heating them up, then flipping a can of compressed air upside down and insta freezing it, alternating with the penetrating oil of your choice helps sometimes.

Or just look like a maniac and scream and bash things around until you break them.
 
skoda said:
Or just look like a maniac and scream and bash things around until you break them.
Click to expand...

skoda, I did this and the neck came free. and the steer tube spilt on the slot for the washer. good thing I have an extra ladies fork that I can steal a steer tube from and weld onto the old fork.
 
I'm having the same problem with a J.C. Higgins. The bolt is out but can't get the stem to twist out of the fork.
 

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