Removing a broken, frozen, aluminum stem from a steer tube with drain cleaner

[Couch tater]

When I mooched the handlebars from my HBBC cruiser to use on my build off bike I discovered the aluminum stem was broken and siezed inside the steer tube. This morning I dismantled the fork to remove the offending broken part and tried cutting and splitting it followed by heat and penetrating oil. None of the above worked and I was tired of trying so I did like any good human being and consulted U-Tube. Right away all the hits said to use sodium hydroxide, found in common drain cleaners. The 'Tubers said the sodium hydroxide would dissolve the aluminum and not harm the steel at all. Sweet, sign me up. A quick Google session revealed the most potent drain cleaning stuff on the market which I was able to source locally. It is said to take a couple of days to work so I will do a daily update to let the ratter world know how it's working.

Safety warning: If you try this, it will try to kill you real good. Read the bleeping bottle. Keep a bucket of water handy just in case. Don't blame me if you try it and things go sideways.

Broken stem inside the steer tube with the obligatory foot:

The most potent, 20X more powerful, guaranteed to work or it's free, drain cleaner. Yes it is sold in a plastic bottle, packaged in a ziplock bag:

Science in motion:

 

[Kevin B]

Good method and you must be careful. For me it was an aluminum seat post someone had driven deep into a steel cruiser frame. I used about four cans of Red Devil lye. In my case I had to pour it down the seat tube. It looked like a volcano as it dissolved the aluminum.

 

[Couch tater]

I saw the lye method but couldn't find any locally. I checked the progress a little while ago and something is happening, the drain cleaner is getting cloudy and there is a scummy film floating on top.

 

[Couch tater]

After 5 hours.

While lifting it out of the jar dissolved aluminum forms a cloud.

The erosion to the remainder of the stem is quite apparent.

Back in the jar overnight.

 

[Couch tater]

19 hours.

A layer of dissolved aluminum sediment is now in the bottom of the jar. Erosion of the stem piece is getting significant. There is no visible change to the paint or metal on the steer tube.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Safety warning: If you try this, it will try to kill you real good. Read the bleeping bottle. Keep a bucket of water handy just in case. Don't blame me if you try it and things go sideways.

Broken stem inside the steer tube with the obligatory foot:

Huge fan of the safety warning followed by showing off the PPE. Safety award

 

[Couch tater]

Huge fan of the safety warning followed by showing off the PPE. Safety award

The photo with the foot was prior to setting up the apparatus. I keep an old pair of Vans slip-ons in my garage for when work begins.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

I have about a half-dozen steel forks with an aluminum stem piece stuck in them from last Summer's backyard haul. Normally I avoid methylethylbadstuff, but will probably resort to this.

 

[Couch tater]

I have about a half-dozen steel forks with an aluminum stem piece stuck in them from last Summer's backyard haul. Normally I avoid methylethylbadstuff, but will probably resort to this.

It wasn't my first choice but this is from a springer and the lower end is blocked with the through tube for the pivot bolt preventing tapping the stem through. The piece is too long to just hammer down to the bottom because it would prevent the new stem from be seated properly. $14 for the cleaner VS $90+ for a new fork is a bargain.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

Yup, having a half-dozen or more to treat will make it totally worthwhile for me. A lot of my Summer this year and last year have been taken up by un-sticking parts from the bikes in that pile.

Thanks for posting this up, Tater!

 

[Couch tater]

43 hours:

Not much left. At this point it would be easy to remove the rest with a chisel, AKA flat head screwdriver, but this is science so back in the drain cleaner until it is completely gone.

 

[Couch tater]

67 hours

The stem is starting to lift from the steer tube in places and almost completely dissolved from top to bottom in a couple of spots. It is getting difficult to take photos as it recedes deeper. I would expect to find it completely out tomorrow morning.

 

[Kevin B]

When my seat post got thin from the lye I was able to get a grip on it with needle nose pliers and roll it around the pliers. That made it smaller and it pulled right out. The aluminum was very thin at that point.

 

[Couch tater]

When my seat post got thin from the lye I was able to get a grip on it with needle nose pliers and roll it around the pliers. That made it smaller and it pulled right out. The aluminum was very thin at that point.

There is no doubt that it would be easy to remove at this point. I'm going to keep going with it just to have an idea of how many hours it takes to completely dissolve.

 

[Karate Chicken Industries]

I'm going to keep going with it just to have an idea of how many hours it takes to completely dissolve.

 

[Couch tater]

92 hours

Today the experiment ends. The couple of remaining slivers and wedge fell out with a couple of gentle taps on the driveway. My verdict is I would definitely do this again if needed in the future. It saved the part and saved me money. Anyone tempted to try this should fully understand that safety measures are essential using this process and if you are not comfortable working with an acid, please don't.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Thanks for the step by step

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Nice reporting. I'm linking it in the Tops and Tricks thread.

 

[Couch tater]

Nice reporting. I'm linking it in the Tops and Tricks thread.

Good call and thanks!

 

[Ulu]

92 hours

Today the experiment ends……..if you are not comfortable working with an acid, please don't.

Be careful folks. Sodium hydroxide is not an acid.

It is a base.

It will react violently with any strong acid.