Stuck gooseneck in vintage huffy tandem

[clerkkent]

I am repairing a first generation huffy built tandem (the curvy frame style) and the gooseneck for the rear handlebars is stuck. The bolt sheared when I put my socket on it, leaving the wedge behind. I poured Kroil down the bolt hole and let it soak for a day; no change. I applied a torch to the tube; not budging. I normally would get a junk handle bar and clamp it down and use it for leverage, but without the ability to get a bolt to screw in and clamp down, I risk bending the top of the neck out of whack, or even breaking it. Any other suggestions?

 

[horsefarmer]

Push a steel rod down the hole left when the bolt snapped off and pound the wedge down and hopefully this will free the stem.

 

[clerkkent]

I tried the steel rod pounding and no progress. I did another round of penetrating oil then inverted into my bench vise, planning to use the entire frame as leverage to twist the neck free. Result: a broken bench vise.

 

[deorman]

Maybe a pipe wrench with a length of pipe as a handle extension?

 

[RustySprockets]

It's not going ANYWHERE until the wedge is dislodged.

 

[GeePig]

For the last stuck wedge I had, I removed the bolt (not that you need to) and gently hammered the stem up and out by hitting the underside of the clamp and gently on either side to get it moving. Once that was out, I used a steel rod to hammer the wedge up and out. Of course you cannot get under the wedge, but you might be able to lever the snapped bolt side to side until it releases.

 

[clerkkent]

Update: my 12 year old was bored and decided to make the tandem bike ( relegated to the back of the garage in lieu of other projects) a fun sound maker with hammers and such. Thirty minutes later I hear a “heyyyyyyyyyy dad” and he presents this to me: with that, would anyone have an extra one they are looking to sell?

 

[us56456712]

Update: my 12 year old was bored and decided to make the tandem bike ( relegated to the back of the garage in lieu of other projects) a fun sound maker with hammers and such. Thirty minutes later I hear a “heyyyyyyyyyy dad” and he presents this to me: with that, would anyone have an extra one they are looking to sell?View attachment 176462

That is what was called a ”woman’s gooseneck”. Before Covid they were pretty common on eBay. I don’t know about now, not much bike stuff for sale right now.

 

[RustySprockets]

That stem itself might be save-able; what you're going to need is a bolt and wedge. You could probably even save the wedge by drilling out the remnant...but only if you're desperate enough.

 

[Wildcat]

I agree with RustySprockets, that stem was made thick enough to save. It just needs cleaned up and almost any other bolt and wedge should work.

 

[us56456712]

I had a tandem, similar to yours that I painted in the wedding colors for my daughters wedding. It was quite the hit, a lot of couples rode it. They still have it. If your chain guard is missing you can do what I did and use the dish like chain ring guards. I had them laying around. My brakes were nor up to par with two people on it. There was no front brake and the coaster was marginal with two riding. What happens if a chain brakes? I put a Strumy Archer drum brake in the front.