Gooseneck bolt broke

Gonzo Adonis · Jul 6, 2012

So yeah it snapped about 3/4 down, I took another bolt and hammered it down, WD-40ed the heck out of it and no luck. I cant lift or pull more than 15 lbs, I'm recovering from surgery. I dont know if I could put the forks in a vice and put some real force into it would help, I dont think that it would. I have a feeling I would just bend somthing. Any ideas before I go nutts and take a hacksaw to the neck...of the bike.

Oh and the seat post is an old bolt at the top, like a gooseneck. It wont move. I think I can put some heat to that.

Walker · Jul 6, 2012

get yourself a can of PB blaster, and soak around the stem (if it's still in there) and down in the steerer tube. if you have room to unthread the headset locknut you will get better access to spray down the steerertube. you could also try flipping the bike over and spraying from the bottom of the fork up. then you need patience and maybe some blowtorch heat every now and then. Give it time it may come out.

ozzmonaut · Jul 6, 2012

Just don't get the torch too close to that PB blaster :lol:

sleepy · Jul 6, 2012

Walker said:
get yourself a can of PB blaster

+1....this stuff really works. Needs a lot of time to penetrate (several days).

LowpowerD · Jul 7, 2012

Always try water BEFORE anything else. IMHO, wd-40 is worthless. I buy B'Laster by the gallon, but it's not the be all, end all.
I'm a bolt bustin' fool, so I feel your pain. This is how I solve these problems:
1) Clamp the forks to something sold. I use a heavy wood work bench. Sandwiching the fork legs with 2x4s, held to the bench with C-clamps.
2) Move the Handlebars back and forth until the stem/wedge pop loose. The stem/bars should come out of the fork.
3) If you're lucky enough to have a fork with a fender bolt hole through it, you can push the stuck wedge out through it (I use a specially ground flat head screw driver and a ball peen).

Gonzo Adonis · Jul 7, 2012

I got it. I put the forks in a table vice, and used some liquid wrench and everything came out. I havent got the wedge out or the forks yet, its soaking in LW.