Ok I cut the stem off, Now what?

[tulsacruiser]

Ok I had a issue with a stem that was rusted an the quill was stuck inside the fork viewtopic.php?f=3&t=37970.
I decided to cut the stem off but now I have another issue, How do I get the rest of the stem out of the fork?

I thought about flipping the fork over and pounding the quill out but another issue is this piece that the fender screws into

I dont want to mess it up cause I want a fender to go back on, so I need your guys help.

Or does anyone have a fork just like this one?

 

[SSG]

You can use a hacksaw blade and slice the stem from the inside, and then it should come out with some pliers.

 

[Lonewolf]

Why would you have cut it off when you could have mounted bars to the stem, and beat it out, upside down?
Good luck with the hacksaw blade idea.
You might want to try putting the mother love torque with a high quality vice grip, on the remaining part of the exposed stem and beating on the vice grip close to where it is clamped to the stem shaft, upside down.

Cutting parts is almost never the answer.

Tape the threads with a massive amount of duct tape so you don't bugger them up with an ill placed blow.

Invest in a rubber mallet.

 

[KJV]

Why would you have cut it off when you could have mounted bars to the stem, and beat it out, upside down?
Good luck with the hacksaw blade idea.
You might want to try putting the mother love torque with a high quality vice grip, on the remaining part of the exposed stem and beating on the vice grip close to where it is clamped to the stem shaft, upside down.

Cutting parts is almost never the answer.

Tape the threads with a massive amount of duct tape so you don't bugger them up with an ill placed blow.

Invest in a rubber mallet.

+1

 

[tulsacruiser]

Why would you have cut it off when you could have mounted bars to the stem, and beat it out, upside down?
Good luck with the hacksaw blade idea.
You might want to try putting the mother love torque with a high quality vice grip, on the remaining part of the exposed stem and beating on the vice grip close to where it is clamped to the stem shaft, upside down.

Cutting parts is almost never the answer.

Tape the threads with a massive amount of duct tape so you don't bugger them up with an ill placed blow.

Invest in a rubber mallet.

Well on my other post a few ppl suggested cutting it off as of last resort. I've done everything I could think of. So I cut it off. My problem now.

 

[KJV]

replace the steer tube. :?:

 

[c.p.odom]

OK, now that I am done laughing, not really I have done this in the past. With thin sheet metal or aluminum stems I have cut them off and reamed them out using adjustable reamers.
Curtis

 

[Wildcat]

Thread the nut back on the end threads before doing anything else, that'll save them.

Put the stem nub in a vice and use a 2 x 4 or pry bar to turn the forks. If there's no vice, drill a hole through the nub and slide a screwdriver or something that size through, then try to turn it.

If that doesn't work, the hacksaw might be the only way.

 

[Flame Jigger]

I have suggested this before and people always think I am crazy. You can soak it in a bucket of rain water overnight and it will soften the rust and should come out using a pair of vice grips. I was told about this from an old man at a swap meet who sold antique tools. He said the rain water has minerals in it and reactivates the rust which softens it up. If it works dry everything and sand the rust off and oil it before installing a new stem. I have soaked some pretty rusty chains in a bucket of rain water and then hit them with a wire brush and they come out nice and flexible. I haven't found anything that I couldn't break loose using this method if I have the time to soak it for a day. I know it sounds crazy but it works. Give it a try and let us know how it works.

 

[JLarkin]

I would go with the hacksaw blade idea. I did this with a bushing shell on the rear end of a car. Just cut until almost through. The blade width will allow enough gap to squeeze it in on itself. At that point it should twist out fairly easy. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to saw it. You might even be able to use a sawzall if you can find a skinny metal-cutting blade.

 

[tulsacruiser]

Thanks guys for all ideas, I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Blueboy5000]

Here's the least knuckle and headache way to get your busted stem out, but be fore warned it will toast the paint on your forks.

Get yourself an inexpensive propane torch, a 10inch long drift (cylindrical piece of metal, preferably steel or brass) and a 3lbs short sledge hammer. Heat up the fork tube with the propane torch for approximately 15 minutes, taking care to make sure you heat evenly around where the broken stem is. Turn fork upside down and clap the fork in a vice (by the fork tines, NOT by the fork tube) using blocks of wood on the jaws to prevent fork warping and damaging. Then heat the fork tube again with the torch for five minutes, insert the drift through the bottom of the fork tube and wack the bejeebus out of the drift till your stem easily falls out. If the stem does not pop out immediately heat for five minutes, spray water into the inside of the fork tube, and heat again, and spray water again. Repeat the heating and spraying and wacking until it pops out.

The heat+ water= hydraulic expansion= no busted parts. This process works wonders for freeing all manor of stuck rusted parts.

 

[Blueboy5000]

I would just smoke your fender mount. You can use a star-nut which is a commonly available part of a threadless headset and an appropriate bolt for less than five bucks. Plus your fender mount looks pretty wanked as it is anyhow.