Texas Rangerette saddle post frozen in place

[Retrobike]

Hi,

New to the world of antique bicycles I bought a 1963 (? not sure of the year) Texas Rangerette for my wife last week. I am in the process of taking it apart to make it a better rider and I am coming to a snag in the process. The saddle is really low, almost all the way down to the frame. Interestingly enough, the bike came without a pinching collar (not sure of the proper term for this) on the tube that holds the saddle post. So I removed the saddle thinking I could unfreeze the post, raise it and tighten it in place with a collar. I expected a simple post but to my surprise, it has a bolt at the top (see pics). Is it like for the handlebar post which stays in place by tightening a sort of acorn shaped piece of metal that expands inside the tube? In any case, I untightened the bolt (which doesn't fully come out), sprayed a copious amount of PB Blaster down the tube and waited a couple of days but it won't get unstuck. I tried to gently tap the head with a hammer and also move the post with a grip wrench but it won't move. Any ideas what I need to do? I don't really want to heat up the frame with a torch because of the paint.
Thank you in advance for any advice.

Francois

 

[Wildcat]

It's an AMF bike, early 60's. Same as a Roadmaster. The serial number begins with a letter that IDs the year.
That stem is like a handlebar stem. Turning it won't work, it comes straight up and out. Give the bolt a heavier downward tap to break the wedge free then you should be home free. Don't loosen it any further, you still want the wedge threaded to the bolt.

 

[Couch tater]

Welcome! If that is a wedge post they often times need a fairly stout whack on the bolt head to dislodge the wedge. As a last resort for seriously stuck stems I clamp the stem in a bench vise and use the frame to twist them out, like a giant wind up toy. The last resort method will destroy the post, but hey, it gets them out.

 

[Retrobike]

Thank you both for the super prompt replies!
I will try to give it a heavier whack to dislodge it. This is a great forum by the way.
I took the rear hub apart to clean the caked up 60 year old grease and will try to put it back together this week. I'll be putting posting another thread if it doesn't work out.

 

[Wildcat]

Just sitting waiting for the annual build off, so I looked your bike over again and have a couple of suggestions:
The original seat may not be comfortable, the difference from a new seat is the collar that slides down over the stem. The older American bikes had a smaller diameter. I've swapped the collars and used them on new seats before, but the collar has to mesh with the new seat's parts to tighten up well. An easier way to make it more comfortable is a seat pad added to the old seat.

 

[Retrobike]

Thank you. I think my wife wants to keep it as is. That little saddle is cute and funky. And she's only going to use the bike at our shore house to go to the local store and back, hardly more than a mile.

 

[Retrobike]

Do you have suggestions for sites where I can find parts for these oldies?

 

[Couch tater]

Do you have suggestions for sites where I can find parts for these oldies?

Ebay, naturally. The classifieds here. Your local bike shop (LBS). The best, especially if you get hooked on ratting, is to buy or curb pick total junks and build your own parts stash. Unless a part is totally wasted, hang onto them if you have space. If you have the skills and tools make some of your own parts. A digital caliper will help you when trying to figure out which part fits what.

 

[Retrobike]

@Couch tater : Thank you again. I like the idea of modifying old bikes but never done it before. I'm sure, I'll find a lot of inspiration here!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Yeah in about a week, stuff is going to TAKE OFF! Once the annual Build Off starts, inspiration will be knee deep

 

[Retrobike]

So... I did wack the stem pretty hard and it went down about half inch but now it's completely stuck. I have no idea how to pull it back up.

 

[Captain Awesome]

Pull the crank out of the BB maybe and see if the seat tube pierces the BB shell? Then flip the whole thing upside down and fill that sucker with PB and wait. Maybe a few days and reapplications

Then.........

 

[Wildcat]

So... I did wack the stem pretty hard and it went down about half inch but now it's completely stuck. I have no idea how to pull it back up.

Is the bolt head still well above the stem? If so put an adjustable wrench or a 3/8ths or 7/16ths under the lip and use a hammer to tap it up. It's already broken free just needs some more motivation.

 

[Retrobike]

@Wi

Pull the crank out of the BB maybe and see if the seat tube pierces the BB shell? Then flip the whole thing upside down and fill that sucker with PB and wait. Maybe a few days and reapplications

Then.........

View attachment 155472

Hi Captain Awsome,
Thank you for the reply but I'm new to this world of taking bikes apart and while I understand what the crank is what is the "BB"?

 

[Retrobike]

Is the bolt head still well above the stem? If so put an adjustable wrench or a 3/8ths or 7/16ths under the lip and use a hammer to tap it up. It's already broken free just needs some more motivation.

Hi, well... although you warned me in a previous reply I did untight the bolt too much and the nut fell down the frame, so I can't use that as leverage to pull the stem anymore... Need to look into another solution

 

[MattiThundrrr]

BB is the bottom bearing. It's the mechanical portion of the bike contained in the tube (she'll) at the bottom of the seatpost. It contains bearings which facilitate the rotation of the crank. The crank is the piece that passes through it, to which the pedals attach. It has articles on EVERYTHING!
A great reference for beginners and experts alike is Sheldon Brown's site.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/beginners.html

 

[Wildcat]

Hi, well... although you warned me in a previous reply I did untight the bolt too much and the nut fell down the frame, so I can't use that as leverage to pull the stem anymore... Need to look into another solution

No problem. Now you can turn it to get it free. Bolt the seat on tight and use it for leverage. Did you add any oil or anything around the stem? Penetrating oil or 3 in 1 would work if you give it some time to work in. But since it already moved a tad, I think it's ready to come out. If you have a pair of vice grips, clamp it on and twist and tap it upward. The idea is to try not to damage the stem. A pair of pliers may work but would be harder to keep a hold of. If you have a vise, clamp it in using something to protect the stem like blocks of wood and try to get it that way.

Here's a thread on those stems here, they even have a Rangerette on one of the posts.

https://ratrodbikes.com/forum/index.php?threads/quill-seatposts.109829/

 

[Captain Awesome]

Hi Captain Awsome,

Thank you for the reply but I'm new to this world of taking bikes apart and while I understand what the crank is what is the "BB"?

BB is the bottom bearing. It's the mechanical portion of the bike contained in the tube (she'll) at the bottom of the seatpost. It contains bearings which facilitate the rotation of the crank. The crank is the piece that passes through it, to which the pedals attach. It has articles on EVERYTHING!
A great reference for beginners and experts alike is Sheldon Brown's site.
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/beginners.html

Matti summed it up well. Pull off the non drive side pedal, undo the nuts and widgets that are threaded on the crank arm, slide the assembly out the drive side and take a peek inside

Sometimes the seat post tube pierces the bottom bracket for a more mechanical lock than just welding it on the surface