Quill stem is stuck, any joy with this theory

[Ed no-more-lemons]

What is that vice bolted to? It does not look like it is bolted to a bench to me. You will need something substantial to take the load that you will need to apply to shift anything. Also you will need to grip the forks between two blocks of wood to protect the forks and the paintwork.

The vice was bolted to the scaffolding board on the left in the picture, problem was the bolts that came with the vice are to small and have split the fast grown pine. The fork is protected with copious strips of old innertube.
Got me some bigger bolts to have another crack tomorrow, before resorting to borrowing a blowtorch.
Failing that the choice is trusting a mechanic with the frame as well as the car or well start hacking.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

The vice was bolted to the scaffolding board on the left in the picture, problem was the bolts that came with the vice are to small and have split the fast grown pine. The fork is protected with copious strips of old innertube.
Got me some bigger bolts to have another crack tomorrow, before resorting to borrowing a blowtorch.
Failing that the choice is trusting a mechanic with the frame as well as the car or well start hacking.

You are on a road to nowhere with that method. You will draw blood and damage the frame. The fork crown is cast iron, not ductile steel, with enough force you will break it. The stem will not come out. We have discussed this here often, search for the detailed description we have posted before.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Here's a recent discussion on how to get a stuck seatpost out.

https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/p...tpost-sticking-in-a-steel-frame.174232/page-4

The same procedure applies to a stuck stem. The only difference is that you saw off the stem 1 inch above the headset, remove the fork and now support it on a workbench where you can carefully saw through the hollow quill tube. I guess you don't have a lathe and 22mm drill available, so just saw it out.

In that same thread, a caustic soda method is also described, IIRC. Chemistry or physics, choose your weapon.

 

[chriswoody]

Patience is probably key here. When I stupidly stuck my seat post into the frame, through years of neglect, I spent a week of pouring plus gas into the tube and using the saddle as a lever to try and twist the post. Eventually it came free, without having to resort to any nuclear options.

 

[Illaveago]

You really need a large vice well and truly anchored to a heavy workbench. The method you are using relying on a small vice fixed to board will only use up what energy you apply to it. The forks are 531 so you don't want to damage them. If you are not in a hurry keep spraying penetrating oil onto the stem.If you can see a crust of corrosion around of the join between the stem and the forks scrape that away to let the oil penetrate down the stem. You can also invert the frame and spray from the other end. Let it soak in! You will need to find to find someone with a big vice and a stout bench, mount the crown of the forks between 2 pieces of soft wood firmly, place a large bar or a long straight bars through the stem and twist. If you you are lucky you will hear a loud crack and some movement. If so spray more oil and twist the other way. Keep doing so back and forth. If not you may have resort to the other posts.

 

[raleighnut]

You are on a road to nowhere with that method. You will draw blood and damage the frame. The fork crown is cast iron.

Are you related to Fred Dibnah, Cast Iron fork crown, cast steel possibly but more likely drop forged.

 

[Illaveago]

I hope that you have removed the chrome nut from the top of the steerer tube as this will allow the penetrating oil to penetrate further into the tube. It will also help the stem to move in the fork tube.

 

[Ed no-more-lemons]

You really need a large vice well and truly anchored to a heavy workbench. The method you are using relying on a small vice fixed to board will only use up what energy you apply to it. The forks are 531 so you don't want to damage them. If you are not in a hurry keep spraying penetrating oil onto the stem.If you can see a crust of corrosion around of the join between the stem and the forks scrape that away to let the oil penetrate down the stem. You can also invert the frame and spray from the other end. Let it soak in! You will need to find to find someone with a big vice and a stout bench, mount the crown of the forks between 2 pieces of soft wood firmly, place a large bar or a long straight bars through the stem and twist. If you you are lucky you will hear a loud crack and some movement. If so spray more oil and twist the other way. Keep doing so back and forth. If not you may have resort to the other posts.

I have tried a large vice on another frame. Problem was the vice jaws where to big to clamp the crown and so I had to clamp it to the fork a few inchs down the fork arms. This meant that I was twisting the forks out of parellel, getting them parallel again took conciderably longer.

 

[tyred]

Plug the hole where the expander bolt goes and turn the bike upside down and fill the steerer with diesel and let it sit a week.

Fit an old front wheel that you don't care about and wedge it into something and try twisting, don't overdo it or risk bending the forks and maybe have someone hit the stem down with a wooden mallet while you are doing this as the shock will help and if it starts to move, even downwards, then you are on the final straight.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Are you related to Fred Dibnah, Cast Iron fork crown, cast steel possibly but more likely drop forged.

Lugs are all cast iron. The only drop-forged parts are drop-outs front and back. Have a look at lug suppliers like Ceeway and Cinelli. Further, if you inspect the raw lug, you'll recognize it as a casting. Lugs on some cheaper bikes were welded tubing, probably Cro-Mo.

 

[Illaveago]

The trouble with trying to hit the stem from below if you are not careful could replicate the job of the expander and cause the stem to spread or bur the end producing the same effect.

 

[raleighnut]

Lugs are all cast iron. The only drop-forged parts are drop-outs front and back. Have a look at lug suppliers like Ceeway and Cinelli. Further, if you inspect the raw lug, you'll recognize it as a casting. Lugs on some cheaper bikes were welded tubing, probably Cro-Mo.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&r...879060&usg=AFQjCNFvbFEQq9JXAhQTDbK1svlHFFNAJg

 

[Yellow Saddle]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwitlNSotcXKAhUBgw8KHfBhBGQQuAIIMDAE&url=https://vimeo.com/62879060&usg=AFQjCNFvbFEQq9JXAhQTDbK1svlHFFNAJg

OK, I watched the video, nice. But where have I sinned? The use of iron instead of steel? I see from the video that the iron is alloyed very similarly to the steel used for tubing.

 

[raleighnut]

The fork crown is cast iron, not ductile steel, with enough force you will break it. .

 

[Yellow Saddle]

OK, here goes. The fork crown is a casting and is not ductile. It breaks easily. Happy?