'02 nrs

problem solved.wonder if Park is onto this.

grumpus

I saw that earlier, it seems to work well, but it wouldn't be necessary if we all greased our seat tubes before fitting the seatpost, and checked them occasionally if they're all-weather bikes.

unterhausen

I enjoyed that. This is the first construction video I have seen, but there are lots of these types of tools out there in use.

Iride01 

I like this method. Probably more for the ingenuity and the machinist skills the guy used to fabricate the puller. But I'm sure it works just as advertised.

Though for me, I've been well over 55 years of cycling and never had a stuck seat post. So actually it'd be useless for me!

maddog34

i've removed several that were "Stuck" AFTER a heavy grease was applied,, then left to sit for a long time in that position... they remained extremely stubborn after initial movement was achieved, too...

Jeff Wills

I like it. If it saves the hassle of destructive removal (hacksaw, acid, etc.) then so much the better.

IMO, it would be better if the frame was mounted upside-down, which would allow the seatpost and seat tube to be filled with penetrating oil. Let it sit overnight and I bet the seatpost pops right out.

(I salvaged a Schwinn Superior frame this way. I filled the seat tube with Liquid Wrench, let it sit in a vise upside-down, and the seatpost let go on the first try.)

choddo

He shows that he used that (frame upside down at one point, off the tool.

What a great video.

EddyR

When i was a bike fliper i saw a lot of stuck post. I used a car jack against the seat and a block of wood against the bb and the stays. Most came out in 5 minutes or less. It was crude but it worked. Most had soaked in PB blaster for a day.

grumpus

Yes, some grease seems to think its Loctite after a while, moly and waterproof varieties seem to be worse for this. I suppose fair weather bikes should be checked regularly too.

vane171

I have this bike from 1970s that I started to use again I put on new wheels and shifters and had this nice looking seat post around and decided to replace it also. It went in kind of stiff, so I took it out before it went down too much, it was a very hard effort. I put my foot on top of BB and clamped the post with locking pliers with some padding around jaws and by slight turning back and forth while pulling up, I managed to get it out. I greased it, then put it in and it was still not easy. I stopped before achieving the 'measured height' and tested the it riding the bike and it needed to come down another half inch or so.

It didn't want to go in but I managed to punch it down and now I ride the bike for a number of years and hope the time will never come it will need to be removed or even just height adjusted. I think it is hopelessly stuck. That bolt which is supposed to hold the post in position is now just decorative, I didn't even bother to tighten it too much, just so it doesn't get shaken out and fall off. I imagine it would need a puller like this one here.

Whenever I am reminded of it like this post here or just casting my eye on it sometimes, I don't feel good about it. Its like confession telling it here, not sure it will ease up on my conscience, since I am otherwise mechanically quite minded and this feels like I've done a pigs job.

southpier

Vandelay Industries for the win!

Trakhak

Whenever our shop mechanics had to remove a stuck seatpost and normal methods didn't suffice, we didn't waste time with hacksaws, penetrating oils, etc. One of us would just carry the bike over to the auto repair shop next door and wear a heavy pair of mechanics' gloves to hold the bike up while one of their auto mechanics had at it with a heavy-duty pneumatic hammer. Ten seconds, and done.

grumpus

And "done" means "ripped the head off the seatpost"?

Trakhak

Is that what happened when you tried it?

IPassGas

I lust for his machine shop.

grumpus

I have never tried it, hence the "?", but I can imagine that some seatposts would not react well to that sort of violence. I will however bear it in mind for future use (it might be handy for those situations where the post is not actually stuck but needs a lot of persuasion).

xiaoman1 

I really enjoyed viewing this video....Unfortunately like many fabricated devices/tools, one either needs several thousand dollars of tools or a machinist friend willing to let you use their shop, or the funds to have someone else fabricated them.
Best, Ben

Trakhak

"Actually stuck" is precisely the situation where the air hammer technique works best.

We had to avail ourselves of the pneumatic-hammer method only a few times, but it never failed, and never damaged the bike. That can't be said for some of the methods have been described on Bike Forums when the topic has been broached before, such as using caustic chemicals or clamping the top of the seatpost in a vice with the frame upside down and having two mechanics energetically twisting the frame back and forth.

The top of the seatpost gets battered, of course, but the seatpost almost never survives, regardless of the method used to remove it. The upsides: seatpost comes out, bike is undamaged, job is completed in about 10 seconds.

Edit: if anyone happens to try the air-hammer approach, be sure not to forget to use thick mechanic's gloves to hold the bike up off the ground while the air hammer is doing its stuff, as I mentioned in my earlier post in this thread. Clamping the bike in a stand or otherwise firmly immobilizing it would result in much of the impact from the air hammer being absorbed by the clamping apparatus. (Experienced mechanics reading this understand why that's important.)

unterhausen

You only need a drill and a file to make this, but it might take you a few decades. The shop that I first saw with one of these stopped working on bikes, if that tells you anything. I swear someone had a version with a hydraulic jack, but I couldn't find it.

I just happened to see a very pretty version of this on insta. Sorry if you don't have an account, couldn't find another version
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAmCizWvcAn/

I might go back to boring them out on my lathe. Seems like the best way of doing it. I'm not going to use a drill bit again, that didn't go well.

I tried the air hammer way of removal, and couldn't get my seat post to budge. Harbor Freight air hammer, probably matters a little

bikemike73 

What a GREAT VIDEO !!!!

I think every bike shop should get one of these...ONCE they make them.
I'm sure it would pay for itself in no time
There is a guy in England called the " seat post guy"
He told me, this was about 5 years ago, that people send him frames all the time. $75.00 guaranteed to be removed without damage!!

zandoval 

Got some permanently stuck seatposts? Well thats just an Engineering Problem!

southpier

my fear is that this thread will cause some divisiveness amongst the ranks.

grumpus

No account required to view that (well, I didn't have to sign in anyway). And it is a nicely made tool. I'd expect there to an Edwardian version in some long established bike shop, but I suppose it's mostly an aluminium seatpost problem so not that old.
A set of adjustable reamers will do it. Eventually.
High volume air tools generally need: enough pressure/volume in the tank, and enough flow in the hose - a skinny hose can throttle a tool, it can be better to pull and release the trigger frequently rather than just holding it on constantly, so at least the first ugga-dugga gets full pressure.

unterhausen

The problem I had doing it on my lathe was I started with a drill bit that was too big. I'm not sure removing seatposts matters enough for me to get a series of drill bits. I'm pretty sure if you sneak up on it, the seatpost will just come out with the last drill bit. The problem I had was that the chips were too big and were a lot stronger than the seat tube. Didn't help that I had a fancy butted seat tube.

wheelreason

We built something like that, a real money maker....