Liquid Wrench - Page 2 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

02-23-2005, 08:34 PM

Andy Ksjls wrote:
>
>>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested Liquid
>>Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will the more readily
>>available WD-40 do the job?
>
Jobst Brandt replied:
>
> That probably won't help either because, although you didn't say so, I
> suspect you have a steel frame and an aluminum seat post. When these
> two corrode together aluminum expands enough to stretch the seat post.
> Yours may not yet be at that point but it probably cannot be removed
> non-destructively.

Maybe so, maybe no. See: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

> The way frame builders remove these is to saw them off, bore them out
> to a thin shell and grind away a slot in one side to collapse the
> aluminum remains to remove them. Oil bases lubricants will not help.
> An acid solvent might work its way in there but I doubt it.

Ammonia is good for this...I believe it's a base, not an acid.

Sheldon "Unnnggggggggh!" Brown
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough! |
| --BOB Simon |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

02-23-2005, 08:54 PM

On 23 Feb 2005 19:51:25 -0800, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] may have said:

>Hello,
>
>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested
>Liquid Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will
>the more readily available WD-40 do the job?

WD40 is not as good as a penetrant as Liquid Wrench. Neither is likely
to have much effect in my experience, but LW has the better shot at
actually doing something.

For real hints, start here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

02-23-2005, 08:54 PM

On 23 Feb 2005 19:51:25 -0800, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] may have said:

>Hello,
>
>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested
>Liquid Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will
>the more readily available WD-40 do the job?

WD40 is not as good as a penetrant as Liquid Wrench. Neither is likely
to have much effect in my experience, but LW has the better shot at
actually doing something.

For real hints, start here:

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
My email address is antispammed; pull WEEDS if replying via e-mail.
Typoes are not a bug, they're a feature.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

02-23-2005, 10:14 PM

Sheldon Brown wrote:

>> An acid solvent might work its way in there but I doubt it.
>
> Ammonia is good for this...I believe it's a base, not an acid.

Aqueous ammonia is indeed alkaline [a base], and it is corrosive to
aluminum; but a less toxic corrosive is vinegar [dilute acetic acid].

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

02-23-2005, 10:14 PM

Sheldon Brown wrote:

>> An acid solvent might work its way in there but I doubt it.
>
> Ammonia is good for this...I believe it's a base, not an acid.

Aqueous ammonia is indeed alkaline [a base], and it is corrosive to
aluminum; but a less toxic corrosive is vinegar [dilute acetic acid].

--
"Bicycling is a healthy and manly pursuit with much
to recommend it, and, unlike other foolish crazes,
it has not died out." -- The Daily Telegraph (1877)

02-24-2005, 01:34 AM

Werehatrack wrote:
> On 23 Feb 2005 19:51:25 -0800, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] may have said:
>
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested
>>Liquid Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will
>>the more readily available WD-40 do the job?
>
>
> WD40 is not as good as a penetrant as Liquid Wrench. Neither is likely
> to have much effect in my experience, but LW has the better shot at
> actually doing something.
>
> For real hints, start here:
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>
>
>

Diesel fuel is better than either of those for penetrating fine gaps.

02-24-2005, 01:34 AM

Werehatrack wrote:
> On 23 Feb 2005 19:51:25 -0800, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] may have said:
>
>
>>Hello,
>>
>>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested
>>Liquid Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will
>>the more readily available WD-40 do the job?
>
>
> WD40 is not as good as a penetrant as Liquid Wrench. Neither is likely
> to have much effect in my experience, but LW has the better shot at
> actually doing something.
>
> For real hints, start here:
>
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>
>
>

Diesel fuel is better than either of those for penetrating fine gaps.

02-24-2005, 06:23 AM

On 23 Feb 2005 19:51:25 -0800, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested
>Liquid Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will
>the more readily available WD-40 do the job?

Maybe, but LW is better. My own preference is Marvel Mystery Oil.

Ron

02-24-2005, 06:23 AM

On 23 Feb 2005 19:51:25 -0800, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested
>Liquid Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will
>the more readily available WD-40 do the job?

Maybe, but LW is better. My own preference is Marvel Mystery Oil.

Ron

02-24-2005, 06:32 AM

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 23:34:27 -0500, Sheldon Brown
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Andy Ksjls wrote:
>>
>>>I got a stuck seat post in a seat tube. Someone suggested Liquid
>>>Wrench. I found it was just some lubricant. Will the more readily
>>>available WD-40 do the job?
>>
>Jobst Brandt replied:
>>
>> That probably won't help either because, although you didn't say so, I
>> suspect you have a steel frame and an aluminum seat post. When these
>> two corrode together aluminum expands enough to stretch the seat post.
>> Yours may not yet be at that point but it probably cannot be removed
>> non-destructively.
>
>Maybe so, maybe no. See: [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
>
>> The way frame builders remove these is to saw them off, bore them out
>> to a thin shell and grind away a slot in one side to collapse the
>> aluminum remains to remove them. Oil bases lubricants will not help.
>> An acid solvent might work its way in there but I doubt it.
>
>Ammonia is good for this...I believe it's a base, not an acid.
>
>Sheldon "Unnnggggggggh!" Brown
>+-------------------------------------------------------------+
>| If brute force doesn't work, you're not using enough! |
>| --BOB Simon |
>+-------------------------------------------------------------+
> Harris Cyclery, West Newton, Massachusetts
> Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041
> [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]
> Hard-to-find parts shipped Worldwide
>[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

I'm not sure that is is really the place for a Dr. King quote. Very
funny though.