<VV> Fwd: VV> Metal question, not necessarily Corvair

[Marc Sheridan]

Thanks to all of you that responded with possible solutions for the problem
I have with my bicycle. Most all of the solutions involved heating the steel
tubing and cooling the aluminum seat post. There was one suggestion to tap
the seat post with a hammer while doing the above. No one had the magic
elixir I was looking for that I could just spray on and pull the post out.

Tonight I chilled the seat post with ice water and heated the seat tube with
a hair dryer, all the while tapping with a small hammer on the post. It
didn't budge. Thinking maybe more heat might help, against my better
judgement, I got out the heat gun. I got the steel almost too hot to touch
but still nothing moved. Then I decided I better quit before I ruined the
whole frame.

What I believe to be working against me is the seat post extends several
inches into the steel and cooling the part of the aluminum I can see is not
enough to extend deep enough into the tube to make much of a temp difference
between the two metals. The seat post is closed at the top, so cooling
liquid can not be poured through it.

Also, the seat stays are carbon fiber and are attached to the seat cluster
by shrinking the steel around them. I didn't want to compromise that joint
with my heat gun.

So, I will just ride it the way it is and hope for the best. Thanks again
for the suggestions.

Marc

>
>
> At  21:20 8/10/2008 -0400, Marc Sheridan  wrote:
>
> >>snip<<
> >My bicycle has an aluminum seat  post in a steel seat tube. While looking
> for a
> >creaking noise, I  discovered that I forgot to use anti-seize in this
> >situation, because  the seat post won't budge
> >
> >Has anyone found a way or a  chemical that will break that bond? I've been
> >shooting PB Blaster on  it everyday for weeks and it still won't move.
> Heat
> >is out of the  question because it would ruin the paint and I can still
> ride
> >it the  way it is. I'd just like to get it freed in case I do want to
>  adjust
> >it for some reason.
>
>