I have removed many other stuck things this way (the only way to remove Porsche 356 splined rear axle nuts), but I do not quench it. Quenching hot metals hardens them. The object is deferential expansion between the parts to break the corrosion bonds. You could keep the stem quill cooled in water and heat the fork tube a minimal amount.
Tom Stanford, Weatherford, Tx
-----Original Message----- From: Bicycle Classics inc <bikevint@tiac.net> To: Keith D. Weaver <keithdweaver@juno.com>; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org> Date: Thursday, April 12, 2001 12:03 AM Subject: Re: [CR]Stuck stem removal
>Reading the propane trick for removing the made me wonder - using this
>technique is the temperature low enough from the heating to avoid
>embrittlement issues? This is a quenching technique - and if the
>temperature is not too high, I suppose its not an issue. But if the
>steerer was really heated, I suspect it could be. Could folks add some
>light on this? Thanks, Mike Kone
>
>
>At 04:37 PM 5/11/01 -0700, Keith D. Weaver wrote:
>>I just had to tell someone: I finally got the stem out of my Bianchi
>>Competizione. I've been working on it sporadically for at least six
>>months. I soaked it in Liquid Wrench, in Coca-Cola and was about to try
>>ammonia. I have to thank Roland DellaSanta, a local framebuilder, for the
>>final solution. I sawed off the extension, disassembled the headset,
>>pulled out the fork and heated the stem and steer tube with a propane
>>torch until the old grease and corrosion inside started smoking. I then
>>plunged the whole thing into a bucket of water. A few twists with the
>>Vise-grips, and the offending stem was finally free, after at least 15
>>years. The moral of this story: always, always grease the stem! I hope
>>this can help others with the same predicament. Now it's time for me to
>>get a Nitto technomic stem and some bars wider than 40 cm.
>>
>>Keith Weaver, in stormy Reno (over an inch of snow this afternoon!)
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