Neill,
You are absolutely correct with respect to Coke being an excellent solution (...no pun intended) to the problem. In fact, this is a venerable old Hot Rodder's trick for freeing up that stuck piston in the Ford flathead engine block you found rusting away in some farmer's back-forty (...I learned it from my father who said he first employed this tactic back in the 1930's). Over the years, I have used this unusual fix with success on several occasions (...pistons, seat posts, as well as a host of other stubborn objects - although I have found it to be entirely ineffectual with respect to stubborn individuals, unless perhaps you add some rum to the mix).
Robert "things go better with Coca-Cola" Broderick ...the "Frozen Flatlands" of South Dakota
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From: "Neill Currie" <neill_currie@comcast.net>
>To: <otis@otisrecords.com>, <Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
>Subject: Re: [CR]I.D. old trackie
>Date: Sat, 5 Aug 2006 21:52:39 -0400
>
>Otis wrote:
>""Not even sure if that's possible, would
>probably take months of soaking to just break the post loose,""
>---------------------
>Only help I can be is this story.
>Found an OT bike in the trash with a stuck post. Tried ALL the usual
>methods, including extra friends and a large bench-mounted vice.
>Couldn't budge it. The bench did separate itself from the wall though
>under maximal grunting. Didn't want to saw it out.
>Anyway, did a little googling, found someone who'd freed a post finally
>with Coke, yes, Coke.
>So...I removed the BB, inverted bike, emptied a can of regular Coke
>up/down the seat-tube, let it marinate overnight. Pulled it right out
>the next day, by myself, with just my right hand. The post was all eaten
>away on the frame/post interface(presumably from the "secret"
>ingredients/acid in the Coke, but the seattube was untouched!!
>So, if that post of yours is Aluminium, it MAY be far less work than you
>think. This trick doesn't work on a steel post however, which that might
>be.
>Neill
>
>
>Neill Currie
>Hillsborough
>Nh 03244
>USA
>...............
>
>My blog is here:
><http://blogericious.blogspot.com/>
>
>My Mountain Goat website is here:
><http://www.geocities.com/neill1234/index.html?1011568933040>