Eric Phillips asked: Is this the infamous Ava stem that breaks?
No Eric, that's not an AVA... and not where they broke.
I have a similar stem (identified with just arrows) and I think they were really as solid as any of the MANY different OEM or somewhat generic French manufactured pieces from the 70s.
The alloy of your stem may have just started to fuse with the steel steering tube over time, and in this case only where the expander cone had forced a tight contact area. Good reminder why I should always use an anti-seize lubricant on stems and seat posts.
Bob Hanson, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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