A trick for stuck seatpost bolts I learned from a guy in Detroit

Honestly, last week a guy brought in a steel frame with a seatpost bolt that was totally frozen. He said he'd tried everything. I put a drop of penetrating oil on it, then used a heat gun on the frame around the bolt for about 30 seconds, not directly on the bolt. After it cooled, it came right out with a hex key. The heat expands the frame material just enough to break the bond. Has anyone else found a good way to deal with this without risking damage?

2 comments

2 Comments

sethr113h ago

My buddy in Chicago swears by putting the whole bike in a deep freezer overnight. Says the metal shrinking does the same thing as heat but backwards.

taylorm893h ago

Remember my neighbor's ancient cruiser with the rusted stem bolt. He soaked it in cola for two days, the cheap generic kind. Claimed the phosphoric acid did the trick. It did work, but the whole garage smelled like flat soda and the finish got kinda sticky. I'll stick with penetrating oil, less of a mess.