The seized seatpost that took 4 hours and a torch in Portland

Last month a guy brought in a 1987 Nishiki with a stuck alloy post fused to the steel frame, and after 4 hours of penetrating oil, a blowtorch, and a pipe wrench that bent, I finally had to cut it out with a hacksaw blade through the seat tube, so has anyone actually had luck with the caustic soda trick or is that just a myth?

1 comments

1 Comment

the_anna2d ago

I watched a guy do the caustic soda method on a stuck Raleigh once and it worked, but honestly it took just as long and made a mess you would not believe. The frame survived but the paint near the seat tube was toast. For that Nishiki I probably would have done the same thing you did, cutting it out is the only sure way.