Removing decent alu stem, from steel frame?

the father in law has an old steel raleigh frame with a really nice old stem, which he wants to put on another bike,the problem is it is seized, not at all worried about damaging the frame.
wedge is out and tried the wd40 method, any suggestions???
gonna get a nice '60's holdsworth off him...:o)

Tricky one - usually the other way round in which I would say turn it upside down and pour in caustic soda...and wait.

Problem is any real force on the stem (ie putting it in a vice or using a breaker bar is likely to ruin it.

If the frame really is junk then you could try a severe dose of heat to the head tube (a blowtorch may not be enough). Failing that cut vertically down the head tube with a hack saw from the bottom to just before the base of the stem and prise apart the tube with wedges in the cut.

Seems a real shame though.

soak it in coke, get the fork crown in a vice, put some handlebars on and use them as a lever, try and get it turning.

heat is hard to apply, as the bit you want to heat is the steerer tube, which is inside the head tube all the time the stem is still on..

IME heat won't break the weld if alloy and steel are really fused, you need a brazing torch to get the temp required to do anything.

last ditch, you can carefully try caustic soda, dripped into the top. but don't let it get hold ,rinse out with plenty of water.

Extreme...but I am pretty sure it will work. Immerse the whole thing in paraffin, just leave it there for a day or so, I think you will find it WILL get into the ceased area, and it will come free, but it most soak.

thanks all,
@zippy i think i'll try the paraffin trick.

31trum the father in law has an old steel raleigh frame with a really nice old stem, which he wants to put on another bike,the problem is it is seized, not at all worried about damaging the frame.
wedge is out and tried the wd40 method, any suggestions???
gonna get a nice '60's holdsworth off him...:o)

is this why you were bidding on those holdsworth decal or were you just being a bitch!?

bitch...........hehehe
the frame is newly painted and badged...

31trum bitch...........hehehe
the frame is newly painted and badged...

:( , double bitch!!

went for double what you wanted to pay for i though :o(

31trum went for double what you wanted to pay for i though :o(

true, and i the badge was the wrong era. found the proper guy who makes them and with a choice of colours ;)

RPM soak it in coke, get the fork crown in a vice, put some handlebars on and use them as a lever, try and get it turning.

If you've got somewhere well ventilated and that can get messy then you could soak with ammonia (dissolves aluminium oxide but more powerful than coke). Seal the expander bolt hole with blu tac or something, turn frame upside down and pour down steerer tube. Leave for a few days and see if that helps.

good suggestions - i've tried Plus Gas soaking and a big vice clamping the fork crown held with wood and 2 people - one holding bike/frame down and 2nd person pushing or pulling up on handlebars/stem - some success some unsuccess

flip it upside down (forks in the air) and wd40 the inside, leave it to soak, clamp the frame and use a pole that fits inside the steerer push it in and on to the bottom of the stem and smash it back out.

I did the fork upside down method recently on an old 90s MTB, filled the steerer tube with WD40, kept topping back up twice a day for a week. it popped straight out on the first proper try. usually i am in a rush with this type of thing but patience and time paid dividends.

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