Can Armoutex remove a seized stem before powder coating?

Does anyone have any experience of how they work? I understadn they are not specialists when it comes to dealing with bikes although they do paint a lot of them.

I have a frame almost ready for powder coating but the stem is sized into the forks. I was going to have it heat treated but realised that Armourtex may well be able to do this for me as part of the service.

Can anyone tell me if this is the case, or should I get the stem removal done separately by a specialist like Mend-a-Bike?

Thanks for any advice.

Could you not ask them? Or are you asking as to whether they are any good at it?

if the stem is stuck, sound like the metal bit that grip the inside wedged stuck, screw the bolt back, while leaving a handful of space and then gently try and hit it with a mallet, see if that help.

Could you not ask them? Or are you asking as to whether they are any good at it?

The latter.

I don't want to ask them in case they say "yes" when someone else here has had a bad experience, after all, it's not what they do and I don't know how technical a job it is. I guess I'm looking for a recommendation about them. I know I could get the job done elsewhere but the frame has already cost me enough and I don't want to spend any more on it than I absolutely have to.

if the stem is stuck, sound like the metal bit that grip the inside wedged stuck, screw the bolt back, while leaving a handful of space and then gently try and hit it with a mallet, see if that help.

Tried doing that, WD40, freezing. The adjuster bolt came out as soon as I unscrewed it no problem. The stem is actually fused to the stearer tube through corrosion. I promise, it's a bigger job than knocking it with a mallet!

When I had a seized pedal and had tried all the wd40/leverage/etc stuff and it didn't work, i tried a heat treatment method. This involved pouring boiling water over the affected area very slowly, which actually was very effective, and the pedal came out with 1 turn of the spanner.

It could be worth a try, although in the pedal case it was easier because I had easy access to the problem area.

Armourtex removed a seized bottom bracket from my bike, perfectly, after both I and my LBS failed...

I had a frame powdercoated at Armourtex a few weeks ago and had a similar, though from what it sounds, less severe problem. Although I could get the adjuster bolt out the stem wouldn't budge, I didn't try and force it so I don't know how badly it was actually stuck in but I took it to Armourtex and they removed the stem, headset and bottom bracket (which was also completely stuck) for £10 extra which seems pretty reasonable.

I had a frame powdercoated at Armourtex a few weeks ago and had a similar, though from what it sounds, less severe problem. Although I could get the adjuster bolt out the stem wouldn't budge, I didn't try and force it so I don't know how badly it was actually stuck in but I took it to Armourtex and they removed the stem, headset and bottom bracket (which was also completely stuck) for £10 extra which seems pretty reasonable.

Thanks, that does seem reasonable. I was thinking about cut and crush but maybe for a tenner this would be safer.

I'd go with tbcdurley.

I had a stuck stem and got it even more stuck. In the end I had to saw it out.

Also, if the stem is aluminium and the forks are steel (as in my case) then it maybe really hard to fix yourself. Alu expands more than steel when it corrodes - which makes it more stuck.

try cillet bang on it, sounds mad but worked twice for me. I had a stem stuck in a calton frame which i had tried wd40 soaking for ages, hitting with a hammer (with a block of wood) but to no avail. Saw a thread about caustic soda and using a cleaning agent and tried Cillet bang. Took the top allen bolt out and sprayed it down the stem and turned it over to spray from the bottom too. Soaked for about 5 mins and with a bit of jigging about to my disbelief it came out.

Thought i' try it just to see if it wasnt a fluke with another frame i'd given up on and after letting it soak and then using the hammer and block technique lightly tapped it out with no trouble.

Give it a go.

turn the frame up side down and poor some diesel in to the bottom of the forks, leave for a few hours to soak in and then put the pin back in and knock it with a hammer. the diesel will eat strait threw the rust like curry to a piss head.

Did you ever resolve this?

Been busy with other stuff but my plan is to try Cillit Bang - long shot I reckon given other failed attempts so far, then Armourtex who don't promise, but tell me they have been successful in the past. i'll let you know the outcome.

Had the exact same issue with my frame this week.

Tried all the usual solutions including Cillit Bang, but without success.

Cut the stem right above the headset and then stuck the inverted fork inside a vase filled with a mixture of caustic soda and water.

The stem dissolved within 24 hours.

First time I've ever used it and was surprised and impressed with how easy it worked, despite Dale always telling us this is the best method.

I'll never fear a stuck stem or seatpost again.

The frame gets powdercoated tomorrow.

I also had the same prob when stripping my frame a few months back. In the end I went out into the street looking for a suitable street anvil with the frame sans front wheel, a big ball pein hammer and a block of wood.

Soon found a good'n in a the form of an old bench with massive cast iron arms/legs, perfect width to slide inbetween the forks. Seated the crotch of the forks on the arm with wood between them and commenced hammering.

Took about 10 or 12 good hard hits and then it finally began to come free. Got all sorts of strange looks from passers by as I was right by a bus stop at 7pm on a week night. Then took it all home, threaded the bars back through and twisted the stem out.

Brute force and ignorance can work well at times :-)

what does caustic soda do to paint?

And what do you do with the residue once it's dissolved the stem? Oh hang on I guess if it's used as a drain unblocker that's where it's going.

Looks like I may have found the solution, cheers dmc zone. Have been wondering what to do next after I cut the stem to a stump in exasperation at everything else not working

Had the exact same issue with my frame this week.

Cut the stem right above the headset and then stuck the inverted fork inside a vase filled with a mixture of caustic soda and water.

Thanks - What to put it in was vexing me. A vase is perfect. I'm now 48 hours into dissolving (maybe my mixture is not as rich as yours). I've changed the solution twice and will do it again in the morning.

It's definitely eating away at the aluminium. I'm wondering if I need to wait until it's completely disolved it or does there come a point when the aly becomes fragile and it can be either broken or knocked away from the inside of the tube?

of course a truly technical answer is to cut the stem and take to an Engineering Co and have the stem bored out. Neat but expensive.

Soda crystals etc are MUCH cheaper though! The satisfaction of DIY can't be overcome either!