Stuck alu seatpost in carbon frame

I've an aluminium Campag seatpost stuck in a Look carbon frame. It won't budge.

Nothing's worked, so I think I'll have to cut through. But, stupid as this might sound, I'm not sure whether the thing is actually solid aluminium or not, which would mean getting out the hacksaw and cutting a slit down along it will work, then I'll be in a right dilly of a pickle if I can't even lever it out if some solvent could work.

Ideas!

Wouldn't have thought Alu would stick to carbon, have you put the seatpost in a vice and manipualted the frame ?

What frame is it BTW ?

This...

There's already a gouge in the seatpost. It needs to come out. I've tried pulling, twisting. Haven't got into the bottom bracket to see if I can pour in solvent. I read elsewhere that carbon and aluminium don't mix so well, something to do with electric charges. The LBS hadn't heard of that, though, and they wouldn't risk removing it. :(

Wait....Potlach, youre on boards arent you?

smash frame with hammer=free seat post

Wait....Potlach, youre on boards arent you?

Jeah. The saga is continuing. Went to Daly's and asked them to sort out the bike but they wouldn't go near the post.

drill a hole through the post, insert long strong screw driver and leverage the bastard out.
on failure
drill a bigger hole and use a bigger longer bar.

Might this not make it explode? I'm sorry, but I can't get the idea about how to do this into my head.

But, stupid as this might sound, I'm not sure whether the thing is actually solid aluminium or not,

No the post is not solid.

. . . which would mean getting out the hacksaw and cutting a slit down along it will work . . .

No sense makes these words.

Freeze the bastard, the allu will contract (fractionally) the carbon will not, might be enough to allow the post to be removed - along with some mechanical force.

Wouldn't have thought Alu would stick to carbon, have you put the seatpost in a vice and manipualted the frame ?

What frame is it BTW ?

Sounds as if someone has used normal grease on the seatpost.

If this is the case you will never get it out.

lifted off bike forums...

Idealy, you would have a carbon seat post, to prevent galvanic corrosion. In your situation, the aluminum will corrode because it is the anode with a potential of -1.67, and the carbon the cathode with a potential of +0.81. A difference in potential of 2.48 volts. Where as titanium and carbon both have + potential, and the resulting difference is only 0.755 volts, which is negligible. (Remember kids, that even though both carbon and titanium are both + charges, its the difference in potential that creates a charge.

To reduce or prevent the effects of galvanic corrosion, you can simply get the aluminum seat post anodized, which would give it a non-conductive coat to it. Or a very fine rubber wrap would do just as well.

Don't be fooled by the black color, or that carbon isn't a metal. Carbon is highly conductive.

Yup, that's what I read before. I'm scared. This frame is too nice, and no shop is brave enough to help me.

your frame is toast.. by the looks of it.

Go on...

Sounds as if someone has used normal grease on the seatpost.

If this is the case you will never get it out.

What grease should you use ?

I would see if the freeze + twist would work. you'll need a chest freezer though to fit the frame into or some dry ice pellets http://www.dryiceuk.co.uk/company.htm cut off the very top of the seat post so you can still grip it with pipe grips but poor the pellets down inside the seat post.

Other wise the last resort seems to be the cut long strips down through the seat post. Keep the thread updated with your progress.

Yup, that's what I read before. I'm scared. This frame is too nice, and no shop is brave enough to help me.

If you can't remove it yourself you could get it reamed out until it is thin enough to fold out.

you could try:

get everything else off the frame
turn upside down and lock seatpost in a vice
add solvent through bb
(maybe try some freezing stuff - like that veruca freezing thing but bigger)
holding the frame at either end - more leverage - twist right and left
eventually push frame up

might as well try

sell it.

you could try:

get everything else off the frame
turn upside down and lock seatpost in a vice
add solvent through bb
(maybe try some freezing stuff - like that veruca freezing thing but bigger)
holding the frame at either end - more leverage - twist right and left
eventually push frame up

might as well try

i thought the same, but, it seems after googlng it, this method, unless done very gently indeed, will/can snap the frame.

hollowing out the alu seatpost (which is gonna be hard since one slip and the far softer carbon tubing will be wrecked) is the only option. What tynan says, basicaly.
really, its a massive pain in the arse for you, most people would regard your frame as now scrap

sell to someone with suitable length legs.

I'm going to try the Coke method (leave the bike 2-3 days) followed by gentle twisting and pulling. I think I can get the liquid in through the bottle-holder screwhole. If there's still no give, I'll try cutting through the post. I can't imagine how tedious this will be, but if it's scrap, it's scrap.

Get someone that is built like a bear to pull on it. I really can't believe it is stuck solid.

My seatpost is solid stuck too, different conditions.
Sometimes they just dont budge a mm, very annoying indeed.
And I am the best part of a bear:P