Stuck Headset Cups

It's rather a stuck cup as I haven't moved onto the other yet.

Been bashing at it, with the correct tools, for about 2 hours and it's only moved about 1mm away from the headtube.

I've tried hair dryer to warm it up and left it outdoors to cool down. Neither is helping.

Are they sometimes just that stubborn to get out?

I've never encountered one quite so stuck, but it's too late to be hammering bits of metal, so I'd give both the cups a good squirt of penetrating oil (or WD40 if that's all you've got) and come back to them in the morning.

Heating/cooling isn't likely to do very much since the frame and the cup will be expanding/contracting at the same rate. Only works if you can heat/cool one and not the other, and since they are mechanically connected this is difficult - you'd have to change temperature of one component really quickly before the other 'catches up'.

Yeah. I gave up at 9.
It's a Chris King headset, would the WD40 mess up the cartridge bearings?

I've just checked on the Chris King website and I'll just have to pop open and regrease the bearings.
Gonna empty a can of WD40 on it now and then a can of whoop ass on it tomorrow.

Try sneaking up on it.

Like with limpets!

expanding/contracting at the same rate.

Aluminium expands/shrinks at twice the rate of steel, so applying heat will actually enlarge the cups more than the frame, making the fit tighter. Cooling will shrink the cups more than the steel head tube, loosening the fit, but it's usually not very easy to cool by more than 20°C, i.e. down to freezing, which won't make much difference.

I've heard that a small-diameter (~25mm) seatpost is handy for knocking out HS cups. I've never had one to hand, though.

when you say using the right tools do you mean a hammer and a bit of pipe or the proper cup removers ?

Aluminium expands/shrinks at twice the rate of steel...

I've heard that a small-diameter (~25mm) seatpost is handy for knocking out HS cups. I've never had one to hand, though.

Ah yes, I assumed it was an older bike and therefore also assumed it was steel.

A better diy tool than a seatpost is just a piece of pipe with slots cut in it - then peel the slots out and you're done. You need 22mm pipe for a 1" threaded headset, remember. A headset rocket for £2.50.

just a piece of pipe with slots cut in it

I once bought a 20mm copper pipe from eBay and tried this, and the copper just mangled up against the cup, the cup didn't give a crap and stayed put.

Lesson: Use steel, forgo copper.

I made a copper one which worked once, then made a steel one which lasted for ages.

when you say using the right tools do you mean a hammer and a bit of pipe or the proper cup removers ?

Yep. All the right tools. Very heavy duty cup remover too.
Need to get another rubber mallet though as mines cracked now.

It's moved another millimetre so maybe by tonight it may be out or I'll need another mallet

Mallet

&

Progress

I think you may be better off using a metal club hammer the ones that look like mini sledges than a rubber mallet.

Mass is king when it comes to tools.

Rubber mallet? There's your problem!

I've always used a rubber and never had any problems....

or kids

Get a big sod off hammer on it. Wrap the down tube in socks or something first unless you are a super accurate hammer swinger.

lump hammer for the win

Got a bigger rubber mallet and some penetrating oil. A few squirts, had a cup of tea, then a few taps later they were out.
Thanks to lae for the penetrating oil idea, and thanks to everyone else's input.
Mass is better but my aim is terrible. Rubber mallet FTW.

Nice work. Nothing more satisfying than finally overcoming something that you were thinking might involve a trip to the LBS with some cash.