The rustbucket strikes again!

[mayanorange]

So DebW and I spent 3 hrs on the Scott rustbucket (Deb, you have my never-ending gratitude!), 2 hrs of which was spent trying to get the rusty bottom bracket out (which we did finally get out). Now, we can't get the top race of the headset off! (it's threaded BTW) I took it home and have been liquid wrenching it every day and seeing if maybe this time it'll break loose. The only other thought I had was to wire-brush the rust in the thread then liquid wrench some more. Anyone faced this one before? Other tricks I should try? I'm beginning to think this bike is going to go back to being DH's problem and I might just find another used one for myself so I can start commuting before it starts snowing! But we're so close- if we could just get the headset apart and fixed, we already readjusted most everything else. Hmmmmm.

[Zen]

HammerTime!

[mayanorange]

Zen- I've literally stripped a brand new crescent wrench! But yeah, I'll give it a whack.

Is there anything I can get to from the underside (with a physical or liquid wrench)?

[mayanorange]

Zen- I've literally stripped a brand new crescent wrench! But yeah, I'll give it a whack.

Is there anything I can get to from the underside (with a physical or liquid wrench)?

[Zen]

Don't ask me
I'm just going on the theory that whacking anything with a hammer is bound to loosen something up

[DebW]

You could try torching it. Heat just the headset cup in the hopes that it will expand and the steering column won't. This will smell bad because it will heat the grease inside, so work outdoors. Heat it some, wack it with a hammer some, heat it some more. Beyond that, if you really want to get this bike working, maybe you could hacksaw the fork off and replace it. But I don't think you'll fit the hacksaw on the fork until you first saw through part of the headset.

[newfsmith]

Before you go to the torch, try some "P.B. Blaster" from most auto parts stores. I find it works much better than liquid wrench.

[mayanorange]

Thanks guys. I'll give the PB Blaster and hammer a try this weekend. If that doesn't work, we might have to break out the torch and/or hacksaw.

[Zen]

Saw this on the Great Allegheny Passage today

[mayanorange]

sweet! I think she might need rechroming. Mine's not *that* bad.

[Zen]

I think that's a Brooks...

[malkin]

The droopy handlebars look so sad and frowny.

[Zen]

I think they wilted

[mayanorange]

Well, I tried torching and it's still not budging. hmmph. I'll give it a few more tries, but it might be time to give up soon.

[tzvia]

Sometimes, things move with a little 'finesse' that won't budge with all the wacking in the world.

Secure the bike someway so it doesn't move around. Then use a good fitting wrench with a long (may have to be several or more feet...) sturdy metal pipe over the handle. Slowly apply pressure to the far end of the pipe (this is called using a 'breaker-bar'). The extra leverage should break the rust providing it's not too far gone to come apart.

I just replaced the crappy Race-Face cranks on my MTB with XT. The Race-Face crank/spindle just would not go no matter how I wacked it with a mallet. So I used my old (back from square taper days) crank puller by putting a sturdy washer inside the crankarm, against the spindle (to cover up the hole). Then I screwed in the old puller, and with a few simple twists of the handle, it pushed against the washer which pushed against the spindle and it all came out. It took a fraction of all the energy of all those mallet wacks...

Good luck!