I can barely get a wrench on this headset and there’s no where to put an Allen key in the top
Being_ on
If there’s no bolt on top, then it’s been removed and it’s sized in the fork. If you can flip in over, get something long through the bottom of the fork into the head tube and then take a good swing, maybe spray some pb blaster in there
og_speedfreeq on
There has to be a bolt down thru it. Is it possible there’s a rubber cap or some such that you can dig out with a dentists pick?
carlew on
As others have said there has to be a bolt in the stem adapter, or it’s missing and it’s seized. Wild guess but maybe look from the bottom of the fork crown up into the headset if you can see anything?
Also for the headset you might need a set of cup and cone wrenches that are made for working on hubs with loose bearings, they are much thinner than standard wrenches and should work to remove the headset. Or use Knipex plier wrenches or a similar knock off.
criggie_ on
What in the Yee Haw happened to this bike?
I see a nice steel 80’s road bike with a threaded 1inch headset, but someone’s managed to fit a threadless stem adapter ? Sacrilege! I assume you want to save the frame and fork.
The other posts are right – if this is a quill-to-threadless adapter, then there is a wedge-nut in the steerer tube and its held up with friction between the inside walls, and an angled face on the adapter.
It SHOULD have an internal hex head bolt straight down the center – but it might be gone or just chowdered to nothing and the whole thing is held in place by corrosion.
* Check if the black inverted cone thing is steel or aluminium, which might imply galvanic corrosion.
* If the black plastic cylinder on top is plastic, shred it and see what you can see inside.
Ideally you’d use a long long punch down from the top and tap directly on the wedge or wedge bolt, to undo it.
It may work to tap it from below too – up through the fork crown.
DON’T try and undo the headset. That won’t loosen anything and risks binding it up worse. If you HAVE, then tighten it back up to normal turnable tightness.
SlightlyFlustered on
Find a bolt long enough to go in the top and thread all the way so you can see the tip out of the wedge looking from the fork end. You want it sticking out the top far enough to hit with a hammer. Set the fork ends on a block of wood that is on something solid like concrete. Hit the bolt harder than you think you should. If that didn’t pop it loose hit it harder.
I had an old quill stem stuck in a 1″ threaded headset for several years. I had tried removing it with the wheel on which should work but absorbed too much energy and is hard on the bearings. One time I had the wheel off and decided to try again. First couple hits didn’t work. I was annoyed and gave an extra hard hit and it popped free without damage.
6 Comments
I can barely get a wrench on this headset and there’s no where to put an Allen key in the top
If there’s no bolt on top, then it’s been removed and it’s sized in the fork. If you can flip in over, get something long through the bottom of the fork into the head tube and then take a good swing, maybe spray some pb blaster in there
There has to be a bolt down thru it. Is it possible there’s a rubber cap or some such that you can dig out with a dentists pick?
As others have said there has to be a bolt in the stem adapter, or it’s missing and it’s seized. Wild guess but maybe look from the bottom of the fork crown up into the headset if you can see anything?
Also for the headset you might need a set of cup and cone wrenches that are made for working on hubs with loose bearings, they are much thinner than standard wrenches and should work to remove the headset. Or use Knipex plier wrenches or a similar knock off.
What in the Yee Haw happened to this bike?
I see a nice steel 80’s road bike with a threaded 1inch headset, but someone’s managed to fit a threadless stem adapter ? Sacrilege! I assume you want to save the frame and fork.
The other posts are right – if this is a quill-to-threadless adapter, then there is a wedge-nut in the steerer tube and its held up with friction between the inside walls, and an angled face on the adapter.
It SHOULD have an internal hex head bolt straight down the center – but it might be gone or just chowdered to nothing and the whole thing is held in place by corrosion.
* Check if the black inverted cone thing is steel or aluminium, which might imply galvanic corrosion.
* If the black plastic cylinder on top is plastic, shred it and see what you can see inside.
Ideally you’d use a long long punch down from the top and tap directly on the wedge or wedge bolt, to undo it.
It may work to tap it from below too – up through the fork crown.
DON’T try and undo the headset. That won’t loosen anything and risks binding it up worse. If you HAVE, then tighten it back up to normal turnable tightness.
Find a bolt long enough to go in the top and thread all the way so you can see the tip out of the wedge looking from the fork end. You want it sticking out the top far enough to hit with a hammer. Set the fork ends on a block of wood that is on something solid like concrete. Hit the bolt harder than you think you should. If that didn’t pop it loose hit it harder.
I had an old quill stem stuck in a 1″ threaded headset for several years. I had tried removing it with the wheel on which should work but absorbed too much energy and is hard on the bearings. One time I had the wheel off and decided to try again. First couple hits didn’t work. I was annoyed and gave an extra hard hit and it popped free without damage.