How to get frozen pedal spindles out of crank arms without ruining the cranks?

[Peter]

My MTB pedals (caged not clipless) are frozen ie possibly welde via salt
corrossion to the crank arms. I have tried soaking them in Liquid Wrench but
that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and have
sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging. I read here that
you can heat 5the crank itself. How do you tell when it is enough? I don't
want to ruin the crank nor weaken it to the point where somewhere down the
road the pedal eye snaps. Any useful advice on how to get these pedals off
is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Peter

[[email protected]]

From the web, I found a table of coeffieient of expansion of some metals. My
industrial expierence showed significant expansion of steel at 180* f. A 10'
piece would grow about 1/2 ".
The trick will be to keep the spindle cold while heating the crank.
Javaloop.
Web site quoted table below:
"
Source: Manufacturer's data


Type of metal Coefficient of Expansion Melting point (°F) Melting point
(°C)
Aluminum 248 1218 659
Brass, navy 212 1650 900
Copper 176 1981 1081
Gold 140 1945 1061
Iron, cast 108 2300 1260
Lead 295 621 328
Silver 191 1764 962
Steel, high carbon 121 2500 1374
Steel, stainless 171 2600-2750 1430-1507
Tin 398 788 415

Note: These are for pure metals. Alloys can vary widely. I have seen
other sources with slightly different COEs, but most are close to these
figures. (And besides, they're close enough for government work.)

Source: U.S. Military Training Circular No. 9-237, "Welding Theory and
Application."
"

[[email protected]]

On Fri, 28 May 2004 06:15:01 -0400, "Peter" >
wrote:

>My MTB pedals (caged not clipless) are frozen ie possibly welde via salt
>corrossion to the crank arms. I have tried soaking them in Liquid Wrench but
>that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and have
>sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging. I read here that
>you can heat 5the crank itself. How do you tell when it is enough? I don't
>want to ruin the crank nor weaken it to the point where somewhere down the
>road the pedal eye snaps. Any useful advice on how to get these pedals off
>is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>Peter
>

Try soaking the joint in a solvent like iquid wrench over night.
tapping the end of the crank lightly to set up some vibration will
help get the solvent into the joint. A torch would probably work for
tough cases but then you risk putting heat stress into the crank arm
and possibly even discoloring it.

[Doki]

wrote:
> From the web, I found a table of coeffieient of expansion of some
> metals. My industrial expierence showed significant expansion of
> steel at 180* f. A 10' piece would grow about 1/2 ".
> The trick will be to keep the spindle cold while heating the crank.

If you've got alloy cranks and a steel axle, surely you'll have some
difference in the rates of expansion / contraction and that'll help free
things off?

[Rick Onanian]

On Fri, 28 May 2004 06:15:01 -0400, "Peter" >
wrote:
>that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and have
>sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging. I read here that

Try a proper pedal wrench. They are made very tough for this reason,
and have lots of leverage.
--
Rick Onanian

[Ron Hardin]

Of course check that you're turning the proper direction. The left
pedal is threaded backwards.

[Alex Rodriguez]

In article >,
says...
>
>
>My MTB pedals (caged not clipless) are frozen ie possibly welde via salt
>corrossion to the crank arms. I have tried soaking them in Liquid Wrench but
>that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and have
>sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging. I read here that
>you can heat 5the crank itself. How do you tell when it is enough? I don't
>want to ruin the crank nor weaken it to the point where somewhere down the
>road the pedal eye snaps. Any useful advice on how to get these pedals off
>is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Try PB blaster instead of liquid wrench. It is suposed to be a superior
product. Your auto parts place should carry it.
--------------
Alex

[Steve Knight]

>corrossion to the crank arms. I have tried soaking them in Liquid Wrench but
>that didn't help much.

that is not a great product http://www.kanolabs.com/home.html
kroil is the best penetrating solvent out there. it is amazing what it can get
apart.

--
Knight-Toolworks & Custom Planes
Custom made wooden planes at reasonable prices
See http://www.knight-toolworks.com For prices and ordering instructions.

[Phil Brown]

Get 'em hot.. Either the heat wrench or the oven.
Phil Brown

[[email protected]]

Peter Rekow writes:

> My MTB pedals (caged not clipless) are frozen ie possibly welded by
> salt corrosion to the cranks. I have tried soaking them in Liquid
> Wrench but that didn't help. I have broken a 15mm combination
> wrench and have sprung its replacement without the spindle flats
> budging. I read here that you can heat the crank itself. How do
> you tell when it is enough? I don't want to ruin the crank nor
> weaken it to the point where somewhere down the road the pedal eye
> snaps. Any useful advice on how to get these pedals off is greatly
> appreciated.

With the crank removed from the bicycle, heat its pedal end over a gas
cooking flame until it is sizzling hot to the wet finger. At this
time, the pedal usually comes out relatively easily. Use a long 15mm
end wrench or a bicycle specific pedal wrench with the big end of the
crank against the floor.

Jobst Brandt

[[email protected]]

Rick Onanian writes:

>> that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and
>> have sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging.

> Try a proper pedal wrench. They are made very tough for this reason,
> and have lots of leverage.

Good long handled end wrenches from Snap-On or even Sears Roebuck are
far better material than most bicycle specific pedal wrenches.

http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3
http://tinyurl.com/33aw3

These wrenches have too wide jaws for pedals with miniature wrench
flats but they work for my Campagnolo and Shimano pedals. I have a
Park Tools pedal wrench for the narrow slot ones but it's jaws are
deformed because they are too weak.

Jobst Brandt

[[email protected]]

On Fri, 28 May 2004 20:06:35 GMT,
wrote:

>Rick Onanian writes:
>
>>> that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and
>>> have sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging.
>
>> Try a proper pedal wrench. They are made very tough for this reason,
>> and have lots of leverage.
>
>Good long handled end wrenches from Snap-On or even Sears Roebuck are
>far better material than most bicycle specific pedal wrenches.
>
>http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3
>http://tinyurl.com/33aw3
>
>These wrenches have too wide jaws for pedals with miniature wrench
>flats but they work for my Campagnolo and Shimano pedals. I have a
>Park Tools pedal wrench for the narrow slot ones but it's jaws are
>deformed because they are too weak.
>
>Jobst Brandt


Dear Jobst,

For $38.25 plus shipping and tax, that single 15 mm Snap-On
wrench is a bit expensive:

<http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3>

You'd think for that price, their web site would show the
pricey wrench itself instead of warning that the "Image
shown may not be actual product but represents product or
set which includes product."

For all I can tell from that disclaimer, SnapOn might ship
me one of these wrenches:

<http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/Content/ProdImages/f02996_lg.jpg>

Carl Fogel

[Rick Onanian]

On Fri, 28 May 2004 14:37:03 -0600, wrote:
>For all I can tell from that disclaimer, SnapOn might ship
>me one of these wrenches:
>
><http://www.vermontcountrystore.com/Content/ProdImages/f02996_lg.jpg>

That's not a wrench, it's a Sixth Hand cable routing tool.
--
Rick Onanian

[Steve Shapiro]

Jobst Brandt wrote:
> Rick Onanian writes:
> >> that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and
> >> have sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging.
> > Try a proper pedal wrench. They are made very tough for this reason,
> > and have lots of leverage.
> Good long handled end wrenches from Snap-On or even Sears Roebuck are
> far better material than most bicycle specific pedal wrenches.
> http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3[/url]
> http://tinyurl.com/33aw3"]http://tinyurl.com/33aw3
> These wrenches have too wide jaws for pedals with miniature wrench flats
> but they work for my Campagnolo and Shimano pedals. I have a Park Tools
> pedal wrench for the narrow slot ones but it's jaws are deformed because
> they are too weak.
> Jobst Brandt


Take a look at this one
http://rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/tools/19051.html The Eldi wrench
forged, long and thin enough to fit any pedal. Nice tool. Steve Shapir


-

[[email protected]]

Steve Shapiro writes:

>>>> that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench
>>>> and have sprung its replacement without the spindle flats
>>>> budging. >>> Try a proper pedal wrench. They are made very tough
>>>> for this reason, >>> and have lots of leverage.

>> Good long handled end wrenches from Snap-On or even Sears Roebuck
>> are far better material than most bicycle specific pedal wrenches.

http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3
http://tinyurl.com/33aw3

>> These wrenches have too wide jaws for pedals with miniature wrench
>> flats but they work for my Campagnolo and Shimano pedals. I have a
>> Park Tools pedal wrench for the narrow slot ones but it's jaws are
>> deformed because they are too weak.

> Take a look at this one.

http://rivendellbicycles.com/webalog/tools/19051.html

>The Eldi wrench is forged, long and thin enough to fit any pedal.
>Nice tool.

Others make such claims as well but I ma not convinced that the Eldi
wrench is any better than the Park Tool one I have and other bicycle
specific wrenches I have used. Their jaws all mushed out on pedals
that came out with difficulty. For that reason I use the Snap-on 15mm
long combination wrench. Besides, my pedals come out easily now that
they don't fret and weld their threads anymore after I modified the
attachment.

Jobst Brandt

[Richard Ney]

writes:

> Rick Onanian writes:
>
>>> that didn't help much. I have broken a 15mm combination wrench and
>>> have sprung its replacement without the spindle flats budging.
>
>> Try a proper pedal wrench. They are made very tough for this reason,
>> and have lots of leverage.
>
> Good long handled end wrenches from Snap-On or even Sears Roebuck are
> far better material than most bicycle specific pedal wrenches.
>
> http://tinyurl.com/yrvl3

Snap-on makes beautiful tools...a cut above the rest in finish and
durability.

[Phil Brown]

>Snap-on makes beautiful tools...a cut above the rest in finish and
>durability.

And about 3 cuts above in price. I use Snap-on sockets and small combo wrenches
but for every thing else Craftsman works as well, has a good guarentee and
costs a third to half of Snap-on.
Phil Brown

[ZeeExSixAre]

>> I have tried soaking them in
>> Liquid Wrench but that didn't help much.

> Try soaking the joint in a solvent like iquid wrench over night.


Something about these three lines doesn't compute...

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

[ZeeExSixAre]

Ron Hardin wrote:
> Of course check that you're turning the proper direction. The left
> pedal is threaded backwards.

OP, another way of thinking of it is to turn the wrench towards the back of
the bike, so counter-clockwise for the right pedal, and clockwise for the
left pedal.

--
Phil, Squid-in-Training

[Mark South]

"ZeeExSixAre" > wrote in message
...
> >> I have tried soaking them in
> >> Liquid Wrench but that didn't help much.
>
> > Try soaking the joint in a solvent like iquid wrench over night.
>
> Something about these three lines doesn't compute...

Yeah, the joint would be easier to light but it would probably taste funny.

[Steve]

On 5/30/04 10:06 PM, in article ,
"ZeeExSixAre" > wrote:

> Ron Hardin wrote:
>> Of course check that you're turning the proper direction. The left
>> pedal is threaded backwards.
>
> OP, another way of thinking of it is to turn the wrench towards the back of
> the bike, so counter-clockwise for the right pedal, and clockwise for the
> left pedal.

That depends if the bike is right-side-up or upside down!!

[Ted Bennett]

Steve > wrote:

> On 5/30/04 10:06 PM, in article ,
> "ZeeExSixAre" > wrote:
>
> > Ron Hardin wrote:
> >> Of course check that you're turning the proper direction. The left
> >> pedal is threaded backwards.
> >
> > OP, another way of thinking of it is to turn the wrench towards the back of
> > the bike, so counter-clockwise for the right pedal, and clockwise for the
> > left pedal.
>
> That depends if the bike is right-side-up or upside down!!


No, it doesn't.

--
Ted Bennett
Portland OR

[Steve]

On 5/31/04 9:07 PM, in article
, "Ted Bennett"
> wrote:

> Steve > wrote:
>
>> On 5/30/04 10:06 PM, in article ,
>> "ZeeExSixAre" > wrote:
>>
>>> Ron Hardin wrote:
>>>> Of course check that you're turning the proper direction. The left
>>>> pedal is threaded backwards.
>>>
>>> OP, another way of thinking of it is to turn the wrench towards the back of
>>> the bike, so counter-clockwise for the right pedal, and clockwise for the
>>> left pedal.
>>
>> That depends if the bike is right-side-up or upside down!!
>
>
> No, it doesn't.

>>> OP, another way of thinking of it is to turn the wrench towards the back of
>>> the bike,

Yes...........according to this statement it does..