broken stem bolt!

[mooseknuckle2000]

So, I'm taking my '53 Schwinn apart for the first time. I tried to loosen the stem expansion bolt to try and pull the handlebar stem and it snapped off! My stem is still firmly wedged in. What are my options? Long drill bit?
-Robby

 

[scrumblero]

soak the crud outa it with some PB blaster or WD40 and tap the wedge out with a long punch or bolt where the old one broke off :wink:

 

[user 135]

Can you pull the stem out? If so, soak with some Penetrating oil, then try driving it out from the bottom. What ever you use will need to be skinny to fit through the bottom hole.

If the wedge doesn't budge, it is possible the wedge has damage and bulged the steertube.

 

[mooseknuckle2000]

Broke off at the threads down low (but obviously still above the wedge). I can't get the stem out

 

[2manybikes]

Use a roll punch or a bolt that is the same size as the stem bolt and try to knock the wedge down into the steerer tube a little bit. A little bit of heat never hurt either, you can just heat up the base of the stem with a propane or MAP gas torch and then quench it a couple of times and that may free things up. You can also try putting pulling the fender off and putting the fork legs in a vice, then use the handlebars for leverage and wiggle the stem out.

I can't count how many stem bolts I have broken...real common problem (and a really big PITA :roll: )

 

[mooseknuckle2000]

Success! Was able to punch it down with a screwdriver and get the stem loose, then pop out the wedge from the bottom. Thanks guys. On to more disassembly. Starting to realize I may be drilling and re-tapping just about everything on this hawg!

 

[Uncle Stretch]

PB blaster is your friend. Soak it and let it sit for a few days and then start taking it apart.
Will make the job lots easier.

 

[mooseknuckle2000]

She's been soakin' in PB for a while. Most of the flathead screws with nuts got drilled out though. Too rusted to budge (plus the slotted sides get buggered anyway)

 

[Sphinx]

Not trying to discount anyone's opinion about what penetrating oil to use. However I have some data that might be useful to you folks. This from another site I am active on. Seems 50/50 Acetone/ATF transmission oil is very good. Hazardous though. Be careful and read the entire thread.
http://www.yamahaenduro.com/showthread. ... comparison

Penetrating oil comparison

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was surfing over at Super Hunky's website and came across this. I know there are a
couple people with "stuck" engines they were trying to free up. This could be useful.


Machinist's Workshop magazine actually tested penetrates for break out torque on rusted nuts.
Significant results! They are below, as forwarded by an ex-student and professional machinist, Bud Baker.

They arranged a subjective test of all the popular penetrates with the control being the torque
required to remove the nut from a "scientifically rusted" environment.

*Penetrating oil ..... Average load*
None ..................... 516 pounds
WD-40 .................. 238 pounds
PB Blaster .............. 214 pounds
Liquid Wrench ........ 127 pounds
Kano Kroil .............. 106 pounds
ATF-Acetone mix........53 pounds

The ATF-Acetone mix was a "home brew" mix of 50 - 50 automatic transmission fluid and acetone.
Note the "home brew" was better than any commercial product in this one particular test. Our local
machinist group mixed up a batch and we all now use it with equally good results. Note also that
"Liquid Wrench" is about as good as "Kroil" for about 20% of the price.

 

[mooseknuckle2000]

Interesting. Thanks for the info