Seat post stuck

[ecoull]

My carbon seatpost is "frozen" into my carbon frame. The height is OK and I haven't adjusted it in more than a year however I now need to remove the seatpost completely for air transport. I must remove the post. Leaving it in and trying to pack the whole thing in some other way is not an option for me.
My LBS tells me there's nothing can be done. Any advice or ideas would be appreciated.

[trevgbb]

suggest you contact the frame maker.

[JonB]

That is a bit of a poser. Traditional methods probably won't work as you'll damage the frame (we're talking abuse it with a tapping stick here). The other option is a no-go though, I don't think carbon fiber responds very well to gently heating it in the hope of expanding the seat tube a bit.

Can you twist the saddle? try and put a fair amount of force on and twist it out.

If that won't work, a load of WD-40 or similar blasted at it might work, then twist it out.

[Bill]

Yikes, yeah I really have no ideas on this sorry.

[JohnV]

If your LBS can't do anything for you, try calling body shops in your city/town that work with carbon fiber. They should be able to give you some idea of what you can do to free the seat post. I don't know how much of a gap you have between the seat post and the seat tube, but you can try pushing a carbon fiber safe oil in the gap with a syringe and a small bore needle. See if you can get enough oil on the seat post to break it free. You could try the WD40 but I don't know that it will penetrate as well as oil under pressure.

[RobAR]

Hi ecoull. In the almost 16 years that I have been dealing with many carbon parts, this is only the 3rd time that I have heard of a carbon post stuck in a carbon tube. Don't be embarrassed if you recognize number one.
The first encounter I had with this was a friend who had mounted a tail-light immediately below the binder on the seat tube. He had tightened the bolt in the plastic band enough that it kept the seatpost secure even with the binder loose. (I recently did the same on a new aluminum road bike of mine with a carbon post. Couldn't believe it!)

The second time was a bike that belonged to a very heavy sweater. I literally removed a ring of salt from the joint with a fingernail before i began with a dental pick. Sweat had worked its way between the two carbon parts. Salt is put on icy roads for more reason than to melt it!

Carbon-on-carbon is, by nature, slick and will not bond to itself except under long-term, high heat conditions that soften the resins that the CF is held in shape by. This is why carbon to carbon parts advise that we use a grip paste in place of grease. Trouble is... grip paste is not as water-proof as grease. More trouble is... a lot of greases (and other petro chems) can actually soften resins if not compatible. Do not use WD-40. Please?
If you think it may be 'salt-seize' (acidic), you need an alkaline to break it. Try Baking Soda mixed with water like you would use on a battery post in your truck. Pour it on repeatedly for 3 or 4 days. 16 soakings or more.
If the above is of no use, try http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/seized-seatposts-and-stems . If that doesn't help, a pic for us may!

Rob