# remove extralite seatpost shim that's very tight. Scale frame



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

HI there,


I want to remove my Extralite seatpost Shim on the Scott Scale LTD. I'm using a 31.6 New Ultimate Post with Extralite 34.9 shim. Problem is that it's very very tight. I remember pounding it with my palm when i inserted this 6 months ago.

I have to send my frame for warranty and I don't want to leave the shim there. I was going to use the shim on the new frame.

Any ideas? The tool to remove headsets could be OK but the fingers that spring out have to point up so you could pull the tool out and hopefully the shim moves up.


Any tips would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!


Francis


----------



## gumbymark (May 25, 2007)

Coupla questions:

1 Is the seat post out?

2 Is it a split or solid shim? 

3 Why do you think it is stuck? Has it bonded to the seat tube?

I'm guessing that the seat is out and that the shim is stuck on to the seat tube.
Try spraying some penetrating spray (WD 40 ect..) in to the seat tube and leave it for a couple of hours.

Try the headset tool but if you can't get it with that you could try an industrual bearing puller.

If it's going in for a warranty I wouldn't be too worried about damaging it.


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

Thanks! 

1) Seatpost is out
2) Shim is a solid Delrin plastic shim by extralite
3) I don't think it has bonded. I think it was just very tight when I installed it so likewise it will and is also very hard to remove.


Thanks!


Francis


----------



## Slobberdoggy (Sep 26, 2005)

Funny my EL shim wasn't tight like that.

You could try prying (just a little) the slot on the back of the seat tube to spread it a little.

I hope that if you do use wd-40 scott won't notice any residue and void the warranty.

Most importantly, tell us why your frame is being warranteed!!!


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

I want to be careful removing the shim as it might void warranty. Was thinking of a slide hammer.


----------



## Slobberdoggy (Sep 26, 2005)

Also the EL shim has a lip on it you could start to work from. It must really be jammed in there. 

While it might mar up the shim could you take two vise grips and clamp the lip of the EL shim and pull like everything? 

I was thinking something like two spokes ends could catch the edge on the inside of the seat tube - maybe something similar but more robust.

Also maybe try tightening the seat clamp again w/o seat post and then unscrew it and try pulling it. Don't tighten it too much.


----------



## rick (Jan 13, 2004)

If you can fab an adapter for the slide hammer try it. There is no easy way for something stuck like that. Whatever you make to catch the bottom of the shim will probably mar the internal bore of the seat tube.

FWIW my USE shim is split, so it'll never be a problem.


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

I wonder why my Shim is very tight. Could this be that EL shims or maybe the Scott seat tubes have a few micro mm difference?

I just installed another shim on my Spark and it was even more tight compared to my Scale EL Shim. I had to use a rubber mallet to drive it all the way in. 

It now makes me wonder if by doing that, I stressed the seat tube. When I insert my seatpost now on the Spark, I have to twist and force down the seatpost with the seat as it is very tight.

Would be have been better if I sanded the shim down a bit?


Thanks!


----------



## Slobberdoggy (Sep 26, 2005)

hobie1 said:


> Would be have been better if I sanded the shim down a bit?
> 
> Thanks!


Well I've made a lot of dumb mistakes in the past but that's something I would consider.

If you have a caliper I would take a series of outside diameter measurements for the record and then gradually sand it down little by little checking how it fits until you are happy with it.

Mine doesn't "fall" in but requires a very minor push. It's snug but I can easily insert and remove it with one hand.

 Good luck.


----------



## gumbymark (May 25, 2007)

hobie1 said:


> I wonder why my Shim is very tight. Could this be that EL shims or maybe the Scott seat tubes have a few micro mm (microns) difference?
> 
> It is possible that Scott are having trouble with some kind of shrinking when the resin cures. Just a thought.
> 
> ...


I would talk to your Scott rep and explain everything. If they're reasonable they shouldn't care if you damage it trying to get it out. But its a lot cheaper to buy another shim than voiding the warranty and having to buy another frame.


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

I had s special tool made. Should be done by Monday afternoon. I'll post pics when done. I hope this works. Sliced a 30mm pipe in half and put shafts on each. The pipe's top part should hit the rim of the shim below. The shafts have a pivot in the middle to act like scissors. So when I squeeze the top, the half pipes expand below. I'll them attach a single shaft on top of the scissors and put a sold metal in the middle to act like a slide hammer.

This is a nice weekend project.


Happy weekend guys and thanks for all the ideas!


Francis


----------



## gumbymark (May 25, 2007)

Let us know how you get on.

I've just worked out a major problem with CF frames:

You can't heat them up with an Oxy/Acetelyne torch.

And yes I do own a CF MTB (Giant XTC C0)


----------



## Soya (Jun 22, 2007)

gumbymark said:


> I've just worked out a major problem with CF frames:
> 
> You can't heat them up with an Oxy/Acetelyne torch.


Course you can't heat it anyway cause the delrin will melt, but that's not the point


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

since we're talking about heat, Hot water? I can pour hot water down the seat tube and fill it up all the way to the shim.

Just an idea but i want to ask first the reaction of Delrin and CF to real hot water. - but this could work.


Francis


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

What about a hair dryer! Better than water I guess.

I remember seeing some CF Exhuast mufflers for big bikes. So CF should be heat resistant right? I wonder if heating the Delrin shim with a hair dryer would loosen it?


----------



## Soya (Jun 22, 2007)

Both the Delrin and carbon would be fine with hot water. Heating the shim won't help, as it'll expand and make the fit tighter.


----------



## gumbymark (May 25, 2007)

The reason I suggested it (joking) was because I've done it a lot in my job. With something stuck in a metal part, heating the outside metal part will cause it to expand but this is due to the properties of metal. Every substance* expands when heated. 

What about a hair dryer! Better than water I guess.

I remember seeing some CF Exhuast mufflers for big bikes. So CF should be heat resistant right? I wonder if heating the Delrin shim with a hair dryer would loosen it?

It's worth a try but because CF is just a fancy type of plastic and plastic is a really bad thermal conductor I don't think that boiling water or a hair dryer is hot enough to cause the CF to expand enough to get the shim out. 

When using the Oxy set on metal you have to be sure to heat the outside part and not the inside. You want the outside to expand and not the inside.

I don't think that either of them will work but there is nothing to loose.


----------



## rick (Jan 13, 2004)

gumbymark said:


> When using the Oxy set on metal you have to be sure to heat the outside part and not the inside. You want the outside to expand and not the inside.
> 
> I don't think that either of them will work but there is nothing to loose.


when doing this on heat treated aluminium you don't want to exceed 100*C.
Something like a Turbo Torch is good as it has a soft flame if you haven't got a heating tip for the oxy. The old rule of thumb is the part is hot enough for interference fit (press fit) parts when your spit or water sizzles and spits and pops. Any more heat and you've killed the heat treatment.


----------



## z000m (Oct 14, 2007)

theres a bolt that holds the rear mech cable in place under the crank take out the bb and use a long thin piece of metal maybe something like a 12or more inch nail should do it.
is the warranty problem caused by the shim as i was thinking about getting one for me scale 40


----------



## SurvivorofShalamar (Sep 3, 2005)

If the thermal expansion or contraction of the delrin is greater than carbon you could put the frame in a chest freezer or spray a co2 inflator cartridge on the delrin and it should shrink more than the carbon and shrink away from the seat tube loosening the fit.


----------



## hobie1 (Sep 29, 2006)

Here's the tool. It worked great! I took out the shims and i'm using sandpaper now to thin it a bit. I want to be able to slide it in by hand so as not to stress the carbon seat tube.


----------



## gumbymark (May 25, 2007)

Well done Hobie

That tool looks pretty sweet. Hopefully you will never need it again.

I don't think you said why the frame was being warrantied in the first place.


----------



## zimbop (Feb 13, 2015)

hobie1 said:


> Here's the tool. It worked great! I took out the shims and i'm using sandpaper now to thin it a bit. I want to be able to slide it in by hand so as not to stress the carbon seat tube.


Still have that tool? I need one! My shim is split and still super stuck. (I realize this is an ancient thread, but hey, it's worth a shot.)


----------

