How to remove loose bolt rattling about inside a frame

unconvention

Hi

I have a 2011 Specialized Vita and managed to shear the thread on the top right hand rack mount when attaching a pannier rack. I then had to cut the bolt out and in the process of doing this part of the screw fell down inside the seat stay and is now rattling about in there.

Any ideas of how to get it out?

Thanks

Rob

rake

saw the stay into two pieces and tip it upside down.

unixnerd

If you can't get it out leave it in. Try and pour something like glue down the hole to stop it rattling and catch it.

topdude

As above, you could warm up some white PVA glue and pour a little down the tube to stick the bolt in place.

marcusjb

Agree with the above - just try gluing it so it doesn't rattle.

I don't think they'll be any way (other than sawing the seat stay!) to get it out of the seat stay.

You can usually get the back of water bottle nuts etc. out of down tubes and, definitely, out of seat tubes - but a seat stay is unlikely to have a hole big enough anywhere.

I don't know about your bike, but just checking a couple of mine, all they is the small water drain hole in the bottom of the seat stays (they are both steel frames though, aluminium frames might be different and not even have those).

Good luck!

sungod

if the hole it fell through is big enough to get it back out, you might be able to use a magnet, but if you mean that it fell in through the threaded boss then that won't have enough clearance

although if the boss is knackered, you could drill it out (carefully...), get the screw out through the larger hole, should be doable with a magnet, and then fit a new boss (i.e. with a rivnut)