Rattle in the down tube ...

KnightOfTheLongTights
KnightOfTheLongTights Posts: 1,415
edited October 2011 in Workshop
there's a little loose bit of something in there and it's driving me ******* bonkers

I've never taken a bike to bits before and I'm reluctant to do so unless I know there's a point to it: can you 'open up' the down tube by removing the headset for instance?

Is there a clever way to solve this ride-destroying problem?

Thanks.

Comments

  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    I guess the first thing to do is try and think what it might be in there - are all your bottle bosses intact?

    What's the frame construction?

    Bottom Bracket is possibly the way to go - easy to whip out and see if there is a hole through into the down tube - give things a shake and see if it falls out.

    Headtube might work as well - but maybe more of a faff to get into due to less space.

    Good luck!
  • Yossie
    Yossie Posts: 2,600
    Yoik off the seat as well and have a gander down the seat tube.
  • amaferanga
    amaferanga Posts: 6,789
    Gear cables hitting the frame maybe?
    More problems but still living....
  • amaferanga wrote:
    Gear cables hitting the frame maybe?

    no it's deffo something in the down tube (i.e., it rattles up and down as you turn the bike over etc).

    Marcus, I was thinking that taking the bottom bracket off would be the hard way...

    It's a Specialized Allez with some particularly ugly welding work between tubes ...
  • I had this problem on one of my bikes (it was bits of carbon dust left over from the manufacturing). It sounded like soft rain inside the seat tube. I plugged up every hole apart from one and then stuck the hoover on it. Got quite a bit of the rattle out.

    Carbon or not I'd give the hoover a shot.
  • I had this problem on one of my bikes (it was bits of carbon dust left over from the manufacturing). It sounded like soft rain inside the seat tube. I plugged up every hole apart from one and then stuck the hoover on it. Got quite a bit of the rattle out.

    Carbon or not I'd give the hoover a shot.

    nice, thanks

    this is definitely one bit of plastic or metal - roughly pea-sized I'd say

    it might 'suck out' ...
  • Could be the remains of a drilled-out bottle boss ? BB out is easiest option, apart from obviously requiring a BB tool. It`s a 5 minute job with the correct tools.

    Not certain that you will gain access to the inside of the tube though so don`t take it as gospel, never noticed if there is a hole through the BB shell into the downtube when I`ve had an Allez in bits :?
    Jens says "Shut up legs !! "

    Specialized S-Works SaxoBank SL4 Tarmac Di2
  • Giraffoto
    Giraffoto Posts: 2,078
    The good news is that the down tub should be open at one end - most likely both. get the BB off and give it a thorough shake. I'd hold the seat tube and one fork leg while doing this to avoid a handlebar on the head (the bike's and yours)
    Specialized Roubaix Elite 2015
    XM-057 rigid 29er
  • keef66
    keef66 Posts: 13,123
    Recently had 2 BBs out, and in neither case could I get into the downtube from there.

    Fortunately I wasn't trying to.
  • Arghyrou
    Arghyrou Posts: 155
    Could be a bearing from the headset popped out. I have an Allez and had the same problem. Specialised use the most annoying bearings in the Allez headset, the bearings can pop out. I had to strip my headset, replace the bearings and remove it by shaking.
    Good luck!
  • big_p
    big_p Posts: 565
    the easiest solution would be to take a bottle boss bolt out and pump a blob of grease in there, what ever it is in there will stick to it, problem solved.

    use one of these.

    120101.jpg
  • lemoncurd
    lemoncurd Posts: 1,428
    It could be a plectrum.