Stuck Pedals

mr_eddy

Ok so I have a MTB that I picked up, Its in great condition but still has the original pedals from 25 years ago. I want to pop on my SPD pedals but I cannot for the life of me remove the current pedals. I know about the thread pattern etc and I have swapped pedals before so I know that the threads are 'Normal' on the drive side and opposite on the other.

I have tried overnight soak in WD40 and also tried leverage by putting a old handle bar over the end of my pedal wrench but to no avail.

I am starting to think that a blow torch may be the only solution to expand the spindle but just wondering are there any other tricks I could use ?

pesky_jones

Have you tried hitting the old handle bar or wrench with a rubber mallet? Give it a real good whack

Chunkers1980

I'm pretty sure there's an article somewhere on here about the things to try.

mr_eddy

I will have a look for that article, I tried hitting it with the rubber handle of my hammer (hard enough that I nearly broke my d**n wrist ! )

The cranks are some fairly rare early exage 500 LX (in mint condition) so if it looks like I could damage the arms I think I will just get the LBS to get there blow torch on it.

Cheers

photonic69

Boiling water. It just might work without resorting to blowtorch. Worked on some stuck wheel nuts for ame a while back.

larkim

Bike on its side, cranks in a vice etc for more purchase / stability? If they've been in there 25 years with no grease and you want to protect the cranks, LBS might be the most risk-free option?

kinioo

HAve you tried Coca Cola or Pepsi instead of WD40 ??

This thing will eat everything - worked for me on few badly rusted bolts...

nicklouse

WD40 is crap at most things.

get some proper penetrating fluid.

plus gas.

or even the Halfords shock and release.

am7

I tried using my hands, legs, body weight on a wrench wrapped in an old towel. When that didn't work I took a hammer to the wrench (left the towel on) and hit as hard as I could. It only took a couple of hits for both and they were free. I put those pedals on not even a month ago and I used molykote grease. Maybe I tightened them too hard (I later noticed it said 10Nm). After 25 years I am not sure if my hammer would cut it. Worth a try though as in my mind no matter how much torque you can exert a heavy blow will pack more instant punch to dislodge a stuck/corroded/fused pedal.

cycleclinic

A longer pedal wrench. Never found a pedal so stuck that long pedal wrench won't shift. Plus gas will help too.

WD40 should be banned and collected up and disposed in bonfire/expolosion sort of way. I would pay to see that happen.