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Frozen
 

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

2/19/17 6:44 PM

Frozen

Not to break the mood and ask a bike question, but I've encountered a problem I've never experienced before and need some help.

The brass ferrules on the ends of my Campy derailleur cable housings have frozen into the head tube adjuster barrels. I can pull the casings out of the ferrules but I can't pull the ferrules out of the barrel adjusters. I assume this problem is new to me because of the metal used for the adjusters (I don't think it is aluminum but not sure what it is). I've let them soak in Liquid Wrench (what I had on hand) for over 24 hours with no luck.

I know that I can eventually get the ferrules out by destroying them, but that means replacing my cables and they are not ready to be replaced so I'm looking for ideas to get the ferrules to release. TIA.

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dfcas
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 2815
Location: hillbilly heaven

2/19/17 6:54 PM

I've never been able to get stuck ferrules out without damaging them. The last one I got using a small slotted screwdriver. The stop was slotted and I put the screwdriver on the bottom side and tapped it with a small hammer. It came right out.

In the future does it make sense to coat the outside of a ferrule with grease?

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greglepore
Joined: 10 Jan 2004
Posts: 1724
Location: SE Pa, USA

2/19/17 7:31 PM

Anti seize is your friend, just don't get any on ya, as it will follow you for days.

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Brian Nystrom
Joined: 26 Jan 2004
Posts: 5096
Location: Nashua, NH

2/20/17 7:16 AM

Ferrules should be available at any shop

I always keep unused ferrules as spares and take old, but usable, ones off of old housings as well. Perhaps you're not as much of a pack rat as I am, but maybe you have some old cables somewhere with salvageable ferrules.

You can try using plastic ferrules to prevent seizing, but I prefer the metal ones myself. Using an anti-corrosion product like Corrosion-X or anti-seize as Greg recommended should help to prevent a recurrence. In a pinch, any oil or grease will do.

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

2/20/17 1:01 PM

P B'laster?

I don't know if it's any better than Liquid Wrench. One problem is for most of us a tiny can is a lifetime supply and it only comes in big cans.

Use it outdoors.

What do you think the issue is, galvanic corrosion?

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dddd
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3345
Location: NorCal

2/20/17 1:22 PM

Not sure what the adjuster barrel is made of, but Campag notoriously used pot metal for some of their derailer's adj barrels, easily broken but I don't recall a particular problem with corrosion, except for the exterior finish (immediate problem with their lower-level groups).

I often use a 4-5-second blast from a propane torch to free frozen spoke nipple threads, so if the cable and barrel are detached from the bike you could try a quick, intense heating. If the metal is magnetic you could go very high on the temperature, but won't need to go that high anyway.

Common problem at that location, also the threads becoming frozen, and I've spent much time having to actually drill out and re-tap a frozen adjuster from a glued-on aluminum stop boss on my Orbea's downtube.

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Sparky
Joined: 08 Dec 2003
Posts: 19068
Location: PDX

2/20/17 1:39 PM

"If the metal is magnetic you could go very high on the temperature, but won't need to go that high anyway."

Should I assume you mean 'ferrous' in terms of the property which heat won't obliterate immediately and not the magnetic property??

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daddy-o
Joined: 12 Apr 2004
Posts: 3307
Location: Springfield

2/20/17 1:53 PM

Maybe a soldering iron for heat?

Just jumping the heat idea with a different heat source.

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dddd
Joined: 11 Jan 2004
Posts: 3345
Location: NorCal

2/21/17 3:29 PM

A decent soldering iron produces enough heat at high enough a temp, but doesn't conduct the heat to the workpiece very well without the liquid flux and solder creating a continuous pathway.
So I'm not sure that applying a soldering iron "dry" will actually get the barrel hot enough.
I've also simply crunched down the exposed open end of the ferrule cold with pliers and pulled it out, having some penetrant present to assist movement. I first grip the threads with a vise or a Vise-Grip or a second pair of pliers (using a toe strap or soft metal strip as a buffer against the hard, sharp vise/plier jaws).
Getting the cable out of the way and the barrel removed from the bike lets the action begin without trauma to the frame's delicate boss.


Last edited by dddd on 2/21/17 3:36 PM; edited 1 time in total

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

2/21/17 3:35 PM

Corrosion

Assume corrosion is galvanic. I did grease the ferrules on install, but will go heavier down that road on the next pass. This was their 2nd season in the frame, greased in the spring both years but getting caught in the rain tells me to re-grease in future.

Pot metal is my assumption (non-magnetic) though it is possible that they are aluminum - kind of a dull finish - in a titanium frame. I had thought about applying a soldering iron to the ferrules. After I posted originally it occurred to me that I might have some ferrules (pack rat confession) in my junk box and so will dig for them. It's impossible to get purchase on the ferrules without crimping them, and then they still don't come out easily.

Thanks for the ideas.

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

3/9/17 10:01 AM

Solutions

So after letting things soak in Liquid Wrench (no joy) I tried the soldering gun heat. Also no joy. Out came the drill and as the bit chewed into the soft brass, it twisted the ferrules out with ease. I used the drill to clean out the cavity and maybe open it up a bit. Turns out I did have several spare ferrules in my junk box so I heavily greased everything and put a note on my calendar to grease them again mid-season.

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