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Superman installed my pedals!

2K views 23 replies 21 participants last post by  AlexJK 
#1 ·
So, yesterday I picked up some new clipless pedals and shoes, got home all excited to install them and try them out. Pulled out a 15mm wrench, checked the direction I wanted to undo them, and nothing.

I still have the marks on my hands this morning. I tried 2 different 15mm wrenches, they both fit on the pedal fine, I just can't get it to budge at all. Any tips on getting my current pedals off? they are not that old (bike is less than 4 months old).

Thanks.
 
#7 ·
Well, I finally got them off!! A combination of PB Blaster and a 2' torque wrench locked into the end of my 15mm wrench got them off!

Not without injury though, I had the bike upside down, leaning on the left hand crank to hold it still, pushing down on the torque wrench on the right pedal. I literally had all my weight leaning on the wrench (and had this thought in my mind telling me that when it finally gives I am likely to lose balance). Sure enough, the pedal suddenly pops loose, I lose my balance, fall forward, the bike starts to fall, I almost catch myself, but instead manage to fall over the bike with the chain rings digging into my ribs on the way down. I now have a nice 6-7" long curved cut that starts with small puncture marks from the teeth on one end, and about 2" long scrapes where the teeth dug into me at the other end. This morning it still hurts, feels bruised or something.

I am hoping that is not a sign of things to come with clipless pedals!! and yes, I did put plenty of grease on them before putting the new ones on!
 
#9 ·
You are lucky

naiku said:
Well, I finally got them off!! A combination of PB Blaster and a 2' torque wrench locked into the end of my 15mm wrench got them off!

Not without injury though, I had the bike upside down, leaning on the left hand crank to hold it still, pushing down on the torque wrench on the right pedal. I literally had all my weight leaning on the wrench (and had this thought in my mind telling me that when it finally gives I am likely to lose balance). Sure enough, the pedal suddenly pops loose, I lose my balance, fall forward, the bike starts to fall, I almost catch myself, but instead manage to fall over the bike with the chain rings digging into my ribs on the way down. I now have a nice 6-7" long curved cut that starts with small puncture marks from the teeth on one end, and about 2" long scrapes where the teeth dug into me at the other end. This morning it still hurts, feels bruised or something.

I am hoping that is not a sign of things to come with clipless pedals!! and yes, I did put plenty of grease on them before putting the new ones on!
Always remember to have the chain on the big chain ring when you are installing or removing pedals. And always install your pedals yourself.

A few years ago the local bike mechanic installed my girlfriend's pedals so snug that we literally needed a four-foot extension and all of my body weight to remove them. And even then it wasn't easy! Before that I had injured myself trying to get the things off, and the injury (cartilage damage to my wrist) lasted about a year.

Once the pedals were off, it took all of my girlfriend's powers to keep me from going down to the bike shop and bludgeoning the mechanic to death with a wrench.

Remember when you tighten your pedals that if you have them threaded correctly, they won't come off when you're riding unless you are so limp-wristed that you have serious problems. Tighten them just past the point where they stop turning and no more.

And don't forget to grease the threads first!

Removing pedals should never take extraordinary effort. If you or someone else is installing them in such a way that it does, it's time to re-evaluate your/their competence as a mechanic.

Have fun riding! It will make the pain in your side seem less pertinent!
 
#10 ·
When trying to remove overly tight threaded parts I've found that using this trick helps; Use a good industrial grade penetrating oil like PB, Bolt Buster, or Screw Loose--Liquid Wrench or WD-40 woll work, but maybe not as well.

Spray the joint liberally, and tap it smartly a couple of dozen times to help penetration. Do this several times over a 24 hour or longer period. The oil will worrk its way in over time and the tapping helps it to do so.

It takes time for the oil to penetrate fully into overtightened joints. The tapping and time make usually are enough. If this and a "helper" aren't enough, heat from a needle torch usually does it but can cause damage.
 
#15 ·
^^ yea definitely do not use torque wrench to break free seized bolts

I remember last year when i was on work placement at the local Cavpower, the other kid on work placement from the other high school used a 1.5 metre long multi thousand dollar Snap On torque wrench to try and break free seized bolts that hold on the massive wheels to the Cat AD40 underground ejector trucks, and to anyone who has seen then these bolts get practically welded shut by crud that gets on them. Well he had all his weight on it then crack, he managed to destroy the internals. Because no one told him not to use a torque wrench to break free seized bolts, he didnt get in trouble, but boy did the guy who was supervising us cop it from the head mechanic....
 
#16 ·
You fools! Torque Wrenches are not for making torque! They are for setting and checking the torque on critical applications like head bolts and stem bolts.....
 
#19 ·
Similar woes

I had a similar (although not quite as extreme) pedal experience as yours some years ago. I also suffered through the same type of problems with a bottom bracket -- that one cost me a frame. Since then, I faithfully remove my pedals and bottom bracket every winter and reinstall them using antiseize compound (better than grease IMHO). I have not had any more problems. As Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"........AMEN!
 
#21 ·
Pedals tighten themselves so you never have to go overboard. Park Tools says to grease and use 360 in lb (that's very tight, I think). The biggest problem I have found is that people never clean out the threads on the cranks or pedals. All the gunk in there sets up solid.

Hey, chicks will probably dig that chain ring tattoo on your chest !
 
#22 ·
My technique works a treat and I have managed to remove pedals that bike shops can't get off, they always ask "how did you get them off....we tried everything"

1 Put spanner on pedal so that the handle points just above the chainstay
2 Mount the bike with the brakes held full on (in a turbo trainer or leaning against a wall)
3 Stand up with one foot on the spanner handle, as if to pedal backwards and the other foot on the normal pedal as if to pedal forward. Works every time but keep those brakes on or it could hurt.
4 Don't tell the bike shops how it's done.



Ooh & don't fully remove the first pedal as you will require it to put your foot on to do the second one.
 
#23 ·
my 15mm wrench SUCKS!!! the "mouth" is scored and widened to the point where it rounded off the flat edges on my pedal. so now im out a wrench, and gotta break the pedal off. i was using an 18" breaker bat on top of the wrench... tried an allen wrench, yeah right, my hand hurts like a mother.

kudos to the pedal for being made out of super titanium unobtanium hybrid or something.. haha...
 
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