A Stubborn Pedal Removal | Tech Tuesday

Calvin's client has a bike to sell, but first, they need to remove the pedals. Unfortunately for them, this is proving to be a VERY stubborn pedal removal.
Back pain notwithstanding, Calvin is determined to help and get the bike back to his client. Using his knowledge of leverage and the properties of materials, Calvin devises some tricks that will aid him as he goes toe to toe with the stubborn pedal.
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[@iffy_too4289]

The direction of pedal threads always has me triple guessing and checking and doing mental somersaults so I'm not going to ruin the cranks.

[@timtaylor9590]

Just remember the drive side is a normal thread when looking at it from the outside.

[@mobilemiall]

I just remember it this way, "right is right, and left is wrong". :-) As in, left pedal reverse threaded.

[@Pityke4]

pedal always tightens in the direction of the bike is going - that is how I remember it. Bottom bracket (if BSA) - the opposite.

[@johns3106]

Both sides loosen pulling the wrench towards the rear of the bike, tighten towards the front

[@timtaylor9590]

@@johns3106 at 12, 3, 6, or 9 o'clock? And from which side of the axle?

[@jfaust97]

I love the smell a locked pedal or bolt gives when it finally breaks loose! The smell of victory!!

[@jayknibbs8413]

Me too😂

[@yonglingng5640]

If it's a smoky smell you're talking about, the same thing happens with Shimano road chainring bolts that have never been removed before, I used to wonder why did it emit that smell, until I get to see a bolt I cracked loose sparked and produced a small puff of smoke.

[@Smegmeister]

it is galvanic corrosion and friction topped with theadlock. throw a Ti axle into the mix and it is x10 (Ti ^ Steel)

[@MakeCriminalsIllegalAgain]

I think you're talking about old grease.

[@MakeCriminalsIllegalAgain]

​@@Smegmeisterthreadlock on a pedal? Never had one work lose in all my miles. Proper torque is adequate in most cases.

[@samzam4496]

WORKED like a charm .. All hail Calvin !

[@RUSSDsPhotography]

thanks for all of your great videos Calvin and Park Tool. I have learned a lot from them. :D I also have learned that once a month I crack the pedals and seat post loose to prevent them from seizing up. Looking forward to more of these great vids.

last time I bought a used road bike (not very old, almost recent tech), and I wanted to replace the Look pedals to SPD. I tried it on the side of the road when I took it from the trunk of a rental car. it was more than an hour of failed attempts. then at home, with a heatgun and massive tools i finally did it :D (without braking anything)

[@no_Ray_bang]

OMG Calvin! The hot water trick just saved my sanity. Restoring a trash find currently and you restored my hope. Thanks!

[@freds4703]

If you don’t need to get the crank off ASAP - refurbing and oldie for example - penetrating oil will creep in eventually. It may take days. No need to slop it all over the place. Add a little every time you pass the bike. Also, when heating, add a few drops of p-oil as the part cools down. Repeat a few times. This may draw some p-oil in as the joint cools. To ease pedal removal with the crank on the bike, use an old toe clip strap to strap opposite crank to the frame.

[@duroxkilo]

penetrating oil does work faster when heat cycling the parts, probably because the materials expand a bit... mechanics also tap/lightly hammer on the stuck bolts.

[@makantahi3731]

nothing can penetrate between pedal and crank because there is white powder that was made by corrosion and its volume is bigger and pedal is compressed inside of crank, even oil gets inside, resistance is too big because "sand" is between pedal and crank

[@Philatlondon1]

I just think 'backwards' for the direction of removal. Don't have to think about left or right thread then. Works every time.

[@brentnearhood8874]

Thanks! Calvin🔧

[@stanislavkindiakov6334]

Best instruction of removing pedal I've ever seen

[@mr.bianchirider8126]

Once a year in the spring I will remove the pedals, re-grease and reinstall. It takes only a few minutes and avoids what you have seen.

I loved the effects so much! :DD

[@stephenringlee9739]

Penetrating oil does indeed work if you heat the crank arm, spray it on, and touch it up with more oil over a couple of days to let it soak in. Then heat the crank arm again and on the steel pedal shaft use either CRC FreezeOff (a penetrating oil that freezes when sprayed) or a piece of dry ice, then try removing it. Works like a charm. And remember to use grease or preferably anti-seize when reinstalling the pedals.

[@ed0078]

Agree

[@reyreymtz]

Love your videos!!!

[@jptrainor]

A few good sharp hits with a hammer on a socket that's seated in the hex head can help break up corrosion bonds that cause threaded fasteners to stick. Particularly when it's a steel thread in aluminum.

[@SteveSUX2BU]

Loving the editing on the videos recently.

[@bobwatkins1271]

I've used an impact wrench to remove these. Quick sqeeze of the trigger. Brrrrrrp! Job done.

[@10OZDuster]

chance of damage to the aluminum threads on the crank the more expensive part....might work in most cases but not the proper way...would you try an impact wrench on a stuck spark plug ??? i bet you wont...

[@markholm7050]

I had this problem once but with a crank arm stuck on a square taper. Heat did the trick. I did not have a heat gun, so I boiled a kettle of water and poured the very hot water over the head of the crank. That made the difference.

[@MrGrayFox0]

@Park Tool I've had a similar issue this week. But I've used the SWB-15 and let the handle show to the tyre. Then I stood onto the pedal with my whole weight and I got it free.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Dam these are so good! Brilliant, thank you for the tips!!

[@bhess93]

Used the heat gun trick and it worked great. Thanks !

[@mtb5778]

great ideas

[@trekkeruss]

Before I would take the crank off to immobilize the crank, I use a toe strap wrapped through the opposite crankarm's pedal hole or pedal and the chainstay to keep the crank from turning. This works for me 99% of the time. The largest problem comes when the pedal flats or hex is rounded off; that is when I usually end up having to remove the crank.

when I had to remove the cranks, there could other issues also occured: removing the crank could damage the thread if it's also very stuck. (once, I removed the threads from inside the crank with the tool, but the crank stayed stuck on the BB axle :D then we cut it down with ang angle grinder)

[@feedbackzaloop]

Heatgun. The best tool to help with pedals and BBs. Just use with caution on carbon. And threads are actually not sealed: there is always a helical chanell between bolt and nut outer diameters. That's why you always put a least an o-ring in hydraulic threaded couples.

[@AJB1]

This! From the outside it's probably pretty much sealed where the shoulder of the pedal's spindle is done up tight against the crank arm. But from the back, where the allen key head is, there's an open helical channel to let the oil soak all the way along the thread, penetrating into the stuck bits as it goes.

[@feedbackzaloop]

@@AJB1 exactly. It's just the penetranting oil must be thin enough to overcome capillary pressure. But that is pretty much the main purpose, reflected in the name

[@JMcLeodKC711]

Awesome, awesome awesome……I have heard of cold, penetrating oil and heat. You just confirmed the best method

[@TundeEszlari]

You are a very good KZbinr.

[@hotmags]

The heat gun alias “hair dryer” did the trip for me. Thanks so much. Awesome tip.

[@pauljames4510]

This is why I always grease my pedal threads 👍🚲💨

[@smithpauld1501]

Thanks. Just thanks.

[@timtaylor9590]

I would've used a secure vice so I can have two hands to work with. The most important thing is to not strip the axle usually if you take your time you will feel if the tool is going to slip. I had to sacrifice a pedal axle by grinding it flat so I could use a wrench on it with the Allen wrench that way I was able to apply much more force without stripping it. Its not bad to sacrifice a pedal axle to save an expensive crank. Besides over tightening and not greasing pedals axles, they with get stuck because it's hard steal in contact with soft aluminum. You may want to consider copper washers but that length of prevention shouldn't be necessary a long as you apply grease and don't over tighten.

[@zygmuntthecacaokakistocrat6589]

If you can push with your foot on the removing tool in the right direction, with the bike on the ground (spanner or hex bit/key) you can apply your body weight plus leg muscle strength. If you take the crank off 1:10 you're better off using a vice and soft jaws (I made mine from some HDPE from an old chopping board that are shaped to fit a crank arm) to grip the crank. Vices don't move around so much when you apply leverage, especially when they're bolted down to a solid bench. 3:20 penetrating fluid works (applied the night before), if it's applied carefully to the joints between the spindle and the crank, and it's proper penetrating oil, not just WD 40. There's always capilliary gaps that a good penetrating fluid can get down, as aluminium oxide is often porous against hard steel pedal spindles. 5:00 if you've got a partially rounded hex, use a Wera Hex Plus bit (or a 5/16" bit, which is ever so slightly bigger than an 8mm), which bites into mangled hex faces better than a standard hex bit. Sorry, Calvin, other companies make some tools that are better than yours. 6:00 if you want to keep the pedal, and the hex is mauled, grind a set of *parallel* flats onto the crank flange on the spindle: it won't be 15mm, but maybe 14mm, or 13mm. Or buy a new spindle, if they're available (often cheaper than like-for-like new pedals). If was super stuck, inspect carefully for galling, & chase out the crank thread with the correct pedal tap. It may be partially stripped, and be a candidate for a thread insert if so. Scrub the pedal threads with a wire brush (rotary one on a bench grinder is best) &/or pick out the bits of stuck crank thread with a sharp pick & make doubly sure you put lots of anti-seize or grease on the thread before reassembly. All of these things you could have talked about, but didn't. Are you pushed for time nowadays?

[@MajorHuck]

Thank you! The hair dryer was the only thing that did it

[@thePavuk]

Last time I changed pedals, I removed one easily and the second one absolutely stuck. I used everything. WD40, Freezed it, heated it, long arm, hammer, big hammer, Impact hammer.... it moved 1/10th of degree after another... then I looked at shimano pedals and noticed opposite marked direction.

[@cyclingSausage]

Haha :-D

[@dantedorado2609]

It’s surprising how easily the left pedal comes loose when you turn it in the correct direction. 😅

[@stuartfreedman6854]

As for wrench direction, I think of two rider positions in a bunch on the road: "on the front" or "off the back". That is to say to put the pedal on, rotate towards the front. To remove it, rotate towards the back. No guesswork. Works every time.

[@keithschrack]

I teach my charges just how critical tool placement can be. It really makes a difference.

[@shirtlessGraveler305]

Great job I learned a lot with this technique! Thank You. Might recommend for all to wear good mechanic gloves. Don’t want punctures or cuts or even a broken Allen key to impale your hand , safety first. I always wear gloves when pedal removing. FYI 🤔😉😎

[@immortalclass]

There are times when you can clamp a basic allen key/hex wrench in the bench vice and then turn the crankset by hand. Use lots of rags if you have to pull on the chainrings..! You can even use the soft-head mallet to break the thread.

[@frvo]

I had that happen to me before but with the crank arm. Never occurred to me to heat up the part, even though I know mechanics use it with cars. Thanks for the advice!

[@yonglingng5640]

I will never apply direct heat to any bicycle part. Car parts are OK for the most part, but the same absolutely cannot be said for bicycle parts, especially carbon.

[@TheDaern]

​@@yonglingng5640This is where the advice about hot water was excellent. 100C won't hurt any materials on a bike, even carbon, and the magic of boiling water is that it's impossible to overheat the parts no matter how hard you try. I routinely use this for everything from stubborn pedals to bearing removal so I need to apply less mechanical force.

[@yonglingng5640]

@@TheDaern Yes, hot water allows you to raise the temperature exposed to a component more controllably. My ex-colleagues once had to do it to a customer's aluminium frame when his carbon seatpost was seized in there. It took a few days and a lot of muscling around to work it loose.

for the direction, my simple rule is this: as you stand next to the bike and the bike is not upside down. imagine that you turn the wrench the same direction as the wheels rotate when you go forward, it's the tightening of the pedals. and backwards is the loosening. unless you have some very special/rare/antic cranks+pedals. so simple as that: forward = tighten, backward = loosen.

[@SkySpiral8]

That’s how I think of it too! I think “when you put pedals on, it’s because you’re gonna get on the bike and wanna move FORWARD to adventure!”

[@barrycorney3665]

4:00 Calvin finally gets it correct..... Aluminium..... !! (What were the chances of that? You do the maths !)

[@davidburgess741]

I removed the left crank from the bike, clamped it into a huge vise. With a 1/2 inch impact driver blasting at the Allen bolt spindle in reverse, and my son heaving with a wrench flats in the same rotation, nothing happened! M-540 spindles fit Shimano road pedals bodies though!

[@billkallas1762]

I always prefer pedals with wrench flats.

[@brycebonilla4288]

That happened with one of my sram DUB crank arms. I had to use a ratchet with a 5 foot long metal pole as an extender and then ziptie the crank arm to the bike in three places so it wouldnt move. First time it broke all three zip ties clean in half but on the next try I did get it. The noise of it cracking loose burst my ear drum, as loud as blowing a tubeless tire.

[@adammitchell2318]

Sparingly applied marine anti seize makes life easy, I apply to XD cassette driver threads as well.

[@the.communist]

Grease is enough

[@yonglingng5640]

​@@the.communistYes, but if you have anti-seize compound lying around, why not?

[@kristianvrum8979]

Tip: use a swivel head breaker bar and hex bit socket, as this will allow you to apply force in the same plane as the mating surface between crank arm and pedal axle (it's also a lot sturdier that the flimsy tool he uses in the video, and remember that you should never heat a carbon crank arm). Bonus tip: if you fixate the crankarm with a rope tied between seatpost and opposite pedal/crank arm, you don't need to remove crankset from bike.

[@CyclingLifePT]

I would not take the cranks out of the bicycle ... Last time i had some pedal stuck i did as follows: 1. Engage the highest speed on your bicycle: That will put the chain on the highest chainring on the front (adding some protection to the chainring teeth) and the lowest cog in the back (making it hard for the bike to start moving) 2. Put the cranks in the 1-2 o'clock position 3. Put the wrench in the pedal as horizontal as you can get it (a ratchet could be useful) and secure the tool to the crank with a zip tie 4. Grab the rear brake completely and hop on the wrench until the pedal starts moving

[@dre3951]

Nice. I'm reading the comments for ideas like this. Makes sense. I generally try to avoid taking off more parts than needed unless I'm sure they will come off and go back on without problems. What if on this bike it turned out that crank removal was even tougher than pedal removal?

[@CyclingLifePT]

@@dre3951 Exactly. On older bikes for example you will need to clean, lube and repack the ball bearings and fine tune/adjust the crank play. Its a lot of time and may not be required.

[@bmxscape]

you do not need to do any of that to refit crankarms. @@CyclingLifePT

[@CyclingLifePT]

@@bmxscape Thats right. We dont. I"m talking about avoiding that if possible. If its not broken, why fix it?

[@cmdmd]

Impact wrench drill FTW.

[@josecintra4644]

nice!!!😁

[@ebikescrapper3925]

Impact driver and Wera hex bit.

[@pinoyeh]

I will use my 1/2 cordless impact, same as what I did my crank a few months back......

[@GeekonaBike]

In my mind, I always thought heating the arm would try to shrink the hole and expand the outside of the alu crank arm. I still used this method believing that the post-heating cooling would aid in breaking the lock on threads.

[@roomservicetaco]

Impact wrench with 6 or 8mm allen head socket would work too.

[@m.t.keepmoving4137]

Calvin, I believe that applying heat is actually assisting the breakdown of chemical bonds (rust) more so than expanding the retaining surfaces. Excellent method (apply heat to stubborn metal fasteners) to aid in disassembly.

[@joehart3826]

Nice Allen keys

[@wandae6352]

The best indicator that im turning my pedals in the right direction is to see if the wheel goes along when Loosening/tightening the pedals If it did not or the cassette just "freewheels" You are loosening the pedal If the pedals lock with the wheel when you turn the wrench, You are tightening it, Goes It was designed that way so the pedals would tighten even more if you pedal hard Just remember when turning the wrench with pedals on cranks freewheel is loosen Locks with wheels is tighten.

[@L2theWcarscoffeelife]

Dewalt impact for the win every time

[@BarePotato]

It wasn't pedal but I got stuck DUB crank. Used very very long wrench letting it hit the ground. then turned the both side crank arms to work like a charm

[@ezequielpiacenza3776]

😊😊😊😊👍👍🙈 siempre la utilizo cuando gripan los pedales más unas palancas caras

[@JAG-ALL-EGO]

Crazy video. The torque on the wrench was amazing, you can really see the bending. Would you recommend using a cheater bar to increase the torque? Also, should a lubricant be applied to pedal treads when installing new pedals to reduce friction on treads?

[@Lawman-196]

I put a little grease on the thread before I put pedals on because that is where dirt and water always goes. You could use anti-sieze but quite messy.

[@jozefsk7456]

currently about to attempt stuck crank removal on a customer's bike. Got a knipex parallel pliers, will get the crank into a large vice, If this fails, i will heat it up with a propane torch if customer will give the ok. wish me luck.

[@saxmanjosh]

Get a heavy rubber mallet and hit the end of your crank arm tool

[@ZOB4]

I have so many questions about that bike.

[@igvabe]

Hi, great video. I have an aluminium seatpost stuck in a titanium frame, would heating work- or rather cooling it down with dry ice? Also, should I try and turn it, or knock it further in to try to loosen it?

[@interceptor7905]

Last time I used 8mm long hex socket and 1/2" dr breaker bar and that did it for me.I wish all pedals still could be removed using 15 mm pedal wrench!And you mean heat gun lol

[@dmv4554]

How satisfying is that?

[@dudeonbike800]

I much prefer to put the crank arm in a vise. A vise is firmly attached to the workbench, and the workbench is firmly attached to a cement wall. (Protect the arm with pads in the vise jaws, obviously.) This will allow you to apply all sorts of force to the pedal. Soaking with penetrating oil is super easy. Using an impact wrench a breeze. And using the massive PW-4 pedal wrench on those with flats.

[@baernir]

Great video. I think park should have its own air gun or at least have a blue one !

[@SkySpiral8]

Low key Bill Nye vibes👍👍

[@ed0078]

It’s aluminum and will handle the heat gun but now I have to replace the plastic guards of the stand which created another problem. Thank God Wilson makes a vise. - I will stick with oil it has always worked for me

[@pillows4338]

I usually put the hex in, then step onto the pedal to make it loose. But I never work in that many bicycles either

[@Bonky-wonky]

If brands would use a 15mm wrench interface or at the very least an 8mm allen life would be a lot easier for the (home) mechanic. I don’t think I’ve ever had a pedal not come loose when breaking out the good old pw4..

[@CasualRipper]

I tell my techs to just strip it. Works every time

[@mellowbob]

Impact wrench actually works really well on stuck pedals. Especially with a blast of WD40 and let it sit for a few minutes.

[@peacemakermotion3949]

mine aren't even coming off with that :( lol

[@drengskap]

I always install pedals with a dab of copper grease to prevent galvanic corrosion between the aluminium crank and steel axle - works for me, but I've had to deal with plenty of stuck pedals like this when somebody didn't do that.

[@ggaskoin]

Copper grease speeds up the alu corrosion. Regular grease is just fine.

[@drengskap]

​@@ggaskoin That has not been my experience. Copper grease specifically prevents a galvanic reaction taking place between the aluminium and the steel, which is common on pedal to crank joints, because they are close to the ground and subject to getting doused in slush and road salt in the winter if you live in a cold climate. I was in a bike workshop just today discussing exactly this issue with another bike mechanic - we are both pro qualified.

[@ggaskoin]

@@drengskap There are two opposite opinions on that, all given by "pro qualified" mechanics. One thing that makes no doubt is that copper grease is messy as #$%@ making everything dirty around :D

[@drengskap]

@@ggaskoin No messier than any other grease, in my experience.

[@YuunaAndCuddles]

Stuck? I usually use a tool + mallet combo to remove or even reinstall items, including pedals. Also, I prevent pedal seizures by installing them with grease beforehand.

[@LaurentiusTriarius]

That's an urban legend, stuck pedals...

[@markifi]

i've seen it once or twice. the recipe is install pedals dry and wait a decade or so

[@SkySpiral8]

I wonder if covering the wrench head with a very thin rag would help it seat itself and not wobble and fling itself violently out (preventing your upper body from crashing into the teeth of the chainring!)

[@sp00n]

What a tiny wrench for pedal removals 😅 Having a really long lever, like for car wheels, helps with removing stuck pedals as well. The longer the lever, the larger the force you can transfer to the bolt.

[@poncholee]

I have magped road² stuck very at my Shimano 105 crank arm, is it okay use hot blower to the arm?

[@HanMoP]

use alumium paste when fastening pedals. that avoid galvanic corrotion.

[@futureshock7425]

those teeth almost caught calvin's hand at the end

[@SerPurple51]

I had to buy a pedal wrench to get my pedals off because the shop who installed them didn't grease the pedals. It took my whole body weight to get the damn thing off.

[@yonglingng5640]

Monkeys with a wrench...(not you, whoever installed your pedals dry)

[@SerPurple51]

@@yonglingng5640 yeah that's what happens when the two head mechanics quit because they had their pay cut after being taken over by corporate.

[@ebikescrapper3925]

Plusgas will help to lubricate threads.

[@MrPrajitura]

Recently bought a used MTB which had clipless pedals that were stuck. My solution was to buy another crankset 🤣

[@Schizee]

Grate now I need buy a hairdryer lol

[@sparkyastwo]

After you heated the crank arm, can we use a chain whip on the chain ring and torque it in the opposite direction?

[@markifi]

i've never seen anyone do it but i don't see why it wouldn't work? good idea

[@NonLegitNation2]

Hey Calvin, what's your opinion on pedal extenders? I had some titanium 20mm pedal extenders on my Shimano M5100 crank with my Race Face Chester pedals. I took my bike into the bike shop for a tune up and the mechanic told me I should get rid of the pedal extenders because they can put too much stress on the crank arm and can mess up the threads where the pedal screws into the crank arm. The main reason I had the extenders is because my big size 12 feet were coming VERY close to hitting my chainstays when pedaling and I found a wider stance on my bike with the pedal extenders was more comfortable ergonomically.

[@markfisher7962]

A bike mechanic will have seen the worst of the worst. If you're not THAT ape, you'll probably be OK.

[@darinsteele7091]

the best way to do it would be to put it in a real vice and use a small sledgehammer instead of cranking on it with your hands

[@Pityke4]

wish I had a heat gun when I wanted to extract my square taper crank arm. Cigarette lighter did not work lol. Now it's in the trash - ruined thread so needed to be cut - and integrated took its place.

[@iamcyberpunk68]

he knows bike but my god what a geeky dude.

[@makantahi3731]

it was easy, i had to disassemble pedal, grind axle to be flat , put it into vise and then i grabbed crank with 2 hands and tried to "paddle", it barely moved, electric corrosion of aluminum and steel

[@iwontreplybacklol7481]

Damm Super Mario lost a lot of weight.

[@user-cx2bk6pm2f]

Trust the Mustache 😀👍

[@notanomad9320]

I just flip the bike upside down on the floor to get the best mechanical leverage, Hasn't failed me yet.

[@tondelaclau2035]

No used w40 !?

[@ynosnava]

Last time on a brand new cube we had to use a 1.5 meters long lever to untighten the pedals... They should stop screwing them so hard... Life would be easier...

[@scottshipp2980]

I put anti-seize on my pedal threads before installation so I don't have to worry about this.

[@adiros9226]

Now and then (once or twice a year)take out the pedals, regrease them, and torque them back.

[@c.d.3485]

Earth as a lever. Bet Carl Sagan never thought of that.

[@darius2640]

what to do if you used a crank puller on a crankset like this and you stripped the threads? how do i remove them now?

[@markfisher7962]

Often, the stripped threads are because (perhaps due to dirt on the crank fem threads) the puller wasn't fully threaded home in the crank. If this is so, fully clean the crank threads (and make sure you hadn't forgotten to pull the tightening nut or bolt). Then carefully work the puller past the damaged outer threads to the full available depth and try again. Beyond that, a hacksaw and chisel will work. Once.