Customer handed me a seized seatpost and said fix it in 10 minutes

Guy rolls in at 4:50 on a Friday with a steel frame that sat in his garage for 12 years. Seatpost is welded in with rust. He says he watched a video, figured it's a quick soak and twist. I told him we'd need at least an hour with heat, penetrating oil, and maybe a blowtorch. He got annoyed and asked why I couldn't just yank harder. I showed him the cracked seat tube from the last one I tried that way. He left the bike, came back Tuesday, and admitted the $60 shop fee beat buying a new frame. Has anyone else had customers think rusted parts are a 5 minute job?

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brooke76713d ago

Soak it in ATF and acetone overnight, heat the collar red hot, then twist with a pipe.