[pocky]

PNW Rainier/Tranz-X/Brand X dropper "seized" pin -- force to pull cartridge out?

My 27.2 externally routed post has "seized up" in such a way that the top pin on the cartridge won't "push down". I want to get the cartridge out to either replace it or get it working again -- I have a suspicion the cartridge is just fine and it's just that the pin has seized at the top, and maybe taking it out and tapping it with a hammer will help. (I've already tried flushing the area in the saddle rail clamp where the cable lever arm is, where I can see the rubber bumper and the pin, with PB Blaster, but it still won't budge.)

I've disassembled the post as shown in the instructions at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1081/9866/files/Rainier_Service_Manual.pdf , but at Step 5, the cartridge doesn't actually seem to come out of the shaft so that I'd have the silver cartridge out of the black tube with the brass keys so that I could examine it separately as shown in the photo on the first page of the service manual. Is it supposed to just "fall out"? I can grab the silver cartridge from the part of it that protrudes at the bottom, and spin it freely with my hands, but pulling on it to pull it outward, it doesn't budge. Should I put the locknut bolt back on and apply a ton of force, with a slide hammer for example, to try to force it to dislodge? Or am I missing something? The service manual doesn't ever actually show a "step 5b" of pulling the cartridge out of the tube.

What should I do? I suppose the worst case scenario is I hit it with so much force that I break something on it, but is there a simple thing here that I'm missing to pull that cartridge out?

 

[Impetus]

Who made it? I’d contact them.

I get it, it’s the same post with different logos, but I’d try and see what ‘they’ say.


If that fails, I’d maybe reach out to PNW and explain the situation.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pocky]

Tried that. They said it sounds like the cartridge is blown, and that I shouldn't use PB Blastr because it would decrease the sliders, but they didn't address how to actually get the cartridge out of the post. It'smy understanding that it's supposed to just fall out when you expose the bottom of it, but that's not happening. I'm wondering if I should hit it with a slide hammer and how much force is too much force, or whether and how I should remove the hinge pin that holds the lever that the cable knarp attaches to which actually pushes the top pin of the cartridge. If I take the hinge pin out and expose the top pin of the cartridge, maybe I could hit it with something from the top and unseize it.

 

[OneUp]

Tried that. They said it sounds like the cartridge is blown, and that I shouldn't use PB Blastr because it would decrease the sliders, but they didn't address how to actually get the cartridge out of the post. It'smy understanding that it's supposed to just fall out when you expose the bottom of it, but that's not happening. I'm wondering if I should hit it with a slide hammer and how much force is too much force, or whether and how I should remove the hinge pin that holds the lever that the cable knarp attaches to which actually pushes the top pin of the cartridge. If I take the hinge pin out and expose the top pin of the cartridge, maybe I could hit it with something from the top and unseize it.

Remove the seat clamps and underneath you'll see either a nut that needs to be unthreaded from the air valve or a bolt that needs to be removed.

 

[Lone Rager]

^^^ very nice gesture helping out a rider with a competitor's dropper.

 

[pocky]

That is indeed a very nice gesture from OneUp!

To be clear, the seat rails are already removed, and I don't see an additional bolt up top -- just the "button" beneath the "lever":

...and the "lever" doesn't appear removable without driving out the pin, pictured, which I imagine will be very difficult to get back in if I *do* drive it out:

In any case, according to the instructions at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1081/9866/files/Rainier_Service_Manual.pdf , it doesn't appear that I should need to remove any more than one bolt -- the bolt on the bottom, which, as pictured, is was already removed as part of the instructions in the PDF:

I assumed that the cartridge should just "fall out" or at least gently pull out at this point! I've tried pulling downward on the threaded part, and also spinning the silver cartridge body while holding the black shaft still, and the cartridge spins, but doesn't pull out! I'm wondering if the only thing holding it in is some sort of corrosion at the top, and I should hit it with a slide hammer at this point, or if it's somehow threaded in in some other manner.

 

[PNW_Components]

That is indeed a very nice gesture from OneUp!

To be clear, the seat rails are already removed, and I don't see an additional bolt up top -- just the "button" beneath the "lever":
View attachment 1274471

...and the "lever" doesn't appear removable without driving out the pin, pictured, which I imagine will be very difficult to get back in if I *do* drive it out:
View attachment 1274477

In any case, according to the instructions at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1081/9866/files/Rainier_Service_Manual.pdf , it doesn't appear that I should need to remove any more than one bolt -- the bolt on the bottom, which, as pictured, is was already removed as part of the instructions in the PDF:
View attachment 1274479

I assumed that the cartridge should just "fall out" or at least gently pull out at this point! I've tried pulling downward on the threaded part, and also spinning the silver cartridge body while holding the black shaft still, and the cartridge spins, but doesn't pull out! I'm wondering if the only thing holding it in is some sort of corrosion at the top, and I should hit it with a slide hammer at this point, or if it's somehow threaded in in some other manner.

I would also check on your warranty. We are different than TranzX/BrandX, but they may replace this for you if it falls under their warranty program.

 

[Ty Smith]

That is indeed a very nice gesture from OneUp!

To be clear, the seat rails are already removed, and I don't see an additional bolt up top -- just the "button" beneath the "lever":
View attachment 1274471

...and the "lever" doesn't appear removable without driving out the pin, pictured, which I imagine will be very difficult to get back in if I do drive it out:
View attachment 1274477

In any case, according to the instructions at https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1081/9866/files/Rainier_Service_Manual.pdf , it doesn't appear that I should need to remove any more than one bolt -- the bolt on the bottom, which, as pictured, is was already removed as part of the instructions in the PDF:
View attachment 1274479

I assumed that the cartridge should just "fall out" or at least gently pull out at this point! I've tried pulling downward on the threaded part, and also spinning the silver cartridge body while holding the black shaft still, and the cartridge spins, but doesn't pull out! I'm wondering if the only thing holding it in is some sort of corrosion at the top, and I should hit it with a slide hammer at this point, or if it's somehow threaded in in some other manner.

Hi did you figure anything out I'm having the same issue?