C40 with loose part in top tube

[ger]

My Colnago C40 has a loose particle in the top tube. I guess it is a small glue part that has come loose. While riding on anything else than smooth surfaces it produces an annoying sound. Since the toptube is closed on both sides, the part an not be removed. I thought of drilling a very smal hole (1mm) in the inside of the lug at the seatpost from the direction of the seatpost hole and then fix the particle with glue injected through the hole with in injection needle. Give me you opinions please

[Boonen]

sounds like a pretty good idea to me, you'r planning on just getting some glue through the hole and hoping for the part to stick right?
You could try and call up the distributer just to see what they have to see. (don't expect them to do anything though)

[nexusheli]

There are no openings in the tupe at all? Interesting...

Personally, I wouldn't drill any holes in it until you've taken it back to the shop you bought it from and have them call Colnago about it. After they tell you to drill a hole in it, then go ahead and have the shop do it. That way the entire process is out of your hands, and if you mess up a multi-thousand dollar frame, it's out of your hands and it will be replaced if anything goes wrong.

usually in a metal frame, you'd have a vent hole from the welding process, and I tell you just to put a bit of epoxy in the hole and tilt the frame until the peice landed in the epoxy and that's that, you'd never hear it again...

[big fellow]

i would have thought that drilling the frame would void its warranty...

[Boonen]

Usually colnago's have a little (unintended) hole somewhere in the frame anyway, don't think it would void the warrenty
(If you'r concerned about it contact the distributer just to be sure)

[divve]

Maybe you can hit the tube with some ultra-sound? Sort of like removing a kidney stone

[mises]

If you get clearance to do the hole I would use a vacuum cleaner and suck it out. It came loose once and there would be no way of pressing firmly it into the glue so it could probably do it again.

[nexusheli]

It came loose once and there would be no way of pressing firmly it into the glue so it could probably do it again.

The glue trick is a VERY old trick that is very much a permanent fix. When flashing and flux used to come off on old steel frames that wouldn't come out of the vent hole, you just squeeze a little glue in and viola, sound no more. You can also do it with a heavy grease, if the idea of glue inside your frame doesn't appeal to you, but that you may have to re-apply in time.

[michel2]

hi ger,
uses call the guys at godagex explain them youre really sick of youre verry expensive but rateling frame and tell them you want a good solution,specialy youre in the middle of the season...might be the ticket to a new frame....

[fdegrove]

Hi,

might be the ticket to a new frame....

I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you......

Ciao,

[nicrump]

We call this a “jingler” in the frame shop.

My c40 has a hole in the seat tube/top tube from the factory. At any rate, don’t try and use a normal drill bit. They are not made for angled drilling such as you are going to attempt and I promise you will make a mess of the ID of the seat tube and probably break the bit.

Instead use a 1/4” carbide burr on the end of a pencil grinder or dremel flex extension. Hold the tool very very firmly as you penetrate because if not the cutter will run a muck. Make damn sure you are hitting at a point and trajectory that will penetrate close to the center of the joint. This will leave a clean hole with pretty smooth edges. Chance are you can shake the rattler out but if not use glue.

A warning about the jingler, if you manage to shake it out and it looks like a small balled up piece of steel roughly 3/16” then its likely the backing of a rivet. This means there is a slight possibility that one of your rear brake cable stops could fail. Just a caution.

[danmtchl]

I would not throw one leg over that bike, anything could happen. Are you crazy drilling a hole through the frame? Take bike down to the shop were you bought it have them look at it and maybe they'll warranty it. Why on earth would you try to glue it back together. Carbon has catastrophic failure rates and if you are riding this thing and could fall apart at any time. Grow a brain!!!

Dan Mitchell

[big fellow]

sorry but i am with dan on this one...

it's well know with carbon that you can't see fracture lines, so who knows what you'd be doing to the frame

[Oswald]

You should try to solve it first with your LBS. Drilling a hole in a frame is the last thing I would do.

I work in a bikeshop, trust me, try to talk with your shop before attempting any modifications on your own. If you screw up your frame, they will not be able to help you.