Rattle in a sealed frame tube

[doomridesout]

So... In my quest to "save money"- in quotations, I just got a used, but refurbed Seven ti frame for cheap to replace my Hampsten. It's got some piece of rattling junk in the left seatstay, which is sealed at both ends.
What say the peanut gallery? Build it and ride it, and the sound will be a non-issue? How about a drill-and-expando foam job? Seven says not to on the latter, but what about just a teensy hole at the bottom of the stay?

This cheeses me off but you get what you pay for.

[Pi Guy]

I'd bet you won't notice it while riding, just flipping it upside down in the workstand.

[zetroc]

I had a Fuso that had something rattling around in one of the fork legs - but like Jason says, I never once noticed it while riding, only when moving it around in the garage or around the workstand. NBD unless it's super annoying during a ride.

[ryker]

Unless you save major dough aborting the build, might as well try. You may notice or may not. I've encountered sealed-in rattles that are not noticeable and others that you would mistake for poorly installed fenders.

[doomridesout]

Hard to know til I build it... But ya know, it's just time.

[hampco]

The omniverse is trying to tell you something...

[doomridesout]

Yeah... Probably. Why couldn't the omniverse have added some headtube the first time around?

[EricKeller]

I was driving my car out of the parking lot after having the oil changed today, and there was a really strange sound every time I turned. Finally realized that it was something in a tube of my bike.

I have never noticed it in years of riding.

I wouldn't worry about it, just build the frame up and ride it

[RichTheRoadie]

Drill *tiny* hole at one end of the stay. Syringe some glue in. Tip bike back so that the offending object sits in the glue.

[dgaddis]

Why would the tubes in a ti frame be sealed anyways?

[hampco]

Why would the tubes in a ti frame be sealed anyways?

Most times they aren't, is my guess, as it's normal practice to back-purge when welding titanium. But the hole could be at the brake bridge on the inside or at the seat tube where ours would get covered by the seat shim after welding.

[doomridesout]

Yup, there's a shim bonded in-- I presume that it covers the vent hole for the weld in the seat tube.

Rich-- that's the idea... but I wanted somebody with some f-builder credibility to tell me to drill the hole and how to minimize the risks of doing so...

[dgaddis]

Most times they aren't, is my guess, as it's normal practice to back-purge when welding titanium. But the hole could be at the brake bridge on the inside or at the seat tube where ours would get covered by the seat shim after welding.

That makes total sense. For some reason I read 'chainstay' in the OP's post, which didn't make sense.

[Will Neide]

Drill *tiny* hole at one end of the stay. Syringe some glue in. Tip bike back so that the offending object sits in the glue.

x2. Little tube of super glue has a pointy tip for easy application. I wouldn't have any hesitations.

[rydesteel]

My Goodrich has a rattle in the left chain stay at least it does when I break the bike down for maintenance and a fresh coat of framesaver. I have never heard it while riding, and my guess is you won't either. Build it, ride it, and let us know. BTW when Curt and I talked about it years ago his advice was the same, build it, ride it and if I could hear the noise he'd fix it :>).

[Alfa75]

x2. Little tube of super glue has a pointy tip for easy application. I wouldn't have any hesitations.

Except superglue likes to have pressure between the two items being joined. Maybe a squirt of framesaver would do it?

[false_aesthetic]

Brah,

Just fill it with Great Stuff Foam

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[TheNerdyCyclist]

Brah,

Just fill it with Great Stuff Foam

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It's crazy, but I've actually used that to stop a rattle of a loose bit of aluminum in an H+Son TB14 rim. Sprayed in through an existing vent hole in the rim. Weighs nothing and works like a charm.

[doomridesout]

Built it up, rode it... Seems fine, I think I can hear it when I ride chipseal but we'll see if it bothers me long term.