Reverse Minimag valve

[211]

So I had my local field donate all their old mag parts to me (Thanks a ton Dave!!!)
Included in this hodge podge of parts is a reverse minimag valve shell. I say shell because thats all there is. This valve went through a fire, so all the orings are gone, and it looks like someone tried to get it going again, starting with a complete disassembly.
The shell seems fine, gotta love stainless, although the brass top in the on/off didnt fair to well (it is melted into the chamber fairly solidly.)

So Im wondering, are the reverse Mini va;ves unusual enough that I should go through the process of rebuilding the valve?

[secretweaponevan]

They are fairly rare.

Gonna take a lot of love to get her back up and running again. I don't know if it is worth the time, but good luck!

[Ir0nExpress]

I dont personally consider reverse valves that rare of a commodity. I find them only necessary if you do something like a double mag or a pair of mag pistols. I understand how it can matter for some people do to their play style but it's nothing that a different hose arrangement can't fix.

A decent project, but I dont think putting too much money into it will make it worth it in the long run.

[olinar]

If youve got another classic valve that can be a donor for parts Id say go for it. Otherwise, going through the hassle of buying all the internals would cost too much. But I would rather have a reverse valve than a regular one.

[Chris Nearchos]

can you get pictures of the valve?

and if you dont want to fix it, shoot me a pm with price for the vlave.
-Chris

[MournBlade]

If you have access to an acetylene torch, clamp the valve in a vice and set the flame to about a quarter inch, then carefully heat the power tube behind the tip until its red hot. using vise grips get a good hold of the tip and work it out. The heat will expand the powertube a bit and make it easier to get the tip out. If its a pre-level7 valve, the power tube can be removed from the valve body.

[snoopay700]

If you have access to an acetylene torch, clamp the valve in a vice and set the flame to about a quarter inch, then carefully heat the power tube behind the tip until its red hot. using vise grips get a good hold of the tip and work it out. The heat will expand the powertube a bit and make it easier to get the tip out. If its a pre-level7 valve, the power tube can be removed from the valve body.
He didn't say powertube tip, he said the on/off top. That will be much trickier to get out.

[MournBlade]

since brass has a lower melting point use direct heat and a heavy copper solder wick.

[matteusz]

since brass has a lower melting point use direct heat and a heavy copper solder wick.

This is the best idea. Heat that sucker up and just let the brass flow out. You won't do anything worse than the fire already did. If you can't melt the on off top out it isn't worth it.

If you can and you get it shooting smooth it is worth about 70$ plus shipping. Maybe a little less. Been a while since I sold one. There are several around and if you really want one all you have to do is watch ebay for a month. They come up if you have a good eye.

[athomas]

You could mill the top out with a 3/8" flat endmill. If you had a good drill press, you could do this fairly easily.

The reverse valves came on all minimags back in the day. The minimags were equipped with a line that ran down the left side of the body to the vertical feed asa, which was different from the right side loop of stainless airline to the back bottle asa that most 68 automags came with.

[paint magnet]

I think they usually go for $10-20 more than regular valves. I paid $85 for a pre-star MM valve back when regular valves sold for $70 or so.

[Chris Nearchos]

Man, this valve is one crispy critter! But we will see what my magic can do for it....hopefully it will be back up and running in a month or two. And thats only if am lucky with the on/off.

http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh13/RevSteel/Minimagvalve002.jpg


http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh13/RevSteel/Minimagvalve003.jpg


http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh13/RevSteel/Minimagvalve001.jpg








BTW, how did this valve end up in a fire?

-Chris

[paint magnet]

Could you drill a self-tapping screw into the on/off and then try to pull the screw out with pliers?

Or better yet, send it to AGD if it still has a star left :D

[snoopay700]

Could you drill a self-tapping screw into the on/off and then try to pull the screw out with pliers?

Or better yet, send it to AGD if it still has a star left :D
Haha, they'd probably murder him, or just replace it with another valve that's not a reversed one.

[athomas]

The star wouldn't help here for a valve that's been physically damaged by something other than regular use. The warrantee is only for malfunctions and manufacturers defects.

Take some pictures with the camera farther away from the valve so that they are in focus so that we can get a better view of the insides.

[Chris Nearchos]

Take some pictures with the camera farther away from the valve so that they are in focus so that we can get a better view of the insides.

once it gets through the mail I'll get some better pics of it.
-Chris

[paint magnet]

The star wouldn't help here for a valve that's been physically damaged by something other than regular use. The warrantee is only for malfunctions and manufacturers defects.

Take some pictures with the camera farther away from the valve so that they are in focus so that we can get a better view of the insides.


I know, I was kidding. Weren't all reverse MM valves made before the stars were added anyway?

[211]

The fields original building burned to the ground about 15 years ago
Ive been helping build a new field so I got to dig through the parts bin :D

If Id had a classic valve around I think I would have tried to get it going, if theres any gun that can take that and keep going Id say its a Mag

The pics are bad, I havent done any real photo work since I got kicked out of the adult film industry.......j/k
its not as bad as it looks, the outside actually started to clean up with just a little rubbing, a polish would fix it up nice, it would just loose the Minimag logo and the matching serials

Good luck Chris, and we all want to see pics when you get it going

[Chris Nearchos]

well after two days of fighting it, I was finally able to get the on/off out of the darn sucker. It was deffintly melted in there good. it was even melted far into the airflow from the reg to the front half........that was the hard part of cleaning out.

Now Its on to smoothing and detial cleaning. then It will get one heck of a polish job.



but i want to note two things though from heating the valve up and having a few teeth marks in it from one of my tools.

* when heating it up, it turned a yellowish color. Not something I am familiar to seeing stainless steel do.

* It is now sitting as a "bronzish" color now that it has cooled of.

* from the teeth marks I noticed that the coloring wasnt just from the top layer being heated up. the color is through the metal.



I dont understand that because I am use to seeing SS turn like blue/purpleish. sometimes maybe a green in it......but not bronzish.


I will post pictures up later when i get my battery in for the camera.
-Chris

[Beemer]

Spark it and see what color it does. Hmmmmmm :ninja: Long lost TI valve maybe.

[Chris Nearchos]

but it isnt even close to the serial number selection that Tom gave out. Also, it is a reverse minimag valve....not a standard classic valve as Tom said. So it doesnt lead me to believe that it is one of those lost valves.

serial number is: MM07908


Tom, maybe you can help me out here before i go tearing this valve up.


-Chris