Can't remove right-side ASA screw. Loctite?

[factoid]

A few weeks ago I bought a Planet Eclipse Oops on/off ASA. It's a nice ASA, I like it a lot, but it came configured for a left-side mounted macroline fitting. I'd really like to put the elbow on the right side so it's on the same side as the valve input and doesn't have to cross left to right.

The ASA has a spot for the macroline on both sides, but there's a plug in the right one and I absolutely cannot get it to turn. I'm afraid if I push any harder I'll either strip the allen socket, break my allen wrench or rip the ASA off the bottom of the marker.

I am guessing they probably put it on there with loctite. Is there any good way to defeat that stuff?

Once I get it off is there any reason I should re-apply loctite when I thread it onto the opposite side? Or can I get away with just a little teflon tape like i use on my fittings?

[CatoRockwell]

I doubt you'll break anything if you give it a nice turn.

Just use plummers tape when you reattach it, thats what I do with my ASA's no need for loctite.

[Frizzle Fry]

Best way to beat locktite is heat, followed by force.

No need to redo it; npt threading seals itself. I might even put a little yellow gas tape on the threads.

[Mongoose]

Best way to beat locktite is heat, followed by force.

No need to redo it; npt threading seals itself. I might even put a little yellow gas tape on the threads.

yup...heat it up

[luke]

I do it two ways, put it in a pot of boiling water or use a soldering gun. For the soldering gun, just put the tip in the center of the screw and pull the trigger. A flame would work but I prefer hot water or a soldering iron.

[factoid]

I tried a flame and had no luck. I heated it for about a minute and still couldn't get it to budge. i hope I'm turning it the right way.

I'm twisting counterclockwise with the plug facing me and the ASA mounted on the gun. Is there any reason that the right-side plug would be threaded opposite, so I would need to turn it clockwise?


I have two soldering irons at home that I can try. One probably won't work, it's my Cold Heat soldering iron. Those are fantastic for simple jobs like solder-coating speaker wire or splicing. Terrible for working on boards because the tips are ginormous.

I've also got a cheap-o 5 dollar soldering iron. It gets ridiculously hot so I will try that one. I think while I'm at it I'm going to get a gauge to put on the other hole so I can monitor output pressure.

For boiling water is that likely to damage anything inside the ASA? I'd have to drop the whole thing in there. How long would you leave it in?

[Smoothice]

i had a ccm asa that I could not get the other plug out for the life of me. I tried heating it with a lighter. Boiling it. Brute force. Finally ended up stripping out the allen head. The I tried drilling it out. Nothing worked.

Finally I took it to a buddy's shop. He stuck it in a vice. Stuck the biggest ez out extractor i had ever seen in the drilled out hole. Grabbed a huge wrench. He got what was left of the plug out with out even putting his back into it.

So in summary. Good luck...

[factoid]

i had a ccm asa that I could not get the other plug out for the life of me. I tried heating it with a lighter. Boiling it. Brute force. Finally ended up stripping out the allen head. The I tried drilling it out. Nothing worked.

Finally I took it to a buddy's shop. He stuck it in a vice. Stuck the biggest ez out extractor i had ever seen in the drilled out hole. Grabbed a huge wrench. He got what was left of the plug out with out even putting his back into it.

So in summary. Good luck...

That's what I was worried about doing. Yikes. Can we all agree that the use of red loctite should be banned in all paintball equipment?

The stuff is like Wal Mart paint...cruel to use against human targets.

If i start to feel like I'm going to strip it I'll just take it down to the airsmith and get it removed professionally. I must say I'm impressed that with the force I've applied to it it hasn't started to strip at all and I've wrenched on it pretty damn hard. This plug is some seriously hardened steel.

[Ando]

This plug is some seriously hardened steel.

Ya I have a couple things I purchased that I can't remove plugs out of. Tired a few things and destroyed a some allen keys in the process. I might just do what Smoothice suggested and use a drill/easyout. Might try a impact screwdriver first. The sudden jolt might break it free.

[luke]

I can do it for a couple of bucks plus shipping, if you send it NOW before the head is stripped.

[Spider-TW]

Red loctite is a different animal. I made a collar for a barrel insert and fastened it with red loctite. I then did some light lathe cuts, washed and etched it, ano'ed it, dye'ed it (no variations across the insert and collar), and steam sealed it for 50 minutes. I let it cool before fiddling with it, but that collar is still stuck on there. Mean stuff.

[factoid]

A different animal indeed. I heated that thing up for a good 5 minutes with my soldering iron and went to town on it with my allen wrench...still nothing.

I'll ask my airsmith if he can pull it off. If not I'll probably be sending it to Luke to drill out. It isn't stripped or anything. I did break an allen key trying to turn it though.

Like I said, red loctite should be illegal. This is a user configurable part and should be removable with minimal force.

To anyone I may have recommended this ASA: If you need a left side air fitting it's terrific. If you need a right side air fitting you're screwed, get something else or order it preconfigured that way if possible.

[athomas]

If you were heating the screw, then it would get tighter. You need to heat the area around the screw.

Depending on the wattage of your soldering iron, it probably isn't delivering enough wattage to maintain the amount of heat transfer required to heat the area around the screw to a hot enough temperature. I have a nice 50 watt temperature controlled soldering station, and I would be lucky to reach a hot enough temperature around the screw to be able to do anything. A regular stand alone solder iron would be even worst. Unless you have a high wattage solder gun, it probably won't work. Even then, it would be suspect. Try boiling water. It won't reach the temperature needed to break down the loctite, but it will get you to 100 Deg Celcius to cause the aluminum around the fitting to expand, which will help break the bond.

[Frizzle Fry]

I've found with red loctite your best bet is to screw a dead (out of hydro) 9oz into the ASA, put the 9oz in a vice nice and tight, put a wrench on the fitting, and whang on it with a hammer for a half hour or so until it breaks. Only had to do it once, but from what I understand you want to snap it fast.

[luke]

I'll ask my airsmith if he can pull it off. If not I'll probably be sending it to Luke to drill out. It isn't stripped or anything. I did break an allen key trying to turn it though.

Luke really didn't want to have to drill it out, I would like a turn before its all assed up.