Cross Threading Issue::: Help!

[jwalker87]

I just got finished completely disassembling and cleaning my ReTro valve, and was putting my Micromag back together. When I had taken the two halves apart, the scratch marks were about 1/16 or 1/8 inch apart, so when I put it back together, I didn't twist as far in so they matched up (like they're supposed to, right?). I try to put it back together, and now my field strip screw won't screw it. I try rotating the valve a bit screwing it in, but it won't go any farther than a few rotations.

Long story short, I cross-threaded my valve. How can I fix it? It's just at the very top, so I was thinking is there some way I can just Dremel off the threads near the top? I don't really need the first few anyway. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[ZapTheMad]

Ouch! Might be worth a try to get a 10-32 tap and carefully "clean" the threads up rather than start hacking it up with a dremel.

If that doesn't work, a helicoil thread repair kit will probably be best. If you are not handy with tools, have a professional do it.

[jwalker87]

I think I'm going to try a local metal shop and see if they'll do it for me. I really don't want to mess up this valve; i want to play next weekend, and this is my only marker. Thanks for the helicoil info and thread info!

[Polish]

I believe the Angel tech class teachers said it best....

If your using a dremel to fix a paintball gun... you shouldnt be fixing paintball guns...

[jwalker87]

yeah, that sounds about right. I'm going to call a few local shops this morning and see if any of them will work on something this small-scale.

[the electrician]

are the threads in the valve completely shredded or is it just the screw?

if you can salvage the threads in the valvebody, then you're going to be okay.

I'm not sure how you managed to strip any of those threads, but take a 10-32 threaded tap, and run it in the valve to clean up the threads. then get a new feild strip screw. DO NOT stick that chewed up feild strip screw back in the valve. DO NOT cut off the feild strip screw and try to use it. you need a new feild strip screw.

you have to make sure that the threads in the valve body are straightened up by running the tap in there. then you can stick the new feild strip screw in. obviously if only the tip of the old screw is messed up, then only the first threads in the body could be screwed up. so cutting off the end of the field strip screw is a BAD idea. you need to have the full length in order to get the screw up into the good threads of the valve body.

get the 10-32 tap and some tap oil from the local hardware store. get the new feild strip screw, and take your time. do it like I said in the order I suggested. you can probably order a new feild strip screw from Tunaman. he's on this forum all the time, and is extremely reliable. he could get it to you fast if he's got one in stock.

side note- if the back of the valve vibrates to a point, so the hash marks on the valv halves no longer line up, it is okay. put it back where it was. when you shoot the gun again, it's going to vibrate right back to that spot anyway. plus, by tightening the valve, or loosening the valve halves from where they want to settle, you are essentially changing the space between the reg seat and the reg pin. this will give you different velocity readings. false reading compared to what your gun will be shooting when the valve settles to where it wants to be. so your best bet is to always put it back where it was, for more than one reason.

[The Spanish Inquisition]

well said. listen to the man.

[jwalker87]

ok, thanks for the help. I didn't want to mess it up anymore in case I messed up with the tap, so I just took it to a local machine shop. The guy there whipped out a 10-32 tap and touched up the threads for me for free! And the screw is fine; I think when I put the halves back together not where they'd been, I was trying to force the screw in at an angle, and I messed up the valve threads. But they're fine now. I'm probably going to go back to that shop this week and get him to drill the hole for my ULT kit in my ReTro valve because he was so nice about it.