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stuck gas adjustment knob

7K views 21 replies 7 participants last post by  smartbomb 
#1 ·
posted this on the saiga boards and thought someone here could help.

got a used 20 a couple of weeks ago. started stripping for a conversion. decided to update the sights to the hk. all is good so far. well not....

went to remove the gas adjustment knob and puck. here's where it gets messy. i cannot budge the gas knob. forget just moving from 1 to 2. i have it clamped in a vise right now and have tried just about everything. i even drilled out the front bead thinking it was causing a bind. my last resort is a BFH!

any suggestions?

i have tried break free down the tube for 48 hrs. still nothing.
 
#3 ·
You pushing the detent in? I've whoopsed like that...

Anyways, it might be tons of carbon buildup. I'd use a pipe wrench or large channellock pliers to get it moving a little bit, then move it back and forth to scrape the carbon out. You'll need a new gas plug but I'm sure you were gonna want to replace that with a fancier one anyways.
 
#4 ·
I have a hard time believing that carbon buildup alone would cause it to stick to that point where it doesn't even turn and agree it could be a "whoopsie" moment. What Saiga owner HASN'T done that? :) Please make ***SURE*** that the detent button is actually pushing in far enough to disengage from the cap. You can turn it down tight enough to actually engage the threads like a normal bolt or not, and that could cause it to 'stick' closed. When bottomed out like that, the detent pin may actually stick down, and that would cause excessive friction as it is normally loose and pushed out by that spring.

Let's assume you've confirmed the detent pin is loose and pushes against the spring no problem, and you can push it down far enough to disengage from the cap. If that cap is on there where it won't even turn, then IF IT WERE ME, I would mount the gun up securely in a vise with wood, aluminum or leather covers to protect the finish. Then take a plumbers wrench (yes I said it) and some sheet metal. You know, the soft kind you get from Lowe's or HD 'hardware' section. Not SS, etc. Just cheap, soft sheet metal. Something to protect against the teeth of the wrench.

Place that sheet metal between the wrench and the knob, then secure the wrench against it. When turning it should dig into the sheet metal but save the knob from getting scratched up. At worst the paint may get rubbed off, but at least it won't have deep gouges from the wrench!

Remember if you do the wrench thing, MAKE SURE that the detent pin is really disengaged. You could SERIOUSLY damage your gun if that pin is actually the problem. As in needing replacement parts and possibly a replacement gas block. So tread lightly!
 
#5 ·
Are you turning it the right way? Looking at it from the front it turns counter-clockwise to loosen.

Something else to try, but you'll need a heper.
Have the helper push in the detent, and use something flat & blunt, like a large flat blade screwdriver or a chisel that the edge has been ground off. And you guessed right, smack it with a hammer. Don't go nuts, one or two sharp hits should get it to move.
 
#6 ·
FINALLY!!!

holy shit this was a bitch. i have let this sit for a while with some bore cleaner poured down the tube. i figured it was time to give it a shot. i used a piece of steel cut from a plane blade to fit the slots. BENT! dug around for something else and ended up with a paddle drill bit. turned and snap the shank breaks. at this point i'm pissed. the paddle part of the bit seemed to hold. i hit the gas block with a bit of heat, clamped the paddle bit in and adjustable wrench with about 2 feet of breaker bar and cranked again. the screech was like fingernails on a chalkboard, but it moved. cranked some more and voila its out!

the threads are unmarred and intact, so thats good news. there was shit in there that was unbelievable. it looked like chunks of lead. every crevice had it, even some of the threads. these pieces were .05-.07mm (used mechanical pencil leads as a size reference). best i can think, the previous owner had turned the knob as tight as he could get it and left it on #2. over time it just gummed and froze up.

WHAT A PITA!
 
#8 ·
coils, its amazing at they way some peeps treat shit. i am NOT a saint nor an i the most proactive, but jeez this was ridiculous. the previous owner was a cop so i assumed he knew how to care for a firearm. oh well, its out now and i can go thru every nook and cranny.

oddly enough i was going to remove the gas block and look at the ports to see if they needed attention. if this beast is passing chunks of lead....

then again the ports could be fouled with god knows what.
 
#9 ·
I know what you mean about the way people treat stuff, I think a lot of it is no common sense. I remember Kernel saying something about "there's people out there that can't put gas in their car without setting on fire" types. :D

If you want to hold off on removing the gas block, get in there with a small allen wrench and wiggle it around a little and see if that cleans the ports out.
 
#12 ·
HRM... I wonder if the gas ports on that thing were shaving lead off of the buckshot and slugs, and the debris was being introduced into the gas chamber area. That would explain the debris. Or could just be the guy cross-threaded the plug I suppose. Or manufacturing/assembly defect that went through QC anyway.

It does go back on OK, right?
 
#13 ·
once i got the plug started then it turned freely. i may have taken 3 turns to get past the crud but after that it was smooth. but my god it was dirty and full of crud. i have it my welders shop right now getting the sights tigged. i do not trust my welding skill, especially with a wire fed on a very sensitive part of the gun. as soon as i get it back, i am going to take off the side rail and start fitting my underfolder trunnion.

hcp, how necessary is the pg reinforcement plate when doing a underfolder.
 
#17 ·
What what was the outcome? you know the comment about the gas ports being opened up too much makes sense. Maybe the person opened them up then tried to restrict the over gassing by turning the thing down as far as it would go.
 
#18 ·
wow i fell asleep on my own post. it doesnt look like the gas block was removed by the p o. i think he cranked it down too far and never cleaned it. i am in the process of doing an underfolder and hk sites. hopefully i will get it back together this weekend. here's where i am so far







got all the extra holes welded up mounted the folder trunnion and rough cut the receiver for the stock mechanism.



 
#19 ·
that's going to look sweet!!!!
 
#21 ·
OK smart, now you've gone and done it!!! I'm gonna have to underfold my S12. I'm in the middle of taking 2 of my M70 underfolders and making one a fixed stock, and swapping the underfolder from that one (stamped) over to my milled M70 underfolder, which leaves me an extra folder and trunnion. Was thinking of selling it, but now I think I'm gonna put it on my S12. Gotta get a pad of some sort though. That thing kicks like a mule!!!
Great job on the S20. Keep the pics coming.
 
#22 ·
hehehe...underfolding the 12 is ballsy. i will bet it will sting the crap out of your shoulder. uf'ing my 12 was the original plan. i was looking at how i could get the stock to fold up and over the top like the spas12. unfortunately the bolt gets in the way
 
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