Newbie push/pull mechanic has questions.

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I'm reworking the push/pull. Being as I'm hip deep in aligators, I've got a couple of questions:

1. What's a good source for these fiddley little springs that are on the changer rods? I managed to find five correct size springs in the junk drawer, but I need some more.

2. When you remove the changer rods is it best to take the swivel off the bellcrank, or can you weasel them out some other way?

3. What sort of grease would you use for the cross-shafts? I'm thinking synthetic because the white gunk that's in there has solidified. I had to remove the rear apron mount to get the #1 cross-shaft out because the spring had so much crud on it that it wouldn't compress.

Charlie

Jim Eaton · From: Santa Susana, Ca

I have used the spring out of a cheap ball point pen in the past

Mickey Lawson · From: Cleveland, Tennessee, USA

Can get springs at Ace Hdwe., probably Lowe's or Home Depot as well. Usually in a tray close to the bolts and fasteners.

Mark Fasbender · Posted 24 Feb 2006 12:02 am

How many springs do you need? are these the compression springs?

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Got Twang ?

Mark

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

You can buy the white grease in a squeeze tube at an auto parts or hardware store.
Erv

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I tried Lowes, but no joy. I'll run by Ace when I get off work.

Mark, these are the shock springs on the raise rods. I'll probably have have gone through a small pile of them by the time I'm finished.

I just discovered I've got a bottle of "Lubrication Engineers 1275 Bearing and Chassis Lubricant" (Never-Seez NHTC). We use it on worm gear drives at work. It's good stuff and never gums up. Maybe I'll use that.

Charlie

john widgren · From: Wilton CT

WTG...White Teflon Goo is good for cross shafts.

Also some people like to have a small spring and ball bearing at the cross shaft ends.

Good luck and enjoy...JW

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

Well, I worked on the guitar from 6 to 10 last night, and from 9 to now (with a 2 hr break to pickup a replacement RKL shaft). So far the job is marginally less tedious than rebuilding a transmission.

The RKL shaft was wrong; it was too long or the hole was in the wrong place (or both) so that it interfered with pedal 10. I was lucky my steel buddy had the correct shaft (Thanks Jud!). I think the joker that stripped pedals 9, 10, and knees 6 and 7, substituted some crud he couldn't use.

I must have removed RKL 6 times before I got it the way I liked it; I'd get it nailed down and one of the bellcranks was turned the wrong way. Get it nailed down again and I've forgot to put the E9 string 2 raise on it. I've discovered that I hate those little snap rings!

There's a lot to think about when working on a push/pull. It's an interesting job.

Charlie (thinking about Chinese proverbs

[This message was edited by Charles Dempsey on 25 February 2006 at 04:17 PM.]

Wayne Baker · From: Altus Oklahoma

Bobbe Seymour's push pull maintenance video... Don't do anything till you get it... Trust daddy...

Wayne Baker

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I now have pedals 8, 7, 6 and 5 relocated to the 9, 8, 7 and 6 positions. Tomorrow I will attempt to put the Franklin change on the new pedal 4.

This push/pull stuff isn't that difficult once you get used to it.

Charlie

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

You really have to think things through before you do anything. Once you get everything in place, it's really hard to make any changes.

Let me give you a little word to the wise, On your long pull rods be sure and provide some support for them when they get close to the changer end. This greatly cuts down on the "slop" under the hood.

You also need to do the same on the push rods. Otherwise, they have a tendency to "buckle" when pushed.
Erv

Charles Dempsey · From: Shongaloo, LA

I finished up last night, turned the guitar over and tuned the changer. Then I went through the pedals and levers one by one. I found that everything worked perfectly except my C6 LKR string 4 raise (not enough slack on the E9 string 4 lower) and my E9 RKL string 2 raise (had to move the wire to the middle hole). I need a half stop tuner for the C6 LKR string 4 raise, and I've got a post in the "Wanted" forum re: that.

So things worked out good. My guitar plays better than it ever has, and I removed a ton of grease and dog fur from the works, but I've given up my ambition to be a push/pull mechanic. Even if I charged minimum wage it would still cost nearly a thousand dollars for me to do a complete setup, and I ain't messing with those fiddley little snap rings for $5.65 an hour.

Charlie

[This message was edited by Charles Dempsey on 16 March 2006 at 06:10 PM.]

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