top hat removal???
I took my condor valve apart and was going to polish it up. I can not get the top hat to screw all the way off. both grub screw are removed and the valve with the tophat is removed from the valve body.
I have never taken this valve apart before. it appears it is stopping about when the grub screw holes hit the stem threads. any suggestions?
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DISCLAIMER- Always empty tank when working on valve.
BUT! I have removed my stem from the valve many many times with full pressure in the bottle. All that stem is doing is pushing the seal down to let air into it. You can pop that stem out under full pressure no problem. I dont even take the bottle off the frame. The shaft where the stem goes down has a small oring in there(On GenII Condor valves) a bit of silicone grease on the stem shaft does wonders for consistency to keep it nice and free moving.
Once the stem is out, do like lurker said and polish it all up, make the inlet ports on the stem nice and smooth for good even airflow. Just polishing up the ports can make a fair difference to fps, certainly consistency.
When done, just push stem back into shaft and dry fire a few times to seat it back in the delrin seal.
I haven’t had the delrin thingy out of the brass Valve Stem Guide. I guess it is like a rubber o-ring in that is seals between the Valve Stem and the Brass Valve Stem Guide. It doesn’t appear to get damaged by pulling the Valve Stem but when you begin to polish the Valve Stem you’ll probably notice raised edges around the holes where the pressurized air enters the Valve Stem. If those raised edges (burrs) are not honed or sanded down I think they could eventually damage the delrin seal. Likewise, taking the Top Hat off the Stem over those burrs could damage the Top Hat’s o-ring. Come to think of it, the Top Hat 0-ring could also be a delrin seal. I didn’t remove it either.
Considering the potential for air leakage in this area it’s no wonder an o-ring behind the Top Hat as Powderburner has shown, can decrease air useage.
just checking, when you pry up on the top hat, that pulls the stem out of the derlin? Once you do this is the derlin seat reusable?
When I take this back apart and polish the valve, Should I do anything else? I have read on the talon valves, that you open the orifices up some. What else should I do to the condor valve?
The Valve stem can be pried out of the Valve Stem Brass guide. Some use a screw driver. The Valve Stem is so thin I prefer to use two composite pry bars:
You don’t have to remove the Top Hat from the Valve stem to polish it but if you do, note the o-ring inside the Top Hat as there hasn’t been much mention of it except Loctite could cause it to harden and deteriorate.
Before and after images of my polish job.
To remove the valve off the tank, you will need to have proper tool to do it or if you have a large vise to hold the bottle and a wrenches to unscrew the valve, that will do it too. Make sure you use large rubber wrap around the bottle and small rubber wrap around the valve to prevent scratch and damage.
First time open it is always a challenge, second time will be easier 😆
Pop the stem out.
Screw down the top hat
When done tap stem back in.
The best way is to empty tank and remove valve then do it.
should I ask how do you separate the stem, top hat and valve seat?
how do you remove the delrin off the stem then?
The tophat screws off the stem downwards, towards the ports, not off the front
Hope this helps
Dave
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Thanks, I will try it with an empty tank. I had it all apart yesterday, but I was afraid to try and pop the derlin piece off. I did not want to break it, or have to wait for parts.