Mr. M
Active member
I have a few indicators that have gotten sticky and need a good cleaning. Does anyone here do indicator repair/cleaning? Or have a referral to someone who does?
Indicator repair
- Thread starter Mr. M
- Start date
Just do it yourself, it's a couple of minutes work.
Get some 99% isopropyl and some low lint cloths. Usually it's just the stem and bushes need cleaning out and it's as good as new.
Sometimes it's been dropped or had an impact and it's tight on the rack, in which case just slacken the screws that hold the first pinion against the rack and retighten them and it will align itself again.
mach ramsey mn
Active member
mach ramsey mn
Active member
Unusually the have a pretty complete price list for hand tool calibration.Not sure where you are in Minnesota but I’ve used these guys in the past probably $40-50 for clean and calibrated…
GageSite
www.gagesite.com
Mr. M
Active member
I am not opposed to using them and the pricing is good, however if I can find an independent guy doing it, I lean that way.
Carbidebob
Member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2021
- Messages
- 62
- Reaction score
- 62
- Age
- 66
I know this is bad advice but...
Soak the working end up past the pivot joint in WD-40 and work it free.
Do not open this thing unless you know what you are doing.
99% isopropyl above.. I would not do that but it does clean.
Adjusting the screws on the rack or the pivot is scary and should not be done.
Yes it makes it work. Question is does it work right?
Soak the working end up past the pivot joint in WD-40 and work it free.
Do not open this thing unless you know what you are doing.
99% isopropyl above.. I would not do that but it does clean.
Adjusting the screws on the rack or the pivot is scary and should not be done.
Yes it makes it work. Question is does it work right?
Last edited:
mach ramsey mn
Active member
It’s just a $275 indicator, they’ll make more!
Sorry Bob, but yes that is bad advice.
WD40 is responsible for most of the sticky indicators out there. Isopropyl does the job properly and safely, and is almost certainly what it gets cleaned with if you send it in to somebody who does this professionally.
The inside of an indicator is not complicated, not sure why people are afraid of opening them up.
atex57
Member
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2021
- Messages
- 76
- Reaction score
- 61
- Location
- SW Wisconsin USA
- Website
- Fanta-Machine.com
Way back I had a beater Timex watch that would occasionally stop. I would pop the back off, pour in some lighter fluid, slosh it around then pour it out and reassemble. Run for another year.
Ed.
Ed.
Gordon Heaton
Member
Not complicated, but delicate. If you're a ham-fisted 'get a bigger hammer' guy, well. . .
Mr. M
Active member
Yeah, I don't really want to screw with trying to do it myself. I am busy enough and have extra indicators so I would rather let someone else do it.
Spruewell
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 6, 2021
- Messages
- 661
- Reaction score
- 424
If you have an ultrasonic cleaner, that would probably do the trick. Fill it with isopropyl alcohol and let it go to work. Pull it out in an hour or so and let it dry out. Not sure what to use for lubricant when you are done, but I’ll bet that thing comes out SPOTLESS
It would, but the alcohol would destroy the dial face and maybe the lens.
Seriously if they're just sticky, some isopropyl on the stem, work it a few times, clean and repeat. You'll have them working again in less time than it'll take to package them up.
If they're very stiff or you can feel the gears cogging, or the hands are out of sync on the dial or similar problems, then it will need to be dismantled which I can understand if you don't want to do.
But stickiness and poor repeatability are 9 times out of 10 just oil/gunk build up on the stem and in the stem bushes. It's common for people to do what Bob suggested above, which is to spray WD40 on them. That makes them work again short term, but makes the problem worse long term when the WD40 evaporates.