Changing main spring in Mark II

[bearandoldman]

I would just pay the 24 buck for a new part, toss the old one in the trash and mark the 22 busks as well spent for lack of grieif and frustration.

[toyfj40]

My problem with special tools is
I can't remember I have one
or find it until after I've made
or bought the new one.
And then I don't use it (them) for so long
that I don't remember where they are
or that I have them
before I get the new one.

I can relate to that...

--toy

(maybe you already have a DrillPress... and can't find it )

[bearandoldman]

Tex, I have met the Greener in person and I can attest that he would most likely remember where the drill press was if he had one. As far as replacing the main spring, first I would like to know why, as a coil spring like that should last a couple of million rounds with no problem. After looking at the part the pin that holds all the parts in the housing, plunger , spring, ball and latch is swaged over with a center punch so that it will not fall out and you have to press all this stuff back together and align the hole in the latch to reinsert and swage the pin to prevent it from falling out while the gun is in use or being disassembled, looks like a lot of trouble to me. Buying a 44 dollar fixture to save 22 bucks is not cost efficient, nor is buying a few hundred dollar drill press to save the 22 bucks. Myself, I would just use the old one until it failed completely if ever and go on with life, There are enough problems to deal with in life without making more of them.

[Bullseye]

Ahem... One of our fellow shooters is in the middle of something he started and has asked for our help. I don't think we really should be debating "why" but should be offering him advice and support. You can't put the toothpaste back into the tube once you started squeezing it all out.

Hopefully he's got it all back together and is out shooting it right now.

R,
Bullseye

[bearandoldman]

Ahem... One of our fellow shooters is in the middle of something he started and has asked for our help. I don't think we really should be debating "why" but should be offering him advice and support. You can't put the toothpaste back into the tube once you started squeezing it all out.


R,
Bullseye

Yes you can but it is extremely difficult. As far as getting the job done, I speak from experience after having done some of that kind of work and regretting it after, due to the problems involved or having to replace the unit as I took something apart that I never should have, and have seen customers that have done the same. Have had entire motorcycle engine brought in in a cardboard box because they could not get them back together and also lost some of the parts. More than one time I told the customer, If you had brought the whole bike in I could have done the job for at least a $100.00 less due to lost or damaged parts. As we get older we get wiser, now I turn a lot of my stuff over to some one who really knows what he is doing and figure it money well spent.

[Bullseye]

I understand completely, but that still doesn't change the fact that he has already started the task.

R,
Bullseye

[bearandoldman]

I understand completely, but that still doesn't change the fact that he has already started the task.

R,
Bullseye

I wish him the best as I have been in that spot myself at times, the drill press trick may work, just have to lock the spindle in the down position. Not sure if the ball will cause a problem or not. Not getting a totally straight push on the ball can send it off to cause damage. Saw a guy doing something with a steel ball in a hydraulic press once and the ball shot off and through the wall board behind the press. Not trying to cause any problems but old men get curious. Use of the proper safety equipment is always encouraged when compressing springs of any size.

[toyfj40]

... because it's there...

...
back in '78 or so... I got my first M/C
a buddy took me to the dealer to pick it up.
I rode it back home and he followed me...
I went inside to visit the "boys room"...
when I came back out, he had the seat un-latched
and was poking around the carb...
... I nearly went 'ballistic'

he just couldn't leave good-enough alone.

There are a LOT of things that I (now) know Not-to-do !!
- walk barefoot on a tar-gravel road on a Texas July Day
- walk thru the corral without watching where I step
- always drink upstream from the herd
- don't judge people by their relatives
...

[bearandoldman]

There are a LOT of things that I (now) know Not-to-do !!
- walk barefoot on a tar-gravel road on a Texas July Day
- walk thru the corral without watching where I step
- always drink upstream from the herd
- don't judge people by their relatives
...

Damn. some of you Texans got more smarts than I thought you had.

[greener]

Ahem... One of our fellow shooters is in the middle of something he started and has asked for our help. I don't think we really should be debating "why" but should be offering him advice and support. You can't put the toothpaste back into the tube once you started squeezing it all out.

Hopefully he's got it all back together and is out shooting it right now.

R,
Bullseye

Looks like you could improvise a jig with a small C-clamp at the top of the assembly to keep it from sliding and a second on the assembly to hold it in place. Use a small push tool such as a small screw driver blade to push the spring a ball back up into the assembly then slide the latch piece on place and insert the pin. A third hand would be helpful to get the pin in place.

If I removed the spring, I'd try something like that.

[bearandoldman]

Looks like you could improvise a jig with a small C-clamp at the top of the assembly to keep it from sliding and a second on the assembly to hold it in place. Use a small push tool such as a small screw driver blade to push the spring a ball back up into the assembly then slide the latch piece on place and insert the pin. A third hand would be helpful to get the pin in place.

If I removed the spring, I'd try something like that.

Don't think that method would work as that spring is quite stiff as it is the one that drives the hammer to hit the firing pin. Would probably take a good amount of force to compress it and then you have the large part of the latch to insert and get the pin lined up. Saved the pic and enlarged it and enlarged it and after taking a good look at the setup, that fixture or ons very close to it is the only easy way to get the job done. If you look closely you will see that screw has the center drilled out and has the small end of the latch inserted into it to hold the latch lever and press everything into place. A drill press and a vice and a clamp and a rod drilled out for the lever would probably get the job done but would the time involved be cost effective over using the fixture???????

Hope Will got the job done and is back in action.

[greener]

I see what you mean. What I was describing was similar to the left side of the Marvel jig, which holds the assembly and keeps it from moving. The latch is put in closed. If you couldn't push it in with my dollar 2.98 jig and brute force, you might be able to adapt a screw type pusher (bottom half of a c-clamp?) and an appropriately sized hollow rod to push the latch into place. I bet getting the pin holes lined up would be a chore.

Looks like I would need to find that drill press in my garage.

[raw6464]

Ahem... One of our fellow shooters is in the middle of something he started and has asked for our help. I don't think we really should be debating "why" but should be offering him advice and support. You can't put the toothpaste back into the tube once you started squeezing it all out.

Hopefully he's got it all back together and is out shooting it right now.

R,
Bullseye

Right on Bullseye. This is so typical on these forums. Somebody asks for help and all the "know-it-alls" jump ugly. It's the main reason why most people don't bother to help... too bad.

[bearandoldman]

Have been in contact with him and he got the mainspring compressed and the lever back in and slipped a punch in to align it and got the pin back in

[bbh791]

How many coils are on the factory spring in relation to the reduced spring offered by Wolff? Has anyone cut the coils to match and what was the results? How many coils were removed? Thanks to all.