Gas Block Help

SimpleMan

SimpleMan

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So I'm trying to get the gas block off my new pistol upper. I'm not a gunsmith or certified armorer, but I do have enough mechanical experience to know what's fixing to happen if I force such a tiny allen wrench. I've put enough pressure on it to make me uncomfortable, but the screw hasn't budged. I've heated the gas block a little with a small butane torch and nothing. Any advice? I'm using a 3/32" allen wrench, which seems to have a little slop, while 2mm is too small and 2.5mm is too big. Yeah, metric or standard?IMG_1273.JPG
 
I hate those things. Probably has red loctite on it. More heat, go ahead and get another Allen wrench cause you’re gonna break one of em lol
 
If you have the time and the patients to acquire a 1/4 drive allen head socket you can get those out pretty easily, not as effective but still possible with a regular allen key.

Give the socket or key a few decent whacks with a small hammer to release the the locking compound and the thread tension and they will come right out.

Guaranteed or your money back.
 
Johnny said:
If you have the time and the patients to acquire a 1/4 drive allen head socket you can get those out pretty easily, not as effective but still possible with a regular allen key.

Give the socket or key a few decent whacks with a small hammer to release the the locking compound and the thread tension and they will come right out.

Guaranteed or your money back.
Click to expand...

Headed to the store now. Thanks!
 
Took @Johnny 's advice and @Daleo8803 , came right off with 1/4 inch drive ratchet. Can't get barrel nut off now. Gonna take upper less rail and gas block back to PSA and ask them WTF? I swear it's torqued onto the upper at 400 ft. lb! I'm assuming upper threads are aluminum like the upper and this barrel nut is steel.

Edit : I'm gonna drink 7 or 8 Miller Lite's, and then the nut is coming off, one way or another.
 
Try heating the nut too. Most factorys torque them to max recommend. I have had a few that were over 80lbs.....
 
Heated the nut, but in my mind, if the nut is steel and threads are aluminum, the threads are swelling quicker than the nut. I have put all the pressure upon it I am with what I have (i.e., no block for vice).
 
SimpleMan said:
Heated the nut, but in my mind, if the nut is steel and threads are aluminum, the threads are swelling quicker than the nut. I have put all the pressure upon it I am with what I have (i.e., no block for vice).
Click to expand...


I would not heat it a ton. Just enough to get it hot to the touch. It's amazing what alittle heat can do.

I recommend getting a Ar vice block set. Normally around $30. They pay for themselves with one use. I have used my for 5 builds and several barrel and handguard changes.

Also if you don't know anyone local to you that can help try and find a good gun smith. I couldn't get a gas block off once ( the pinned kind) my Smith charged me $10 to take it off. Well worth it to me as I had broken 3 Punch's trying..... :)
 
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SimpleMan said:
Took @Johnny 's advice and @Daleo8803 , came right off with 1/4 inch drive ratchet. Can't get barrel nut off now. Gonna take upper less rail and gas block back to PSA and ask them WTF? I swear it's torqued onto the upper at 400 ft. lb! I'm assuming upper threads are aluminum like the upper and this barrel nut is steel.

Edit : I'm gonna drink 7 or 8 Miller Lite's, and then the nut is coming off, one way or another.
Click to expand...


So, we've learned you like to pee excessively.
 
What’s barrel but look like?
 
I had to send my BCM off to Adco to break loose. I read they use loctite and you'd need about 45 mins of direct torch work to break it down enough to loosen them. Paid the money and sent it off. Good luck.
 
SimpleMan said:
It's a brand new upper, if that's what you mean. A complete upper from PSA.
Click to expand...

You may can squeeze the barrel between 2 blocks of wood in a vise, put your wrench on the barrel nut and whack the wrench with a hammer. It’s worked for me before.
 
For the barrel nut I strongly suggest a barrel extension torque tool. I've this one-
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...-barrel-extension-torque-tools-prod27452.aspx
It engages the steel barrel extension so you're not applying torque to your aluminum upper. It also works on forged and billet uppers because they have different OD's.

Out of curiosity, why are you disassembling a new upper? I was pricing their 300BLK pistol uppers today.
 
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Pink_Vapor said:
Out of curiosity, why are you disassembling a new upper? I was pricing their 300BLK pistol uppers today.
Click to expand...

This particular barrel nut needs a 1 1/8" wrench to remove it. I got an awesome buy on the 10.5" upper and am trying to replace the rail to one of my liking. It's a 2A rail that has a whole new type of barrel nut, one that required a specific wrench to put on.
 
SimpleMan said:
Can't get barrel nut off now. Gonna take upper less rail and gas block back to PSA and ask them WTF? I swear it's torqued onto the upper at 400 ft. lb!
Click to expand...
SimpleMan said:
I have put all the pressure upon it I am with what I have (i.e., no block for vice).
Click to expand...

Sounds like you don't have a good way to secure the upper. How have you been securing the upper thus far? If the answer does not involve a vise (as @Burt Gummer suggested), that's your problem. Forget about "400 ft lbs", you're not breaking loose a nut that's torqued to 60 ft lbs unless you have a way to secure the upper.

I wouldn't take it to PSA and ask them WTF because they will chuck it up in a vise, *easily* break the barrel nut loose, and then look at you and ask WTF? ;)
 
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SimpleMan said:
Took @Johnny 's advice and @Daleo8803 , came right off with 1/4 inch drive ratchet. Can't get barrel nut off now. Gonna take upper less rail and gas block back to PSA and ask them WTF? I swear it's torqued onto the upper at 400 ft. lb! I'm assuming upper threads are aluminum like the upper and this barrel nut is steel.

Edit : I'm gonna drink 7 or 8 Miller Lite's, and then the nut is coming off, one way or another.
Click to expand...

I knew it was PSA before you started

A friend had to cut off a PSA barrel nut (proprietary) for one of their MLok rails because it was so tight something was going to break. Turns out PSA doesn’t sell these and he’s SOL now trying to reuse the rail
 
Pink_Vapor said:
For the barrel nut I strongly suggest a barrel extension torque tool. I've this one-
https://www.brownells.com/gunsmith-...-barrel-extension-torque-tools-prod27452.aspx
It engages the steel barrel extension so you're not applying torque to your aluminum upper. It also works on forged and billet uppers because they have different OD's.

Out of curiosity, why are you disassembling a new upper? I was pricing their 300BLK pistol uppers today.
Click to expand...

Just think about that for a sec....

If the barrel nut is screwed onto the upper how do you remove it without applying torque to the upper?

Now think about where's the weakest link between your wrench and the tool above?
 
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IMG_1275.JPG

Barrel nut in question, and what I want to replace it with. Damn, I bought a Magpul wrench for this new nut, and obviously coulda used a standard wrench on it!

Catfish said:
If the barrel nut is screwed onto the upper how do you remove it without applying torque to the upper?
Click to expand...

In the video in the link, it uses this tool to engage the chamber. This looks like a good way to get this done, as the upper isn't touching anything. What do you mean in your statement? Do you see the upper getting damaged with this tool? Not being a smarty, I met you once and you seemed well smarter than me!:)
 
Catfish said:
Just think about that for a sec....
If the barrel nut is screwed onto the upper how do you remove it without applying torque to the upper?
Now think about where's the weakest link between your wrench and the tool above?
Click to expand...
I'm not tracking with you on "the weakest link between your wrench and the tool above".\

-The splined tool engages within an inch of the barrel nut, I'm using a flex breaker bar keeping the force almost in the same plane.
-The force on the Al receiver is on the threads and the slot where the barrel pin engages.
-The majority of the barrel nut's friction is on the thrust surface against the barrel extension, which the tool engages.
-The barrel extension is steel, thicker and stronger than the thin upper receiver. Thus a better choice to apply force.
-Billet uppers don't fit in the plastic clamp style holders.

After using both, and talking with several Brownells techs, we prefer the splined tool, so does Bill Geissele.
https://geissele.com/tools/reaction-rod.html
 
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I don't have an opinion about whether the geissele tool is good or bad but I want to address the idea that it allows you to remove the nut without putting stress on the upper. That's not right.

you cannot remove the nut without putting force on the upper since the nut is torqued onto the upper. The geissele tool concentrates that stress at the alignment pin and slot.
 
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agreed.
I believe there's less stress on the receiver. A gazillion have been built and are intact using the receiver fixture.
cheers
 
never had to use anything other than a 20 inch bar with my pri barrel but wrench.
Depends on if they use grease or not as well. Grease will help stop corrosion between the aluminum and the steel.
 
Catfish said:
Just think about that for a sec....

If the barrel nut is screwed onto the upper how do you remove it without applying torque to the upper?

Now think about where's the weakest link between your wrench and the tool above?
Click to expand...
That tool is the absolute best way to do it. It engages the barrel in the locking lugs so there's no pressure applied to the upper when removing the barrel nut.

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 
Catfish said:
I don't have an opinion about whether the geissele tool is good or bad but I want to address the idea that it allows you to remove the nut without putting stress on the upper. That's not right.

you cannot remove the nut without putting force on the upper since the nut is torqued onto the upper. The geissele tool concentrates that stress at the alignment pin and slot.
Click to expand...
Nah, it puts all the force on the locking lugs of the barrel extension. You're turning the barrel nut and it's being held by the wrench engaging the extension so no direct force is put on the upper itself or the index pin/slot

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk
 
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