Changing Valve guides

[Davidrn1]

Has anyone converted from stock guides to the nylon guides?

I am very mechanically inclined and have a drill press. I also was told whicj drills and taps to use to in order for the valve to accept the new guide.

I need to change mine because the bottoms have managed to mushroom out from improper valve felts.

I too am changing those and have a bore scope on the way.

Many thanks

[The Big Ben]

Has anyone converted from stock guides to the nylon guides?

I had mine done on my King 2340. On my horn, it appeared that the old ones twisted out and the new ones twisted in. A lot more work was done- cleaning out the grooves and taking a small dent out of one of the bores.

I have also seen a series of pictures of valves that did need to have a different set of threads cut in order to use the nylon/ABS guides. Offhand, I can't remember where I saw the series. It looked like precision work that I would not attempt but YMMV.

[Davidrn1]

You are correct in that they twist out. There are threads cut into the valve that hold them in. Just unscrew the old ones.

I would have loved to have Matt Walters do them. But, he is out of town this weekend and the horn really got bad last weekend on a gig in Pittsburgh. I need it to be ready for a gig on Fat Tuesday in Cleveland. So, I have to do it myself or play the hole night on upright. EEEWWWW!

It hardly plays right now with how bad the vavles are. The first stick too because of the guide being hamburgered up.

Thanks for the reply. If you can find those picks I sure would love the see them.

[Davidrn1]

MY horn is an old style King 2341.

Matt over at dillons gave me instructions on how to do the job. I used to be a car mechanic and I also worked on copiers before I became an RN. I have rebuilt many things including a motorcycle. Matt said as long as I take my time I should be ok. He gave me the sizes of drill and tap he uses. He said I had to drill because he swears by the MW nylon guides. He also told me how to get one out should it break off in the valve.

I do have a press and I am going to buy a small press vise. Matt said he uses one but with very light tension on it as so not to bend the valve. I think the hardest part will be getting the old ones out.

[The Big Ben]

MY horn is an old style King 2341.

Matt over at dillons gave me instructions on how to do the job. I used to be a car mechanic and I also worked on copiers before I became an RN. I have rebuilt many things including a motorcycle. Matt said as long as I take my time I should be ok. He gave me the sizes of drill and tap he uses. He said I had to drill because he swears by the MW nylon guides. He also told me how to get one out should it break off in the valve.
.

I don't think the pictures I saw would help you. The guides in question were held onto the valve from the top with hex head screws and were being converted to the side screw in type.

Also, if the guides are really bad, the guide channels are probably really goobered up in the bottom, too. That will need to be corrected. My guy rooted around in the valve bores with a little file and one of the things that a dentist uses to scrape the skank from between your teeth. He uttered some words in a foreign tongue then lit some incense and blew the smoke through the bores. I have no idea why he did that but my valves work great. I think he was correcting some problems with the guide channels.

After he did that, he spent quite a bit of time filing little bits off the new guides to get them to fit just right. And they do.

Personally, I'd suggest getting the size for the King valve and wait until the next time to have them converted. Matt's an ace repair guy but my guy is an ace also and, if there was some magic to MW guides, that's what he would have put in.

Jeff "Just a suggestion from the cheap seats" Benedict

[Maurice]

I had this done to my 56J seven years ago. The second best thing I ever did for the horn. Matt (from Dillons) sent me the parts and my local repair guy re-tapped the valves and installed the new guides. Cost me $20.

[The Big Ben]

I had this done to my 56J seven years ago. The second best thing I ever did for the horn. Matt (from Dillons) sent me the parts and my local repair guy re-tapped the valves and installed the new guides. Cost me $20.

I agree. The new guides make a world of difference for my horn. Mine were worn and clanky and I also needed some work on the grooves.

Did you have a problem with the old guides or were you replacing them as an 'upgrade'? If there is a problem, rectifying it would cost more.

[Lee Stofer]

American tubas typically have 3-48 threads for the valve guide. To convert these valves to use nylon European guides, one must drill a straight hole to slightly enlarge the hole prior to tapping the new threads with a 3millimeter x .5 tap, since most European tubas use guides with a larger threaded portion.

One new option is to use black delrin valve guides, available in thin- and wider thicknesses, and with either American- or European threads. To obtain black delrin guides, have your technician contact Kraus Music Products, Inc.

Yamaha tubas have their own valve guides, which now have a combination of metal and plastic, which work very well.

One more suggestion is to NOT use a file on a plastic valve guide, which sort-of shreds the edge. If they need to be cut or detailed, use a sharp razor blade which will leave a clean, smooth edge that will allow the valve to move more smoothly and faster.

[Davidrn1]

Thanks Lee. I did not know about the file thing. What would one use to clean up a miss-shapen guide at the top?

I had to trim number 3 down so it would fit in the slot. It seems the slot is a little smaller at the top than the rest.

Thanks

[The Big Ben]

One new option is to use black delrin valve guides, available in thin- and wider thicknesses, and with either American- or European threads. To obtain black delrin guides, have your technician contact Kraus Music Products, Inc.

This must be what were put in my King. They were black in color and threaded right in with no fuss. My guy picked them out of a box that had about eight different sizes in it.