I broke a thing, I think

[TheDancingSousa]

Hey everybody,

So, I'm that guy. I tried to knock out my own rotors and now the fifth valve won't move. I have a miraphone CC tuba, if that's important. The valve went back together without any fuss, but now the valve sticks. A lot. I can move it back and forth, but the springs won't pull it back to open position. Have I screwed up immeasurably? Is this something I can fix? If not, can anyone give me an idea on how much my butt is gonna hurt when I pay?

Thanks for any help

[Dan Schultz]

You probably don't have the back bearing plate seated squarely in the housing. IF you have the back cap on properly (not cross-threaded)... trying giving the cap a rap in the center with a small rawhide mallet or plastic hammer. If the cap loosens.... screw it down and give it another 'rap'. Do this until you cannot turn the cap any more. If the rotor still sticks.... take it apart and start over again using the same assembly technique.

If this fails... take the horn to a qualified tech.

Most of all.... whatever you do.... DON'T use any excessive force.

[bisontuba]

For cleaning piston and rotary tubas, courtesy of the Tuba Exchange:

http://www.tubaexchange.com/files/TubaE ... ooklet.pdf" target="_blank

BTW, use whatever valve oils you have...

Mark

[PaulMaybery]

Unless you have scratched the bearing ends with some sort of tool, you should not have much to worry about. Both Bloke and Tinker have given very good advice and it is really an issue of patience and careful observation. Getting that back bearing plate on evenly is the key. It does take a certain "feel" for the process. If you used a rawhide or wooden mallet and a dowel to tap the plate, you should be safe. Wood or rawhide is much softer than brass and can rarely if ever harm the rotor. It is difficult to diagnose without checking the valve first hand, and if the simple tricks do not yield results, best to visit a techie. On the encouraging side, I have never encountered a rotary valve that could not be improve or fixed with just a little patience and TLC. If they are clean and smooth they usually just want to work properly.

[TheDancingSousa]

So, I fixed it. It ended up that I had bent the top rod while trying to reinsert the rotor and back plate. I gave it a few light taps with the mallet and it moves as well as ever now.

[Three Valves]

Both Bloke and Tinker have given very good advice......

All I see from Bloke are two blank posts with no content whatsoever. What's with that?

What do you want for "free advice?"

[barry grrr-ero]

"If someone else posts basically what I just posted, I delete my post.
If I post something, and someone then posts just about the same thing, I remove my post."

Classic Bloke-post. Got to love 'em.

[Three Valves]

If someone else posts basically what I just posted, I delete my post.
If I post something, and someone then posts just about the same thing, I remove my post.

But it isn't what you post so much as how you post it that makes you special!!

[Donn]

Classic Bloke-post. Got to love 'em.

Thanks for preserving that one, before he got around to deleting it.

[Dan Schultz]

WD-40 is not a very good lubricant. The 'WD' stands for Water Displacing. The formula was created to do exactly that...

It's pretty good stuff for chasing water out of locks and mechanisms but does a very poor job of lubrication. I certainly wouldn't recommend using it on a tuba.