Making a ZT0566 Flip Like A Champ!

[mattpeyton]

I received my ZT 0566 and I didn't know quite what to think. It's 'assisted' which I knew I would remove, but even WITH the assist, it was tighter than a _____ (substitute your own analogy for very tight here). A few flips and my finger was hurting! Removing the spring and doing a full tear down and cleaning, and installing some decent grease (Finish Line Flouro) got it half way home, more than half way, but still it was a wrist flick flipper, not the steady state flipper that I've seen XM-18s to be, and etc.

Anyhow, I got curious - what makes these work - etc. What makes a good flick? In the interest of science I ordered some spare Rick Hinderer teflon washers. They are NOT a perfect replacement for the bronze ones - they are a tiny bit larger, and have a larger hole by a little bit, but I'm not so sure that this matters? As long as they can smooth the rotational force, a little bit of air around the pivot point didn't seem to be a problem etc. So, on they went. I also cleaned out the Fluoro and used Nano Oil, giving the teflon washers a good old bath.

Results were dramatic. 0566 flips like all the youtube vids I've seen, with no side to side blade play, when held horizontal or slightly less. Flipping upward, i.e. more angle than horizontal on the knife, requires the most subtle of hand 'english'. Not even sure if it would qualify as a wrist flick.

One thing I noticed, there is tendency to hold down the pocket clip and press a bit when flipping, as your hand 'tighten's in antipation. Since the pocket clip presses down on the frame lock, which presses the ball into the blade, make sure you, er, press less as you flip more....

Science!

 

[wade7575]

I was wondering if you can provide a link to the place you got the washer's and what section to look under,thanks for taking the time to do this how to.

 

[mattpeyton]

Was here but I don't see them anymore maybe sold out?

https://www.monkeyedge.com/

 

[wade7575]

Do you have a part number or for what knife they were for,I'll give them a call and see if they can order me in some thanks for the help.

I also seen you used Nano oil to oil your knife if you have not tried Benchmades Bluelube I would give it a try it made my ZT0560 better then new the difference was more then night and day for that knife.

Was here but I don't see them anymore maybe sold out?

https://www.monkeyedge.com/

 

[mattpeyton]

Hinderer XM-18 washers. Called that.

 

[bpeezer]

An alternative would have been polishing the bronze washers. Many members have had similar dramatic changes by doing so. Thanks for sharing though

 

[wade7575]

I have 2 ZT0566's the first no matter what I did never opened right I tried I every trick on the this forum Benchmades Blue Lube to polishing the washer and nothing help period,if you wanted the blade centered in the frame then it would not open worth a crap if I loosened it off to where it should open like it should the blade would scrape the frame.

The second one I got from a seller I have dealt with many times before on ebay sent me my second one and it was just plain and utter Bull Crap the blade would not even flip open it would flip to about 1/3rd the way open and that was it and it sounded like there was dirt between the frame and washers and the blade when the blade was centered,I tried every trick again and not a bit of difference what so ever,the thing opens at super slow speeds even when the blade is loosened off all the way.

I'm sending it back to ZT as well and they know I'm not really happy with my 2 ZT0566's not working very well and I waited to see if my ZT0560 would break in and see if the lockbar would stop jamming to the blade and no such luck so it's getting shipped with my ZT0566 Monday to re-carbonized the lockbar to make it the same hardness as the blade from ZT told needs to be done.

I can tell you right now there are 2 problems with the ZT0566 they are not machining enough metal away on the frames and when you go to center the blade it's to tight of fit and the other problem is nobody at ZT is checking these thing's after they are put together or they have a useless tool on the line who does not give a crap about his or her job.

I made a small video to send to ZT showing the guy at the front desk just how badly my second one was right out of the box without me messing with anything and he could not believe at how slowly it opened and that the blade did not even try to come close to opening with the spring assist,they are sending my knife straight to the production manager when it get's there to see why it's so bad and try to find out why it ever made it out the door,the guy at the front desk told me there's no way it should be opening so slowly and should have never left the building like that.

Don't get me wrong I love ZT knives I'm just getting fed up with them having the longer then I have owned the dam thing's.

An alternative would have been polishing the bronze washers. Many members have had similar dramatic changes by doing so. Thanks for sharing though

 

[wade7575]

bpeezer just so you know with my post before this one was not ment to sound like I was mad at you for making your comment I'm just beyond frustrated and I was just trying to say the polishing the washer trick may work for some I'm just not sold on it yet.

An alternative would have been polishing the bronze washers. Many members have had similar dramatic changes by doing so. Thanks for sharing though

 

[bpeezer]

^^^My 770 started out like that too. After cleaning it, lubing it, flipping it about a thousand times, then cleaning and lubing it again, the knife now flips open very quickly. Little tricks are nice to help speed things up, but cycling it over and over really makes the biggest difference in my experience. I had similar drastic break ins with many different knives.

I have seen many positive reviews of the 566. I highly doubt the issue is a design flaw, but QC issues are still up in the air.

 

[wade7575]

I'm not saying it's a design flaw I just think that either the blade is to thick where it rides between the frame and when the slack is taken up to center the blade now it's putting to much pressure on the blade.

I wish I didn't delete the video I had made and you would understand more I think,I know my ZT0350 opens 3 times faster and with a whole lot more snap for sure.

^^^My 770 started out like that too. After cleaning it, lubing it, flipping it about a thousand times, then cleaning and lubing it again, the knife now flips open very quickly. Little tricks are nice to help speed things up, but cycling it over and over really makes the biggest difference in my experience. I had similar drastic break ins with many different knives.

I have seen many positive reviews of the 566. I highly doubt the issue is a design flaw, but QC issues are still up in the air.

 

[bpeezer]

I'm not saying it's a design flaw I just think that either the blade is to thick where it rides between the frame and when the slack is taken up to center the blade now it's putting to much pressure on the blade.

I wish I didn't delete the video I had made and you would understand more I think,I know my ZT0350 opens 3 times faster and with a whole lot more snap for sure.

I believe you about the video, my 770 wouldn't open all the way at first either. Try using the torsion bar from your 350 and see if that makes a difference.

 

[wade7575]

Do you know if the torsion bar from my 0350 will even fit my 0566.

I believe you about the video, my 770 wouldn't open all the way at first either. Try using the torsion bar from your 350 and see if that makes a difference.

 

[bpeezer]

Do you know if the torsion bar from my 0350 will even fit my 0566.

I only mentioned it because I seem to recall reading about someone else doing the exact same thing.

 

[wade7575]

I'll give it a try and see if it help's,I don't think from what I can feel there is much more power in the 0350's torsion bar,I can tell that the 0350 hardly needs the screw turned in to center the blade and you can tell there almost no pressure on the blade from the lock bar and the isn't much pressure from the frame squeezing the blade to hard either.

I'll try it for sure if I get time between now and Monday as I know I have to work Sunday and Monday and now I'm off to bed.

I only mentioned it because I seem to recall reading about someone else doing the exact same thing.

 

[Snipe315]

I know my ZT0350 opens 3 times faster and with a whole lot more snap for sure.

I've noticed this as well.

My ZT0350 is my fastest and most solid opening ZT/Kershaw I have. But it uses a Liner Lock vs. the Frame Lock on the ZT0566.

But the AO action on my ZT0566 is still very weak compared to ALL of my other ZT/Kershaw knives. My Kershaw Cryo II also has a Frame Lock design but it opens easier and far more "solid" then the ZT0566. Looking at the Cryo II, I did noticed that the clip doesn't put any pressure on the frame, unlike the ZT0566.

With a LOT of use and work, my ZT0566 opens 100 percent better then it first did & now I'm okay with how it operates. But its still the "weakest" one of the bunch.

 

[liamstrain]

Huh... my 566 was out of the box great. And once cleaned up, de-assisted and lubed, it's one of the smoothest flippers I've ever handled. A real joy.

I wonder if they tried to ramp up numbers too fast after the initial shipments to meet demand and qc suffered.

 

[rpttrsn]

Huh... my 566 was out of the box great. And once cleaned up, de-assisted and lubed, it's one of the smoothest flippers I've ever handled. A real joy.

I wonder if they tried to ramp up numbers too fast after the initial shipments to meet demand and qc suffered.

I think you are spot on with that. Needed to get more out quickly. Quite a few issues with mine. All OK now after some care. If anyone is having trouble opening with the tip up carry position, you might want to see if the pocket clip is putting to much pressure on the frame lock. When my knife was open the clip was still pressing against the frame lock. A little bend fixed that right up. Tip down carry doesn't touch the frame lock.
When it's working right its a great knife.
Ron

 

[wade7575]

With my first knife it may have worn itself in,but the second 0566 I got from a guy off ebay there was no chance in hell it was ever going to break in the blade only opens about 1/3rd of the way open,I'm thinking maybe they ramped up production to fast as well and people are not checking them once they are put together and are just tossed straight into the box,I just hope they send my first one back working right.

I think you are spot on with that. Needed to get more out quickly. Quite a few issues with mine. All OK now after some care. If anyone is having trouble opening with the tip up carry position, you might want to see if the pocket clip is putting to much pressure on the frame lock. When my knife was open the clip was still pressing against the frame lock. A little bend fixed that right up. Tip down carry doesn't touch the frame lock.
When it's working right its a great knife.
Ron

 

[RKR]

I have the same hard to open condition on my 0566 as well as a Kershaw Thermite purchased a month apart. I found no difference from change of tightness on pivot screw, different or removed lube, or operation with / without clip. I have a set of Hinderer teflon spacers purchased from Monkey Edge a while back. I will give them a try and report back. RK

 

[wade7575]

If that does not work try sending it back to KAI they are great people to deal with and I have nothing bad to say about the people that work there or their warranty service I'm just really steamed about 3 out of my 4 ZT knives I got 5 months apart from one another are not working the way they should and the second ZT0566 is the one that has me mad the most and it's not so much because it does not work the way it should it's the fact that the blade will not even try to flip open at all.

I have the same hard to open condition on my 0566 as well as a Kershaw Thermite purchased a month apart. I found no difference from change of tightness on pivot screw, different or removed lube, or operation with / without clip. I have a set of Hinderer teflon spacers purchased from Monkey Edge a while back. I will give them a try and report back. RK