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Need help reassembling a Buck/Strider 881

ehhh

ehhh

Joined
Feb 4, 2006
Messages
562
So I recently received my 3rd Buck/Strider 881...why? I dunno...I got one, got a great deal on a second and then felt I needed a BG-42 version just for the heck of it :D

Anyways, when I received the BG-42 one, I found the blade was very badly off center, nearly rubbing the liner and a little lose. I took a look at the pivot area and found that there was some crud between one of the bronze washers and the liner. I figure it should be a simple job of disassembling it and cleaning it out. So I disassemble it and find that the "crud" was actually residual Ti left from the laser cutting process. So I figure, it's not a hard DIY sanding job and save myself the shipping and time sending it in to Buck (one of my 881s is already at the repair center being reassembled anyways, since I got a great deal on parts of one). I sand the bump down a bit and decide it's good enough to go back together.

So now, the hardest part seems to be putting the darned thing back together and having the knife function correctly. I can put it back together, but for some reason the pivot doesn't seem to get the right tension no matter what I try. The pivot is either WAY too tight (fixed blade anyone?), or WAY too loose (maracas anyone?) with little to no inbetween. If it is loose, there is tons of space between the washer, blade and liners. If it's too tight, there is no space. I've tried tightening the screws from the back of the knife to the pivot, and the other way, and also tried different screw tensions throughout the knife. Now I seriously doubt this is because I sanded off a tiny bit of Ti that shouldn't have been there in the first place...So is there some sort of special way to put these back together without having to send it in to Buck's repair center?
 
Do you have the "spacer" washers on the right sides? One should be thicker than the other I believe?
 
Yeah, I've got everything where they should be (the washers are the same thickness and actually slightly thinner than the ones on my newer generation ATS-34/dual stud model).

I'm starting to wonder if the folder was put together in such a way that the little bump that shouldn't have been there kind of melded into the design and should have been left...I may have to send it in to Buck after all. I'll try again for a day and see what happens and hopefully if I can't get it back, Buck can replace the liners and washers since those are what seem to have caused the trouble.
 
LOL Trax and D...TFF.

Jim is on the right Trax (that's a visual ;)).
The washers on the 881 are the same width but are different shape. The short, or smaller one goes on the liner lock side.

IF you are focusing on the tension by adjusting only the pivot torx, try adjusting the spacer torx's as well. Especially the forward one of the three spacers.

"May" also be a sign that your liner lock is putting too much tension on the blade which makes it stiff during deployment. That "might" be very slightly adjusted by tweaking (medical term) the rear two torx's a tad (scientific measurement).

One of my patients, a 889LE had extreme slipjointitis and needed to have her liner lock actually pushed out a bit during surgery. In the absence of access to the spacer torx's on that particlular species, a micro-screwdriver shaft was inserted between the liner itself and the liner-lock spring to push it out just a bit. Works great now and locks up every time with perfect tension and no wobble during deployment. That was a very unusual circumstance and is not recommended unless absolutely required due to the risk of over extending the spring, thus, inducing metal fatigue within that critical system.

Whatever ya do, take the time to put a drop of Loc-Tite BLUE on each thread.

If all of the above fails, please contact me for donor status. The Goose Buck Strider Research Facility (GBSRF) is modeled after the "Ronald McDonald House" plan. Instead of children, it is intended exclusively for needy Buck Striders. We are in the Charter Membership phase of that initiative and will consider all needy BS knives for a reasonable donation to the sending party.
Please, take the time to send a e-mail or PM to me.

Once a year you will receive a picture of your Buck Strider in it's new home. No longer will your knife have to walk a mile to be sharpened, go hungry for oiling each night, or spend each day in a stuffy drawer.
All made possible by your kind gesture.

I have been wrong twice before and have divorce papers to prove it. Your mileage may vary....
 
Buckaholic said:
LOL Trax and D...TFF.

Jim is on the right Trax (that's a visual ;)).
The washers on the 881 are the same width but are different shape. The short, or smaller one goes on the liner lock side.

IF you are focusing on the tension by adjusting only the pivot torx, try adjusting the spacer torx's as well. Especially the forward one of the three spacers.

"May" also be a sign that your liner lock is putting too much tension on the blade which makes it stiff during deployment. That might be very slightly adjusted by tweaking (medical term) the rear two torx's a tad (scientific measurement).

Whatever ya do, take the time to put a drop of Loc-Tite BLUE on each thread.

If all of the above fails, please contact me for donor status. The Goose Buck Strider Research Facility (GBSRF) is modeled after the "Ronald McDonald House" plan. Instead of children, it is intended exclusively for needy Buck Striders. We are in the Charter Membership phase of that initiative and will consider all needy BS knives for a reasonable donation to the sending party.
Please, take the time to send a e-mail or PM to me.

Once a year you will receive a picture of your Buck Strider in it's new home. No longer will your knife have to walk a mile to be sharpened, go hungry for oiling each night, or spend each day in a stuffy drawer.
All made possible by your kind gesture.

Your mileage may vary....
Click to expand...
Thank you for your highly professional opinion :p

I will try that again today. I did play around with all the tension, especially at the stop pin, but the previous threadlocker that Buck used is getting in the way of adjusting, so one side tends to be very tight and if I want to loosen it, one side becomes too loose. I have no idea how I can clean the threadlock out of those spacers either...Would a hot water soak dissolve it or will I need special solvent (which I probably don't have)?

If worse comes to worse, I feel #427 would be safe at the GBSRF :D
 
Well, after much fiddling, I think I've figured out the problem. The washers simply are too thin.

How do I figure? I tightened all 3 backspacers to maximum hand tightness, then I slowly tightened the pivot until there was no horizontal play. I take a look at the pivot and the handles are bending in at that area. There is TONS of space between the washers and blade near the spine as well. So the thing is basically pinching the blade at one point (near the lockbar) making it impossible to achieve a smooth, solid action, and very easy to get a loose or ultra tight, unsmooth action. It's as if there was a 3rd washer like someone stated, but there never was a 3rd in this knife and I have looked all over for the possibility that one dropped out without me noticing.

Do you think Buck would be so kind to send me a couple bronze washers? I know they don't usually send parts, but I really don't want to send the knife off for weeks when it's very possible that I can just do it all myself (and if I fail I can just send it all in to them). I don't think it's me, because I've taken plenty of folders apart and gotten them all back normally.
 
ehhh said:
... the handles are bending in at that area. ...
It's as if there was a 3rd washer like someone stated, but there never was a 3rd in this knife and I have looked all over for the possibility that one dropped out without me noticing.

Do you think Buck would be so kind to send me a couple bronze washers? ...
Click to expand...

Bending? That's not good (overstating the obvious).

Third washer on a 881? Unless one of those three is countersunk in the frame, I only count two on mine. Where is the post about three? I'd like to learn something new today in addition to how to post a thumbnail with a http image link.

E-mail Joe Houser. I'm thinking you have a great chance of getting some washers. The 881 isn't around in production but maybe they have parts fpr repair work or excess laying around.

Keep us posted :)
 
wh4f said:
Do you have the "spacer" washers on the right sides? One should be thicker than the other I believe?
Click to expand...
I guess I assumed wrong, I thought he said there were two. I have seen other posts where people have said there were 2 washers on one side and only 1 washer on the other (so one side was thicker than the other). This has been said of the older single stud models, and the model I am having trouble with is a BG-42 First Production model.

Both washers on mine are the same thickness and they are both thinner than the washers on my newer ATS-34/Dual stud 881.

I just finished sending an email to Mr. Houser. I actually have one of my other 881's at the Buck repair center as we speak. Ironically, it is there for *drum roll* ...reassembly. I did not take that knife apart though, I bought all the loose parts separately and needed some parts completely replaced so I sent it in (it was actually missing the washers too). For $20 it didn't seem like a bad deal ;) Repairs might cost $10 according to Mr. Houser. A beat, but functional 881 for $35 with shipping to Buck seems like a pretty good deal to me :thumbup:
I sure hope he is willing to send me a couple washers, because that seems like it will make all my problems go away.

Bending? That's not good (overstating the obvious).
Click to expand...
I had the same reaction when I saw it and quickly unscrewed the thing :eek:
I thought the screws were gonna pop any second.
Buck seems to use quality hardware though. The heads are still real sharp and don't slip at all, whereas I have quickly worn the screws of some other knives in one sitting.
 
Just for reference, my 2001 BG42 881T has 2 washers on one side, one on the other.

schiesz
 
schiesz said:
Just for reference, my 2001 BG42 881T has 2 washers on one side, one on the other.

schiesz
Click to expand...

Hey Schiesz...
How ya been?

Are the double spacers visible when the knife is assembled? I can only eyeball one on each side of mine (same year).

Is the double side on the liner lock side?
 
Yep, same year, but different. You CAN see the double spacers, they are on the non-lock side. I'll see if I have a pic, or maybe I can post a new one tonight.

Goose, doing good, thanks for asking.

schiesz
 
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