P'kal Lock Problems ??

Normark

Normark

Joined
Nov 7, 1999
Messages
6,651
Hey Guys..

Anyone having any problems with the lock on their P'kal ??

I'm having a Really strange issue with one...

The knife is smooth as silk after the fist 1/3 of the opening cycle, however the first 1/3 of the cycle is VERY stiff, and closing it is even worse.. The knife will not close on it's own and has to be helped...

It's Almost like the spring is over compressed at the end of the closing cycle and making the last little bit really stiff...

I forgot to mention that this problem has been getting progressively worse...

I'm wondering if there maybe some crap lodged up in there or something preventing the locking studs from going back further..

Anyone have any ideas ??

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Hey Guys...

After examining the knife a little more I've found that the problem is when the ball bearing engages the Closed Stop... I thought maybe it was dry so I lubed with with some pure silicone oil and it got slightly better,, but not much..

To me it almost feels like the ball bearing is scored or damaged somehow...

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Hmmm...I am looking at the ball lock on my D'Allara here, and have concluded that the P'kal must have a bit different implementation of the ball lock mechanism.

About the only thing I could see happening on the D'Allara that would cause the symptoms you are experiencing is if the ball spring slot that is milled in the stainless steel back spacer got really fouled up with crud. My D'Allara is exposed to pretty heavily fouled environments a lot of time, and though I am mindful of contamination build up adversely effecting the performance, there seems to be no issues...yet, anyway.

I dunno...maybe blast some high pressure air in there, chase it with WD-40 or something, and blast it with air again. If it is still bad after that kind of treatment, then I suppose it must be a mechanical problem of some sort.
 
Hey Headroom...

Thanks for responding...

Yaa it certainly mechanical,, either something is messes up in the spring area,, or the ball bearing is Nicked somehow..

Even if I hold the lock manually all the way back it still has the problem...


ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
If it is full of gunk, don't use WD-40, it will make it worse. WD-40 will build up. Try contact cleaner, then blow out with compressed air, and lub with miltec. If that doesn't work send it back to Spyderco w&r dept.
 
Normark said:
Even if I hold the lock manually all the way back it still has the problem...
Click to expand...

Now that makes me suspect somethings gone awry in the pivot. If I pull all the way back on my D'Allara lock, the ball is fully withdrawn from any contact with the blade tang whatsoever. Any remaining problem would almost have to be at the pivot...maybe a borked washer? But that would seem odd.

Actually, come to think on it...you might want to confirm that fully retracting the ball lock does indeed result in removing all contact with the blade tang. If something nasty was jammed back in the spring channel somewhere, it could quite conceivably result in shortening the overall rearward travel of the ball. It would be easy to assume that the lock is fully retracted, when in fact it is simply being prevented from doing so. Insufficient reward ball travel might certainly explain some stiffness in the blade movement, as there would be more tang pressure than normal.

But, as I don't own a P'kal, I am making some guesses based on what I know of the D'Allara lock....which I would think would behave similarly, but possibly not. It is hard to imagine a wrecked ball...those things are really hard.
 
There's a secondary spring concealed inside the lock, which the first spring chokes up against. Mine has slight variations in tension in the first third of opening, and the last third of closing.

It definitely IS a slight variation in the case of my P'Kal however.

I'm inclined to think the issue is localised to around the secondary spring in the housing. Perhaps a small bit of debris, or something up with the smaller spring itself.

It could however be the bearing, or even an issue with the area around the blade's pivot.
 
My P'kal works flawlessly. I would just send it in to aleviate any apprehension on your part. ;)
 
Hey Guys...

Headroom...

I don't think it's the pivot at all...
With the studs held back and the pivot loosened, the blade should easily be flicked into the open position like you would do in a BM 710..

When I first got it,, it was doing that,, now it won't..

I think the problem is coming either from the ballbearing (maybe bad heat treat and it's soft) possibly nicked,, or like you said the spring is munged up somehow..

If I hold the locking studs all the way back, the ball bearing NEVER leaves the tang of the knife.

It is VERY possible that the spring isn't going in all the way, theres maybe 1cm of space when you hold it back as far as it will go...

It's gotta go back to Spyderco for sure as the knife can be opened slightly and it will stay in the position...

Thanks guys..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
Eric,
We wouldn't make any guesses on it. I would suggest that you send it in to W&R and let us take a look at it.

Kristi
 
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