Seb tuning secrets?

DaveH

DaveH

Joined
Dec 2, 1999
Messages
12,249
I picked up a three year old seb a while back like new except there was considerable grittiness when opening. I finally got around to taking it apart, got the dark gook out, used militec.

Not much better. :grumpy:

ANy quick tuning secrets rather then carrying it for a month or so? I'd like to smooth it up quicker.
 
steel wool the inner surface until they are smooth. I did this to all my sebs and they open and close like butter!!
 
Oh god please don't do that. If you polish the parts in any way, even with a fine medium, you are essentially removing material. Thus, you WILL introduce blade play. Read the FAQ or the "How I clean my sebenza" stickies and you will see that CRK specificaly mentions that you do not do this.

Militec doesn't work too well for Sebenzas in my experience. Get a tube of CR flourinated grease and follow the directions in the "How I clean my sebenza" thread. Making sure you also grease the ball detent on the lock.
 
Miltec and other lubricants may not be compatable.

Degrease all lubricated areas.

After degreasing. . . . .visually inspect the washers and all mating surfaces. Take a cotton ball and light brush it against the mating surfaces (an unseen snag can cause problems).

If no defects are detected. . . . .apply a good lube.



I don't do the Miltec thing. I've had superb results using Sentry Hi-Slip Grease.
 
I have used the liquid militec with good results on sebs in the past. I might need to degrease the surfaces, I noticed that the militec beaded up rather then covering evenly.

The CRK grease I find too thick for new sebs. works ok for well used sebs..
 
Get a tube of Krytox grease from a local supplier - food safe as well.

$$ - but the results will speak for themselves.

IMO

MAT
 
I have never had any problems with my sebs [13 of them ] with any type of blade play with my suggestion. Good luck I'm sure it will be fine no matter what you do.
 
My Sebenza started to loose some smoothness after a while, and I used Tuf-Glide to smooth it back out. Worked wonders.

Make sure you check the ball baring because sometimes it can get a little gritty and cause the problem no matter how much you attend to the pivot. Such has been the case on my Skirmish and M-16. Both were very gritty and it wasn't until I lubed the ball baring that they became smooth again. On my Sebenza I lubed the pivot and ball baring at the same time, so I do not know which was the problem.
 
I think the internal dimensions are maintained by the spacers and the washers so a slight de-roughening of the inside of the handles shouldn't affect blade play.
Do make sure the washers are clean and well-lubed and replaced on the correct sides of the blade. I like the way mine works with Militec.
Greg
 
You might try ordering some new washers and pivot bushing (and stop pin while you're paying shipping).

Also, when I use militec, I heat it after assembly with a hair dryer. I have used CRK grease and militec with satisfaction (not in combination).
 
fewpop said:
Also, when I use militec, I heat it after assembly with a hair dryer.
Click to expand...


This works for me too. Everytime I clean and lube my sebbies their smooth as butter after the militec treatment.
 
Does anyone know for sure what that detent ball is made of? And does it really turn or nor? I can't tell by looking at it. The detent on mine (a small regular) seems quite a bit stronger than necessary.
 
Scott Dog said:
The ball is ceramic and no it doesn't move.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I had no idea what the material was, but I suspected that it didn't move. And it does require a drop of lubricant for smooth operation.
 
Nothing needs to be done to a Sebenza to break it in. Keep it clean, keep all the parts that rub against each other, covered with a light coating of lube (the fluorinated lithium grease really works best YMMV). The action will smooth out a little after some use, but it's really smooth to begin with. If you hold the lock bar away from the blade just a little (don't bend the damn thing out of whack) the blade will swing free and easy. The tolerances between the washers, blade, bearing, and pivot pin are so tight that if you take even a little metal off any of the faces, there could be movement. Unlike most folders the action can't be changed by tightening the pivot pin assembly. I have taken a blue Scothbrite pad to the inside of my handles at the pivot just to get rid of accumulated gunk, but the blue isn't abrasive like some of the other colors.

Scott Dog said:
The ball is ceramic and no it doesn't move.
Click to expand...

Older ones are stainless steel.
 
I use pace grease on mine (pace make mountain bike parts) I've also used finish line synthetic grease but it's a little heavier
 
Great post.
I had a large Mayo'd Seb once. It was ultrasmooth compared to my smooth new factory large and small regs. How Tom "tweaked" it remains a mystery to me. I took it apart, examined it under magnification and still could not discern any differences. Someone once told me that he burnished the washers.?? I've been tempted to do this but common sense tells me not to remove any material.
All this being said, regular application of miltec keeps my factory ones acceptably smooth. I've been through a bunch of customs & the Sebs keep trumping them all IMHO.
 
Just another question. does anyone know if the bronze washers rotate against the blade or the handle or both?
 
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