Zt 0220 assembly problems

[buffalo01]

I took apart and cleaned my zt 0220 and now that i put it back together it has bad blade centering and the action is bad. I'm less worried about the centering, i can usually fix that but the bad action has me very confused. Before i cleaned it was pretty messy with metal dust and other junk in the pivot. Well actually it was more than that, it was disgusting lol. But it would still fall closed with a little shake after it got passed the detent and fly open very good every time you nudged the flipper. Now i can hardly get it to open with wrist action and it definitely won't fall closed. Even with the pivot pretty loose. I took it apart and put it back together more times and was able to fix the centering much effort but the action is still terrible.
I have never messed with a knife with bearings so I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong... This seems bizarre to me and I fear I bent one of them somehow or something now but didn't think to check, that will have to wait until tomorrow. I checked and double checked and the bearings were facing the correct way. It felt like there was less of a detent too but that may have been my imagination.

Btw I cleaned with lighter fluid and lubrication was hopes #9

 

[buffalo01]

Update : tried a couple moremtimes today and still no luck. Flipped the bearings, held the blade over while tightening all the screws and no improvements. There is also a very rough feeling spot in the blades rotation. I dig clean up the detent hole inithe blade and the helped but the action and centering is terrible.

 

[Ajack60]

Take it back down, wipe the oil off the bearings and anywhere else it may be, put it back together and see if it's any better.
I have found that ZT's do better without any lube due to the bearings being in a cage. That's what may be causing it to be sluggish.
I run mine dry and the work well. If you got sloppy with the lube, then it could be everywhere it doesn't need to be. I would guess if any got into the detent hole or ball, it would cause the detent to seem weaker.
Once you put it back together free of all lube, you should be able to get it centered again. Running the pivot loose is causing the blade to be off center. It will take some adjustment on the pivot screw to get it smooth again.

 

[REK Knives]

Is the pivot and stop pin seated fully and correctly?

 

[buffalo01]

Is the pivot and stop pin seated fully and correctly?

Yes sir.
I finally got it sorted out though! I put it together and at least got it where it wasnt rubbing the side of the knife, then kept adjusting to pivot until I got good semi reliable deployment. But when the knife was closed the blade would drift side to side. So I kept tightening the pivot (quite a bit) until there was less wiggle. Then I noticed there was no change in freeness of the blade AND my centering fixed. So I kept tightening and tightening the pivot and the action actual IMPROVED.
I ended up with the pivot so tight im afraid to go any further without stripping the screw. Perfect blade centering, deployment, and no blade play. The blade is also so free now that is will drop under its own weight, which is even smoother than when it was new. So either ZT really knows what they are doing and their tolerances are so tight that you just tighten everything all the way down, or I got a real oddball of a knife.