[TenTec] Cleaning an Omni- A PTO

[MIKE SOUHRADA]

Terry O'Neill wrote:
> My Omni PTO is very sticky. The more I turn it the freer it gets.
> How difficult is this job?  Can the average ham do it successfully?
Terry depends on how you define "average"?? HI based on a Clinton joke.
Really not that hard if you have the instruction sheets. They help but 
are not absolutely necessary thus "average" needs definition.
I just did my third or fourth PTO rebuild on a Omni C ,last week w/o a 
Ten Tec kit. The others were Tritons 540 & 544. However I did use the 
kit on the first one so I had the documents.
The Omni C was a bit harder to get to because it's digital and all that
stuff needs to be removed to get to the box, which comes out. Then just
follow the process. I have the docs so if you want can put them into
digital format for you. One note: the kit fails to provide a wedge nylon
washer that pushes against the pistol. I had to make two of those from
phoenolic tubing to replace the smashed ones.
There is a pin on the end of the threads be sure to seat it so it 
doesn't show on the low side of the thread (flush in the inner thread).
The one I just did was done very very wrong , had a broken part and that 
pin was inserted wrong and lost 1/2 turn on the pistol, and seemed like
the grease was wrong, sort of a graphite type. Had the same symptoms you
mentioned. Bicycle grease has been mentioned on the list as a good 
substitute.
Mike
Iowa