Jampot dismantling - the sequel

[Mckorkins]

Necessity being the mother of invention, here's my solution to the problem of 'stretching' a Jampot to facilitate disassembly. Forget the Dexion frame and the sash clamp ideas, both of which were considered as a means of achieving the required outcome, then I remembered that I had bought a set of cargo straps from Lidl or Aldi sometime ago. Surely I could adapt these to do the job, particularly since they had a very strong ratchet? I could see no problem with the principle of achieving my aim by using one of these; and, as luck would have it, there is a wooden 2" x 3" beam right above my workshop vice to act as a fixing point. I drilled a hole in this beam to pass an eye bolt though it with two repair washers placed on either side for strength. To maintain security in the vice, without the risk of the Jampot springing out when under tension, I then fashioned an 'L'-shaped piece of scrap steel and drilled a hole though it to take the bottom fixing bolt.

The operation was entirely successful and with the help of another pair of hands to hold up the chrome bottom cover tube and the chrome retaining collar (which I taped to the former), I was able to remove the circlip with ease.

I then inverted the whole assembly in the vice, making sure the top clevis was tightly packed with steel and alloy scrap to avoid splitting or breaking when clamped. I then soaked the clevis's thread in penetrating oil and left for a couple of hours before attempting to unscrew it from the inner tube (021494). Once the buffer (016251) had been slid down the inner tube, I experimented with placing jubliee clips around it in the hope of providing some protection when using a pair of 30"-Stilsons (gasp, shock, horror, Stilsons? you say). But this idea was futile, as the clips just revolved on the inner tube when gripped. Hey-ho, there was nothing for it but to apply the Stilsons directly to the inner tube - and if they were used where the rubber buffer sits, any damage caused would be obscured and not affect the operation of the strut. Well, in the event, I need not have worried, for after carefully placing the tool around the inner tube and gently applying pressure, it unscrewed from the top clevis with no damage being inflicted at all. Phew! After turning the Jampot the right way up to avoid oil leakage, the rest of the operation was easy and, as someone helpfully pointed out, there probably would be a need to replace the leather washers, which actually had perished!

Here are some pictures of the rig and the parts disassembled in order to replace the top cover tube:




Edited by - Mckorkins on 13 May 2012 2:34:43 PM

[GOLDSTAR]

ahh ! all is revealed, now I understand the difficulty with the circlip retained j/pots quite different from my screw type, suppose these were cheaper to make and more difficult to damage there being no thread to cross, thanks for the illustration Mc. kind regards

[saltbox alf]

Good way of doing the job, I used the workmate way on my jampots (circlip too) I like how the work position is accesable with your method. With the workmate it just streches the jampot enough, but its fiddley to do.
(I think my roof would fall in, damn termites!!)