Mount adapter stuck

[Joaquin69]

Hi. I hope you people can help me . I bought a stainless steel tripod for my atgti sw mount.  It took a 3/8 adaptor to make it work. Its all fine, but now i want to use another mount, and to my surprise i cannot unscrew the adapter from the azgti  mount( hope i am making any sense). It is stuck , it turns but it wont unscrew. 

[Peter Drew]

Hello Joaquin.

 

Welcome to SGL.

The screw might be designed to be captive so that it doesn't get misplaced. Try pulling downwards on the knob to re-engage the threads if this is the case.   🙂

 

[Joaquin69]

Thank you so much , i will try that

[Joaquin69]

Tried my best but it didnt work. Thanks anyway

[johninderby]

Have you tightened up the Az clutch knob enough?  If not it will just turn instead of the adapter unscrewing.

Edited September 17, 2020 by johninderby

[Joaquin69]

I did but it wont unscrew. Thanks

[Joaquin69]

With the az clutch tightened i turn and turn again the adapter but it wont give.

[Budgie1]

I'm not familiar with the adaptor but can you release the adaptor from the tripod, or have you done that? It may make it easier to work on.

Does the bolt go right through the adaptor plate so you can get hold of it from the other side?

 

[Joaquin69]

38 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

I'm not familiar with the adaptor but can you release the adaptor from the tripod, or have you done that? It may make it easier to work on.

Does the bolt go right through the adaptor plate so you can get hold of it from the other side?

 

Hi. Yes, i removed adaptor from tripod. 

Hope i understood  your 2 question. 2nd photo helps?

[Budgie1]

I understand it better but it doesn't help.

I was hoping there was a bold head you could get hold of but it looks like the part which threads into the mount is a stud, rather than a bolt. Normally turning either the mount or the adaptor anti-clockwise would unscrew it, unless the clutch is turning with the adaptor.

One thing I did think of; I see you're in Spain, what's the temperature where the mount is at the moment? I'm wondering if the metal has expanded and cooling it may release the mount. Something like putting it in the fridge for a while? If it's around 20-25°C then this probably isn't going to work, but you never know.

[DaveL59]

I've sometimes found on the TAL-M that the knuckle under the L-shaped ALT-AZ is hard to undo, with the AZ axle just rotating even with the clutch tight. Similar to what I'm guessing is under that adaptor. You perhaps will cringe but try slacken the clutch and turn the RA axle a bit then retighten, then a light tap on the adaptor with a hammer in the undo direction may be enough to overcome the resistance and shock the thread to start to turn. Once it does it'll undo ok. Don't overdo the pounding tho or you may create a flat spot in the bearings.

Edited September 17, 2020 by DaveL59

[Joaquin69]

Definetly shall try it ma n. Thanks

[Joaquin69]

2 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

I've sometimes found on the TAL-M that the knuckle under the L-shaped ALT-AZ is hard to undo, with the AZ axle just rotating even with the clutch tight. Similar to what I'm guessing is under that adaptor. You perhaps will cringe but try slacken the clutch and turn the RA axle a bit then retighten, then a light tap on the adaptor with a hammer in the undo direction may be enough to overcome the resistance and shock the thread to start to turn. Once it does it'll undo ok. Don't overdo the pounding tho or you may create a flat spot in the bearings.

The Thing is the mount (azgti) works ok with the adapter. I Mean it turns nicely. Risking to lose that too?. Dont think so.  The thing is i wanted to use also a different mount with tripod (az5 sw), and i need the adaptor . Thanks anyway

[DaveL59]

If you've a bit of wood to fit that slot in the adapter you'll get away with not marking it too as well as add leverage 🙂 

Just saw your reply to me as I edit this one. Yeah I get what you mean, option then is get another adaptor, perhaps. You wouldn't lose the AZ-GTI ability to work if the mount is refitted to the adapter, but does sound like it'd be a pain each time you want to swap things around if it gets stuck like this. Has to be tight enough tho so it doesn't come loose in use but then it's hard to remove later.

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by DaveL59

[Joaquin69]

9 minutes ago, DaveL59 said:

If you've a bit of wood to fit that slot in the adapter you'll get away with not marking it too as well as add leverage 🙂 

Just saw your reply to me as I edit this one. Yeah I get what you mean, option then is get another adaptor, perhaps. You wouldn't lose the AZ-GTI ability to work if the mount is refitted to the adapter, but does sound like it'd be a pain each time you want to swap things around if it gets stuck like this. Has to be tight enough tho so it doesn't come loose in use but then it's hard to remove later.

 

And besides adaptor is not cheap at all. 70 euros more or less. I hoped i could use this one for both mounts

Regards

[Steve Clay]

Try getting some penetrative fluid (wd40) between the top of the adapter and the base of the azgti. Do this a few times rotating the faces between the 2. Some fluid should find it's way into the threads. Might help release the threads..

Next time use a smidge of copper grease on the thread. Just incase of dissimilar metal corrosion/ adhesion.

Steve

Edited September 17, 2020 by Steve Clay

[Ludd]

I may be missing something here, but won’t it be a matter of putting the whole lot back on the tripod, tightening the tripod bolt into the adapter and then turning the AZGti to free it?  That’s how I separated a seized wedge from a berlebach adapter.  

[Joaquin69]

36 minutes ago, Ludd said:

I may be missing something here, but won’t it be a matter of putting the whole lot back on the tripod, tightening the tripod bolt into the adapter and then turning the AZGti to free it?  That’s how I separated a seized wedge from a berlebach adapter.  

Tried it several times but no, it wont work

[Joaquin69]

20 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

I understand it better but it doesn't help.

I was hoping there was a bold head you could get hold of but it looks like the part which threads into the mount is a stud, rather than a bolt. Normally turning either the mount or the adaptor anti-clockwise would unscrew it, unless the clutch is turning with the adaptor.

One thing I did think of; I see you're in Spain, what's the temperature where the mount is at the moment? I'm wondering if the metal has expanded and cooling it may release the mount. Something like putting it in the fridge for a while? If it's around 20-25°C then this probably isn't going to work, but you never know.

Sorry to bother you again. If i try this , i mean if i put in the fridge for a while, do you reckon it could damage any inner part, circuits wifi. ?sorry if i sound too newbie. I mean last week was relly hot here and mount was near window. Who knows?

Edited September 18, 2020 by Joaquin69
expand comment

[Budgie1]

Not a newbie question at all and well worth asking.

It shouldn't have any effect on the electronics in the mount, they are not waterproof but will withstand high humidity. My mount was covered in dew last night.

You could put a thin towel around it to soak up an moisture in the fridge.

[Nigella Bryant]

I have the same problem with my solarquest mount and eq6 adapter. Just turns but does not undo. Not found a remedy for this yet. Doesn't affect use, just annoying.

[johninderby]

Just took a look at some pics I took of the insides of a SolarQuest mount. You would have to remove the circuit boards to get at the Az mechanisim.

[Merlin66]

An interesting problem.

Just to be sure....the adaptor you show is screwed into the base of the mount.

Does the base of the mount rotate during normal usage on this screw/ adaptor or is it fixed.

Assuming it is fixed, you say rotating the adaptor, holding the base of the mount secure that the adaptor still stays attached to the base but can rotate.

This infers to me:

The socket in the base of the mount which screws onto the screw, is loose relative to the mount base. This socket should obviously not allow the adaptor to rotate without the screw tightening or loosening. I don’t know how this socket fits within the base, other examples I’ve seen have the threaded socket machined into the sold base of the mount. I your case it could be a threaded insert in the base which has come loose. You’d need to be able to access this socket from inside the base and at least hold it firmly enough to release the screw, then look at ways and means of re-securing it solidly to the base.

This sounds like a manufacturing/ design fault. Have you contacted the supplier?

 

[johninderby]

The rotating part of the mount is set into the mount so you can’t grip it while tightening the adaptor. You can only tighten the Az clutch knob.

Would be a better design if the rotating part extended down enough to grip.

Here’s a pic of the mount with the extenstion pillar adsptor.

Edited September 19, 2020 by johninderby

[Joaquin69]

Thanks for yor help. The thing is i had the mount  atached to the extension pillar and it worked flawlessly. Then i bought the sturdier tripod, wich need adaptor to fit mount.

Opening the mount scares the hell out of me. Clumsy me. Given that i can use it as it this, (it turns) i shall leave it alone. 

Thank your for yoir kindness.this community is awsome