[Pet-Rock]

Im going to be getting some new gas bushings, so I was wondering what the general consensus is.

Should you switch out the factory 8-36 x 3/8'' screws for new ones and loctite them?

Will the staked screws ruin the threads on the gas block?

Thanks guys

 

[drewogatory]

It's never a bad idea to replace torqued fasteners.

 

[glenwatkins]

i bought new screws from Ruger just in case I needed them but didn't use them. I have removed/reinstalled them twice with no issues. Did not use blue loctite. YMMV

 

[wxl]

Retorque my 183 without any problems (not staked) and my 582 (staked) without problems. Just work it back and forth slowly when you first loosen them. But they are fairly cheap to buy and you can get them within a week from Midway.

 

[Pet-Rock]

Thanks.

The screws came out a lot easier than I expected. I measured the gap between the two halves of the gas block on each side with a feeler gauge so I know what the gap should roughly be when I put them back in.

 

[wxl]

Glad you had no problems. From what I read on here, the gap is not nearly as important as even torque. Lots of info on here on proper torqueing. Some gas blocks are so uneven that the gap won't be consistent which is not a problem if the torque is even. Since they are no longer staked, I would use the blue loktite. Mine was fine for years, but then one day I noticed one was so loose that it almost fell off. Since loktite, I haven't had an issue with either of mine. You can get it at Home Depot, I think it's called Thread Locker Loktite.

 

[Pet-Rock]

Yeah, I've got tubes of the stuff laying around over here

I use the stuff on just about everything, torque alone just isnt convicing enough to me.

Ill torque em in an X pattern like the 2 stroke I rebuilt and all that and be rocking and rollin soon enough!

 

[wxl]

Yeah, I've got tubes of the stuff laying around over here

I use the stuff on just about everything, torque alone just isnt convicing enough to me.

Ill torque em in an X pattern like the 2 stroke I rebuilt and all that and be rocking and rollin soon enough!

Sounds like you know what you are doing. It took me several loose screws, sights, and other things falling off before I found the miracle stuff. I've read a lot of info on here that said over torquing is also a major source of accuracy issues with the Mini. I forget what you are suppose to torque to but it is not very much. A lot of guys say maximum torque should be only applied with turning the short end of the allen wrench until your fingers hurt (for those of us that don't own a torque wrench).

 

[Pet-Rock]

Yeah im not going to invest in one unless I really have troubles.

A the torque would be 36 in/lbs

Unfortunately I have a habit of over torquing so Ill watch it and be careful. The gap should reflect if I have or havent. Thanks for the tip about the fingers hurt, haven't heard that one yet but Ill definitely remeber it.

Thanks for all the help man

 

[subscriber]

New screws make setting the torque easier.

I went a step further and ran a tap through the gasblock threads (starting from the bottom) first to remove the burrs raised by unscrewing the staked original screws.

 

[drewogatory]

Oh, ffs people, you can't rely on "finger tight". Even a basic torque wrench (which you can rent at least) is better than guestimating. If a guess was good enough, it wouldn't have a torque value. If you can't be bothered to even attempt to do it correctly, just leave it factory stock, because you aren't helping.

 

[wxl]

Oh, ffs people, you can't rely on "finger tight". Even a basic torque wrench (which you can rent at least) is better than guestimating. If a guess was good enough, it wouldn't have a torque value. If you can't be bothered to even attempt to do it correctly, just leave it factory stock, because you aren't helping.

I guess that's why the gas blocks come so perfectly torqued from the factory.

 

[wxl]

Here's a pretty good thread on torquing the gas block with a lot of good opinions from people a lot more knowledgeable than me as well as a spirited discussion about loctite. This is where I got the info on blue loctite and using my painful fingers as a torque wrench. I actually tightened it another 1/8 turn when I got a small amount of gas leakage out of the gas block the next time out. I guess my pain tolerance is less than others. Mostly what I got from this thread was keep it light as possible to keep from putting stress on the barrel.

http://www.perfectunion.com/vb/ruger-mini-14-mini-30/76307-gas-block-torque-really-important.html

 

[drewogatory]

I guess that's why the gas blocks come so perfectly torqued from the factory.

I can't comment on that, but I can comment on what every single instructor I've ever had has told me, be it civilian, military, high school, college, union,automotive or aeronautic . Every single one,without exception, has told me to use a properly calibrated torque wrench to torque bolts to spec. There's only two ways to do a job: the right way, or every other way.

 

[COBrien]

New screws necessary? Not really. A good idea? I think so.

LocTite? Yes. Blue. Unless you plan on re-staking the screws.

Torque wrench? I haven't used one. Instead, I go by the measure that cajungeo (RIP) posted here some years back, that went something like this:

If you're using an L-shaped Allen wrench -- with the long leg in the screw (holding the short leg in your hand), torque with the edge of the short end on the "meat" of your first finger. Once you think "ow, that hurts," you're there.

If you're using a T-handle Allen wrench -- torque until the shaft of the wrench just flexes/twists.

I've had my gas block apart at least a dozen times (don't ask...) and re-torqued it as above, using an "X" pattern on the bolts and a feeler gauge between the block halves, and have never had a single issue.

If I had an in-lb. torque wrench, I'd damn sure use it. But I don't.

 

[general_disarray_prk]

Accuracy tip: Lap the upper and lower half of your gas blocks to the barrel.

You can use fine grit automotive valve grinding compound (Clover brand) OR scope ring lapping compound.

 

[Pet-Rock]

Well the new gas bushing came in and they look great!

I torqued the gas block down as specified in the thread, and the gap on on side of the gas block is noticeably larger than on the other.

I un-did and retorqued the gas block a total of 4 times, each with the same result.

So I figure maybe thats just the way it is??

I pulled out the feeler gauge and here's the gap numbers.

One side:

.025''

The other side:

.066"

 

[headedtotexas]

Whose gas bushings did you go with?

 

[NJ2ATX]

Well the new gas bushing came in and they look great!

I torqued the gas block down as specified in the thread, and the gap on on side of the gas block is noticeably larger than on the other.

I un-did and retorqued the gas block a total of 4 times, each with the same result.

So I figure maybe thats just the way it is??

I pulled out the feeler gauge and here's the gap numbers.

One side:

.025''

The other side:

.066"

No, this is not the way it is. Did you re-torque using X pattern?

 

[Pet-Rock]

I did, I'm just at a loss why they come out this way every single time