Help! How to fix my Effin-A Comp.

onetwentyish

onetwentyish

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I am having some trouble with a used Ares Armor Effin-A MKI 5.56 compensator I bought off of a fellow CGN member recently after hunting for one for what I am sure has been a year or more after Armtac let thier import license lapse and have yet to get it renewed.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this compensator, the MKI model features 32 ports around the device that are threaded to accept set screws to plug off ports to achieve the desired effect by essentially allowing you to tune the rifles recoil and muzzle rise/flip to your exact needs.

20gfdba.jpg

This is the exact comp I am having troubles with. Previous owner reports use for approx 300 rds, no loctite, and sitting on the gun safe for 8 months before selling to me.

The problem I am having is that 26 of those 32 set screws are stuck in there tighter than hell and I cant seem to get them out short of being machined out.

I have tried cleaning/lubing, tried G96 copper, lead, and carbon solevent bath for 30 min, tried penetration oil, and even giving a little tap to the set screw to break it free.
It was taken to RDSC to get looked at yesterday and the guy broke one of the hardened allen key screw driver bits off on the first one he tried.

I then took it from RDSC to my local machine shop to see what they could do. The owner had a look at it and said he could drill them out and break out the remaining threads so I could put new set screws in (armtac has spares), but the machine shop is several months behind, and also quoted 6 hours at $85 an hour!

The guy who sold it to me has been very understanding and very prompt to offer a full refund. But really I would much rather get this thing up and running rather than return it but at this point, I think it is a lost cause.

Is there anything else for tricks that I have missed?

Expect an Effin-A group buy thread to pop up soon so an affordable order can be made through IRG.
 
Ever soldered before? If so, you'll like this (works for all kinds of rusty nuts/bolts). Heat up the area with a torch. Touch the area with a candle. The wax will melt and wick into the threads. You want the area to be hot enough to melt the wax quickly, but not not enough to send all the wax into a big poof of smoke.
 
I would soak it in carbon solvent for 24 hours then if that doesn't work use a torch to heat it up nice and hot and try again. Be sure to use quality allen keys so you don't ruin the heads of those plugs.
I had a Savage with a brake that could be turned on/off that froze open and a good soak in carbon solvent free'd it up.

Have you shot it yet?
Maybe the ones missing are good enough.
You can always just drill out a couple more to tune it. Even if you get them loose the screws will seize again once you shoot it a bit so once you have it tuned it will probably be set like that permanently anyway.
 
If they're in there with Red Loctite, you're going to have to take a torch to it. Regardless of how they are stuck in there, heat will generally get anything moving.

Get a soldering torch for $20 at CT and give that a go.
 
cr5 said:
I would soak it in carbon solvent for 24 hours then if that doesn't work use a torch to heat it up nice and hot and try again. Be sure to use quality allen keys so you don't ruin the heads of those plugs.
I had a Savage with a brake that could be turned on/off that froze open and a good soak in carbon solvent free'd it up.

Have you shot it yet?
Maybe the ones missing are good enough.
You can always just drill out a couple more to tune it. Even if you get them loose the screws will seize again once you shoot it a bit so once you have it tuned it will probably be set like that permanently anyway.
Click to expand...

I will try this first!
 
Might be good to use MAPP gas instead of propane torch. MAP gas is hotter and will have better results usually. MAP omes in yellow canister instead of propane blue canister, and can be found right beside the propane canisters at most all hardware stores.
Do you know if they are loctited in (or did I miss that?)?
 
onetwentyish said:
I am having some trouble with a used Ares Armor Effin-A MKI 5.56 compensator I bought off of a fellow CGN member recently after hunting for one for what I am sure has been a year or more after Armtac let thier import license lapse and have yet to get it renewed.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this compensator, the MKI model features 32 ports around the device that are threaded to accept set screws to plug off ports to achieve the desired effect by essentially allowing you to tune the rifles recoil and muzzle rise/flip to your exact needs.

20gfdba.jpg

This is the exact comp I am having troubles with. Previous owner reports use for approx 300 rds, no loctite, and sitting on the gun safe for 8 months before selling to me.

The problem I am having is that 26 of those 32 set screws are stuck in there tighter than hell and I cant seem to get them out short of being machined out.

I have tried cleaning/lubing, tried G96 copper, lead, and carbon solevent bath for 30 min, tried penetration oil, and even giving a little tap to the set screw to break it free.
It was taken to RDSC to get looked at yesterday and the guy broke one of the hardened allen key screw driver bits off on the first one he tried.

I then took it from RDSC to my local machine shop to see what they could do. The owner had a look at it and said he could drill them out and break out the remaining threads so I could put new set screws in (armtac has spares), but the machine shop is several months behind, and also quoted 6 hours at $85 an hour!

The guy who sold it to me has been very understanding and very prompt to offer a full refund. But really I would much rather get this thing up and running rather than return it but at this point, I think it is a lost cause.

Is there anything else for tricks that I have missed?

Expect an Effin-A group buy thread to pop up soon so an affordable order can be made through IRG.
Click to expand...

Bolded for reference
 
Some of the best carbon remover I've ever used is carburetor and choke cleaner.
I let them soak overnight in it.
I would then soak it in Kano Kroil
 
Stick it in a zip lock bag full of Kroil, Liquid Wrench, or diesel (if your cheap like me) and toss it in an ultrasonic cleaner for a few cycles.

The carbon that has been driven into the threads will not loosen with heat unless it's been broken down and lubricated first.

When you put them back in, use blue loctite to seal the threads and prevent them from being stuck again.
 
rgv said:
Stick it in a zip lock bag full of Kroil, Liquid Wrench, or diesel (if your cheap like me) and toss it in an ultrasonic cleaner for a few cycles.

The carbon that has been driven into the threads will not loosen with heat unless it's been broken down and lubricated first.

When you put them back in, use blue loctite to seal the threads and prevent them from being stuck again.
Click to expand...

Anyone east of Red Deer towords Stettler or Castor want to help me out with an ultrasonic cleaner? I had never thought of giving that a a whirl.

The comp is currently in for a second dip in the G96 bore solevent. The guys at the machine shop said heat would likely not do any good if there is not any loctite in it.
 
So I worked it over in the farm shop for a few hours last night after having let it soak for 24 hrs in the G96 Bore Solevent at cr5's recommendation, then let it soak in liquid wrench for a few more hours before working on it.

I managed to get 3 more set screws out by finding a punch that would fit in the key hole of the set screw and giving it a light to moderate tap with a hammer to help break the corrosion down.

I am sure I would have gotten further but the little pencil lead of a punch I was using broke and I would like to get some better allen key screwdriver bits before proceeding. I have since let it soak overnight now in liquid wrench.

Fingers crossed!
 
I have access to ultra sonic cleaning but I'm quite far from you. I would let it soak in Release all for the night and try again with a quality bit.
 
Heat it, and you could try a butane BBQ lighter with a blue flame for that. Freezing is another alternative ( toss in freezer for ~60 min.)

Giving penetrating fluid or carbon solvent more time to work might help too, like 24-48 hours. It has to work its way in. Keeping the part warm while the solvent helps too.
 
if you think the screws are locked up with carbon why not boil it for a while in soap and water and then give it a try ,works for taking out breech plugs on muzzle loaders
 
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