Sanke Dip Tube

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Dwain

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OK,
I've read all the threads that I can find through the search function. I'm trying to take the rubber end out of the tube. I have been successful getting the ones out that have the little half "ball bearing" out by putting a plastic rod through it and hitting it with a hammer. The only problem is that it can bend the little ears on the half ball bearing. I can't get the ones that have the whole ball bearing out. The ones with the whole ball bearing have a deeper channel for the rubber to set in and I've tried the hammer trick and I don't want to hit it any harder. Finally, when I go back together with these things, will keglube or something similar prevent this? Thanks - Dwain
 
Sanke spears come apart by compressing the spring, and turning the locking metal clip under the spring. It can be a little tricky, and three hands might be required depending on what tools you have available.
 
Snap a picture of what you're trying to remove. The spear itself has a spring and half-ball bearing, or, in your case, a full ball. Is that what you are trying to remove?

You might want to try using a threaded rod and forcing it with a nut....hmmm....there's an idea. be back later tonight or tomorrow with an idea.

Also, a press would do the trick.

As for avoiding this in the future, a little keglube might help but they're not really designed to be cleaned this way. Sanke's cleaning consist of being turned upside down and having a hot, caustic solution sprayed up through the spear and rinsing down the inside of the keg before emptying out around gas ring.
 
Sanke spears come apart by compressing the spring, and turning the locking metal clip under the spring. It can be a little tricky, and three hands might be required depending on what tools you have available.

That is the way to take the dip tube off the head but the rubber part that holds the ball bearing will still be in the tube its a ***** to get some apart I now just soak the whole tube in Oxiclean and depress the ball from time to time. then sanitize the same way.
 
These are the tubes I am trying to clean and you can see the different ball bearings that I am talking about. I need to be able to disassemble them. Usually, the kegs are funky when I get them and I need to break them down without ruining the seals. Thanks - Dwain

both.jpg

I don't have a problem breaking them down to this point.
 
Those crazy sankes. Looking at an assembled keg, you'd never tell if it had so many freakin' different parts. I've got three types of spears, but the body is always the right variety.

I've got an idea similar to a barrel press that might work. I'm going to try it out tonight if I can make it to the store.
 
You might want to hook up the tube to a tap, which then depresses the ball bearing, and then flush water through it to clean it. In fact, you might also want to soak it in Oxyclean to break down the muck. I have also thought about taking the tube apart, and if and when I figure how to do it I will definitely post you a "how-to". Suggesting a press is great, but I wish those folks would include a picture so I could also see how to do it. I checked YouTube -nothing. My tubes are fairly clean as I get to them right after my kegs empty. I don't let them sit over night and dry up. I wouldn't do anything in the way of boiling as it might affect the rubber seal that protects the ball bearing. Considering that beer has alcohol in it, my guess is that using alcohol to clean the tube and its fittings wouldn't do any harm - maybe a cheap vodka? If going this way, I would do so last after the soap soaking and rinsing.

Whenever I research Sanke's, there's always someone who has to pipe in about how I should just get Corney's. Well, too late, and I'm guessing that if you are asking about Sanke's - it's too late for you. To those Corny people, we want help with Sanke's not a lecture on the virtues of Corney's - that train has left the station.

Here is another Sanke tip to those of you Sanke Keggers, regarding the pesky locking washer/ring, which is open ended at both sides. When the keg is full and you have to reinstall the washer/ring, make sure the tail end of the washer/ring is near the slot, so later when you need to take it back out (to clean keg) you can use quickly use a 1/8 inch flat head screwdriver to pop the same tail out, which then can be pulled out completely with a pair of long nose pliers. For those of you that have had to deal with this, I hope this helps.
 
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