pin to ball conversion ad nauseum

[av8rbama]

I've searched high and low to find a straight answer to this. Upon my searching I found this

[FONT=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica] Here's some useful information on thread size I gleaned from rcb.

Firestone V Challenger, Firestone VI Challenger, Firestone Super Challenger
Gas 9/16"-18
Liquid 5/8" -18

Cornelius Spartan & Super Champion
Gas 19/32" - 18
Liquid 19/32" - 18

Cornelius R (pin lock)
Gas 19/32" - 18 (2-pin)
Liquid 19/32" - 18 (3-pin)

John Wood 85, Firestone Challenger
Gas 11/16" - 18
Liquid 3/4" - 18

Firestone A, Firestone R, John Wood RA, John Wood RC (pin lock)
Liquid 9/16" - 18 (2-pin)
Gas 9/16" - 18 (3-pin)[/FONT]

Thanks to my sister and her multitude of hookups in the food service industry, I now have two Cornelius 3-gallon Spartan kegs for way less than the going price. Wish she could find me more. However, they are pin lock and each one has a couple of loose pins.

According to the information posted above which I found HERE, is there any reason why a 19/32"-18 ball lock post can't replace a 19/32"-18 pin lock post? Also, according to the data above, the Spartan was originally ball-lock. Could these kegs have been converted at some point?

This is the same keg I have, dimensions, look, etc. except these have ball lock posts.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/products/ProdByID.aspx?ProdID=7236

 

[homebrewer_99]

No problem at all...

 

[gnef]

looks like you've really looked in to it. given the threading and dimensions, you should be good to go. let us know how it goes though!

 

[ColoradoXJ13]

how can one tell what kind of kegs they have? I have three pin lock, and I wouldn't mind converting them.

 

[gnef]

look on the side of the kegs, usually they are engraved. if you can't see it or if it has been rubbed out somehow, then check the poppet, and compare it with photos online. look at the different homebrew stores for a picture.

 

[av8rbama]

Update on my progress: got my 13/16 spark plug wrench filed down to get the pin lock posts off and when I removed them I find a stainless steel washer underneath them, around the nipple.

From all I've found, people have said you could convert an original pin-lock to a ball-lock with the same threads if you used an extra o-ring under the dip tube, meaning the original pin-lock vessels must have had a shorter threaded nipple. Why else would someone use a stainless washer underneath this pin-lock post on what I believe to originally be a ball-lock vessel? To shorten the threads to match a pin-lock post, of course.

This, I believe, was originally a ball-lock vessel converted to pin lock to be used with Coke equipment (one has a Sprite sticker on it). I have high hopes that this will work for me.

If it was originally a pin-lock vessel, I might be pretty skeptical on doubling up the o-rings.

Will keep everyone posted.

BTW, anyone know of a good place to find the posts? I found some at midwestsupply.com for roughly $10 per, plus shipping. Even if this doesn't work, I will likely need new pin-lock posts due to the very loose pins, and they don't have them there.

 

[gnef]

post up pictures too. we all like to see what's going on. :]

 

[av8rbama]

here's a couple of quick pics. I can't find the digital camera so the crackberry will have to do, so sorry for the quality (or lack thereof).

The first shot shows the engraving that was mentioned earlier, the second shows the posts and washers. I tried to take a third and fourth picture showing the height of the nipple with and without the washer but just couldn't get the ruler to show the markings. However, I will say that with the washer the nipple is approximately 3/8" and without it is 7/16".

I asked a buddy whose brother kegs in 5 gal ball-locks if his had a SS washer under the posts and he is fairly certain that it doesn't, it just screwed straight on the nipple. Since this is my first excursion into kegging, I have no clue. I hope to have some 5 gal that were always ball locks myself by the end of next week. Just been too busy w/ work.

 

[gnef]

interesting, i haven't seen those washers either. thanks for the pics!

 

[av8rbama]

Stopped by the LHBS (well, 60 miles away) this weekend with one of my 3-gallon cornies in tow. He was in the middle of cleaning a couple of Cornelius ball-locks and let me borrow the post to try it on the 3-gal.... fits perfectly. He had one set that was beat to hell that he offered to sell me for $40, to which I politely declined after finding them for $15 a pair online.