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Different Ball Lock Posts by MFG??

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htims05

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So the first 3 kegs I bought all were Pepsi stamped from the Cornelius company and had a smaller wrench size - Here's what they look like:
old1.jpg
old2.jpg
old3.jpg



Then I bought some 2.5 Gallon ones off a person the other day - they are A.E.B from Italy. Still ball locks, but I want to say the wrench size was 7/8" and the poppets were not removable from the post...I mean you could probably pry them out but they don't just fall out like others...they were purposefully pressed in and resting on a rig.

So the question is - Are the ones that are on the A.E.B correct or did the previous owner replace them with something incorrect???

Also do both of these work with my existing ball lock disconnects CM Becker and Pera (some cheapies I got off Amazon for a small project). I assume so otherwise there would be some sort of statement saying they don't?

Here's the new ones:

New1.jpg
New2.jpg
New3.jpg
 
and the poppets were not removable from the post...I mean you could probably pry them out but they don't just fall out like others...
If and when you need to, those poppets will come out. You just have to “persuade” them with some force.
Remove the post, place it in the upright position on a sturdy hard surface covered with an old towel or rag, use an appropriately sized screwdriver, punch, nail set, etc. and push hard until it’s dislodged. OEM style poppets should all stay in place if they’re installed correctly.
 
Before one starts hammering poppets, take a close look at the poppet legs, because I have some Firestone kegs with poppet legs that sit atop a ledge carved inside the post, and they aren't going to go anywhere but bent from hammering.

One or two legs need to be gently pried off the ledge for the poppet to drop out...

Cheers!
 
By “persuade”, I didn’t mean to hammer but rather they do require more force to remove than simply falling out like the OP suggests. I need to learn to be more clear when responding to some of these threads... And yes, you are correct that the little legs may need to be pried loose using a sturdy dental or small mechanic’s pick or similar small screwdriver. I deal exclusively with pinlock posts and those poppets usually come loose with a good push from above.
 
On most of my 16 ball lock kegs the poppets will literally fall out of the posts. But those few are quite different - and I confess I center-punched a poppet to oblivion in learning the hard way :)
Given oem style poppets are pricey li'l bastids and often not obtainable in a timely fashion, if a poppet doesn't fall out easily, inspection is recommended...

Cheers!
 

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