firestone keg gas post dip tube?

[odie]

I got a firestone challenger VI keg from a buddy. It was missing the gas post pit tube.

It won't take a normal dip tube. Does this post even use an o-ring or how does it seal?

 

[Tartan1]

It won't take a normal dip tube. Does this post even use an o-ring or how does it seal?

The older kegs use a plastic dip tube for the gas side with a flare fitting no o-ring. I did a retrofit instead to stainless diptube using these instructions, works fine.

http://brokenglassbrewing.blogspot.com/2010/08/quick-easy-corny-keg-modification.html

 

[Deadalus]

I have gotten replacements for some older diptubes at the Chi Company. I am not sure that the ones at that link are the exact ones you need however. I will look at the ones I have to see the make and model. Williams Brewing also carries some.

 

[odie]

interesting...I think I might have some of those plastic dip tubes.

And seriously...no o-ring???

 

[Tartan1]

Any seriously...no o-ring???

Looks like from your pic it is a flare fitting in the bulkhead so no o-ring. The original ones (plastic) would crack, flatten, or chip over time due to wear and tear of removing to clean etc..

 

[Deadalus]

I have a Challenger VI in the basement but it's been purged. If you don't get a solid answer I will take the post off. I am pretty sure it is a flared insert as well but I think I have 2-3 with plastic inserts and I am not 100% sure.

 

[day_trippr]

One of my 18 kegs has a plastic dip tube, but it's the style that uses an O-ring. There's the alternate style which doesn't.
Chicompany.net carries both...

https://www.chicompany.net/index.ph..._in_description=1&keyword=plastic+gas+diptube

Cheers!

 

[mac_1103]

I have two Challengers, but they are racetrack kegs with no Roman numerals. FWIW, they do take the beveled plastic gas dip tubes, but they also need a nylon spacer. Liquid side does have an o-ring, and needs the nylon spacer too. This is probably not the correct part for a Challenger VI, but there's got to be something similar for the poppet to sit on top of.

 

[odie]

pretty sure I got a couple other firestones...hence the plastic dip tubes...but they had o-rings on the gas side

 

[odie]

well this keg is a 3 gal. all my other firestone keg is 5 gal. but that wouldn't explain the gas post? I used dip tube and o ring on those.

 

[Tartan1]

but that wouldn't explain the gas post? I used dip tube and o ring on those

Like most older kegs and different capacities there are variations with lids, posts etc depending on date of manufacture. I gave the folks at "chicompany" a call when I was trying to source gaskets, lid PRV's, and post o-rings for my older 10Gal kegs. The person I spoke with asked for specific markings and #'s on the keg and were able to provide the exact replacements required.

 

[odie]

well there is what appears to be a serial number...

267411179

 

[Deadalus]

Here you go. I have to purge some kegs thus weekend anyway. It's not the tapered one I was thinking of. Was holding pressure fine before I took the post off.

 

[odie]

Here you go. I have to purge some kegs thus weekend anyway. It's not the tapered one I was thinking of. Was holding pressure fine before I took the post off.

That plastic dip tube certainly looks tapered to me. not a huge taper but it does neck down.

 

[Deadalus]

That plastic dip tube certainly looks tapered to me. not a huge taper but it does neck down.

No its more like a phillips round pan head. Here's a pic contrasting it with a tapered tube I have from an old keg. I saved the tubes and keg posts. This particular keg had those hat shaped inserts that the poppets needed to sit on (second pic). On the pan head dip tube, that oring sits on top of the post mount, not inside, and the post sits on top of the dip tube. I can't say for certain someone didn't change it out however. The dip tube is fairly worn and the oring does look a little overcompressed. It holds pressure fine, never had any problems with it. I did put thetapered one in the keg and it sits flush but the oring doesn't fit it, it's too big, and the dip tube itself seems a little loose. I think the hat pieces on the tapered dip tube are what sealed the posts on that old keg.

 

[Deadalus]

@odie I may be using the wrong terminology. In looking at Williams Brewing and their specific offerings, what I called the pan head they are actually calling that tapered plastic gas dip tube. They do say it is a"Tapered plastic gas dip tube fits older Firestone kegs and some newer Spartanburg Challenger VI kegs." and they give the correct o-ring for it. It's slightly different looking on the top than mine. What I thought would be considered tapered they are calling Beveled Plastic Gas Dip Tube. And Williams says that one should have a gasket too.

The Chi Company calls one a flat top and the other one they also call beveled. I guess beveled wins it for the other one. I think the one they call tapered at Williams is the one you need (flat top at Chi Company). So if you buy one let me know if it fits! Mine's kind of raggedity, I wonder if it is for something else.

Then not of importance to you but those "hat" spacers are called Firestone "Challenger" Tank Post Spacer over at Chi Company {mac_1103 linked these above). And I am pretty sure the parts I showed in the plastic bag were from the racetrack keg I had, which I had to scrap as I couldn't get the lid to seal.

 

[mac_1103]

What I thought would be considered tapered they are calling Beveled Plastic Gas Dip Tube. And Williams says that one should have a gasket too.

Pretty sure that's wrong. The dip tube is beveled because the inside of the post is also beveled. That o-ring would screw up the fit. It wasn't easy, but I finally got my hands on everything I needed to get my two "free" racetrack kegs to hold pressure, and there are no o-rings on the gas side. I'm still not entirely sure how they seal; I guess the spacers are compressible enough.

edit - but just to be absolutely clear, none of that has anything to do with the Challenger VI AFAIK

 

[Deadalus]

Pretty sure that's wrong. The dip tube is beveled because the inside of the post is also beveled. That o-ring would screw up the fit. It wasn't easy, but I finally got my hands on everything I needed to get my two "free" racetrack kegs to hold pressure, and there are no o-rings on the gas side. I'm still not entirely sure how they seal; I guess the spacers are compressible enough.

edit - but just to be absolutely clear, none of that has anything to do with the Challenger VI AFAIK

I lean towards agreeing with you but I didn't get that one working. I didn't have an oring either but the lid leaked even after buying a new one. Williams may have copied that in as the oring suggested is the same as other dip tube. Chi Company goes into detail about remanufacturing that style dip tube (again the beveled one) but doesn't mention an oring.

 

[odie]

well I was digging thru my bucket of random keg parts...glad I kept these weird looking dip tubes...

 

[Deadalus]

The metal one seems slightly larger with a longer neck. The red one looks original. I have three 3 gallon kegs and after I repurged this one, I was putting it away last night and saw that I had forgotten that this one was part of a pair out of the three. I was having trouble with the poppet on the liquid side of the other one, so it being not purged, I checked the gas post and they are both the same. You will need the oring though for the red post.

I don't know about Williams, but Chi Company says their flat tops are duplicates as the originals are no longer made. They say they made the head wider and it seems they also flattened it.

I think the bev poppet may not have been seated properly on the ledge, Otherwise I may try a universal poppet and or a new post if necessary. The gas dip tube on that second keg was in better shape than the first one.

 

[d40dave]

The older kegs use a plastic dip tube for the gas side with a flare fitting no o-ring. I did a retrofit instead to stainless diptube using these instructions, works fine.

http://brokenglassbrewing.blogspot.com/2010/08/quick-easy-corny-keg-modification.html

I just got a Firestone keg. My dip tube has a smaller o-ring than a normal corny keg. If I did the precedure in this link would I use the smaller o-ring or a normal sized o-ring. It doesn't seem like the normal sized o-ring fits into the keg post.. Thanks.

 

[mashdar]

Is this a use case for Trong's uni-tube?
https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Hom...ent/Keg-Parts/Keg-Interior-Parts/UNI-Dip-Tube

 

[Witherby]

Back in 2021 my friend and I each acquired a 10 gallon keg with racetrack lid that was missing a few parts. We scrambled like crazy for a long time to track down parts. I have no idea how we missed Chi Company! I finally got all of my parts and then I have never used the damn thing. But I just checked and after 3 years it is still holding pressure.

I was so glad to read this on the Chi Company website about the liquid post nylon spacer:

"If you have an old original spacer, KEEP IT for reference. These aftermarket spacers need to be filed down to original size in some applications.

If you install this spacer and things seem too tight or do not fit.... ascertain the size needed and reduce as needed. A FINE hand file or (even better....) a Bench Grinder that takes approx. 0.07236539 seconds to size!"

That was exactly my experience, but I thought I was doing something wrong. Three years later since it is still holding pressure, I guess I didn't screw it up.

 

[mac_1103]

"If you have an old original spacer, KEEP IT for reference. These aftermarket spacers need to be filed down to original size in some applications.

I kept my old originals, but they are so beat up that they're useless for reference. I mean, if the spacers weren't such a mess maybe the damned posts wouldn't be leaking in the first place, right? So it was shave a nanometer, try, fail, shave another nanometer, etc, etc.

 

[Witherby]

I kept my old originals, but they are so beat up that they're useless for reference. I mean, if the spacers weren't such a mess maybe the damned posts wouldn't be leaking in the first place, right? So it was shave a nanometer, try, fail, shave another nanometer, etc, etc.

I had to take 3mm off which I ended up doing with a thin bladed saw.

Here’s my keg, which doesn’t have any brand markings. I was doing my searches based on “racetrack lid” since I didn’t have other marks to go off of. Hopefully this is helpful to someone out there. Not great info out there on some of these old weird kegs.

 

[d40dave]

It seems like I need this:

https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Hom...g-Interior-Parts/Tapered-Plastic-Gas-Dip-Tube

Along with the D67 Dip Tube Sealing O ring.

My dip tube is reddish but is has a collar below the flange and so does mine.

Thanks

 

[mac_1103]

The reddish-ness is just discoloration from use.