Poppet springs

[jalc6927]

I bought used kegs and while taking them apart I noticed a few had different spring assemblies.

One had a larger spring without a base and the other had a spring with a 3-legged base.

Does it matter which type of spring assembly I use?

Reason I ask is that the new poppet fittings I ordered all came with the larger spring

These are all ball lock kegs

Thank you

 

[Doed]

I don't believe it makes a difference.

 

[day_trippr]

wrt oem poppets it definitely does matter; there are at least five different poppets out there for a reason. One should avoid mixing them up.

https://www.chicompany.net/beer-store/ball-pin-lock-kegs-parts/ball-lock-keg-parts/poppets

Otoh "christmas tree" style "universal poppets" with the tapered coil springs
are a bit more "universal" though on short posts (eg: Firestone Challenger 5 & 6 and Super Challenger) a loop or two might need trimming...

Cheers!

 

[Qhrumphf]

They're MOSTLY universal but not ENTIRELY universal. There's the occasional post/poppet/spring assembly that will be slightly differently sized than the rest. Learned that the hard way when stripping/cleaning multiple at once and mixing a few up and spending a while diagnosing why one keg's posts kept jamming. After getting that sorted out I make sure not to mix them up any more.

 

[jalc6927]

The one I got online did not have the same base

Am I correct to assume that as long as I use the entire assembly, however it comes, it will be ok?

 

[Doed]

How does a person remove this type of poppet with the "legs"?

 

[jalc6927]

I used a small Phillips screwdriver

 

[gnef]

How does a person remove this type of poppet with the "legs"?

On the firestone kegs that I've replaced with oem style poppets, I typically destroy the poppet when I remove it since the legs hook into a ledge internal to the post itself.

This is just one of many reasons why I like the universal poppets now. I used to keep a couple dozen poppets on hand since I had so many different kegs and I wanted to make sure I could replace any poppets. Now I just keep a handful of the universal poppets, and I call it good.

 

[jalc6927]

And by universal you mean the kind that is just the spring without the feet?

 

[gnef]

yup, with the separate top piece the nestles inside the tapered spring. The top piece also uses an o-rings, rather than a non-replaceable seal.

 

[day_trippr]

"Universal" aka "christmas tree" poppets

There are quite a few different versions of this, some work better than others...

Cheers!

 

[jalc6927]

Thanks, these are the ones I have