poppet valve replacement

[oleoneeyebrewery]

Anyone know of any tools that are made to correctly seat the poppet valves on the "air in" posts of corny kegs? I've seen people use screwdrivers,but that has never wprked for me for whatever reason. I'm tired of spending $10 for new air in posts with the vlave already seated when all I need is a $3 valve. Thanks for your help

Ron

 

[IslandLizard]

I use a large (~1/8") nail punch (nail set) from Harbor Freight, the ones carpenters use to drive nail heads in. But they really don't need force-seating. I also use the same punch to test the poppets once there is gas in the keg, and push them out of the post when thoroughy cleaning.

Why are you replacing the poppets? Are the seals worn? Make sure the correct poppets are used. There are a few varieties.

 

[oleoneeyebrewery]

I am replacing because one of the poppet valves was not seated when I went to fill the keg with beer. I noticed the valve was sitting below where it should,and when I took the seat post off,the valve simply fell out. This has happened a few times to me and I can never get them reseated properly

 

[IslandLizard]

Picture of the culprits please?

I think you may have the wrong size poppet. The triangular base of the poppet should rest on the dip tube flange. It tends to wedge itself inside the bottom of the post, which makes it easy to service, but that friction fit alone is not going to hold once you put the QD on.

You can bend the 3 prongs from the poppet base out ever so slightly with pliers to have it fit tighter inside the post and remain there. Once seated, the top of the poppet should be flush with the top of the post.

 

[oleoneeyebrewery]

But why would the valve itself sink and not sit level with the post AFTER I already had a beer in that keg and it functioned perfectly? I drank all of the beer from that barrel,set it aside,then a few months later I went to fill that keg and the poppet valve was noticeably sitting below the top of the seat post.....I know if I hook it up,my entire tank of CO2 is gone

 

[oleoneeyebrewery]

I appreciate your help but I can't give you pics because the triangular part of the poppet broke off while I was trying to fix it. Best I can describe is that the actual "valve" part of the whole assembly was about 1/4" below the top of the seat post,almost as if the spring wasn't working at all

 

[IslandLizard]

The poppet should not be below the post top. Is there a dip tube with an o-ring present? Did you screw the post on correctly and all the way down? Don't mix up liquid and gas posts either.

Have you looked here?

They got about all the keg parts one would need.

 

[oleoneeyebrewery]

I know what I am doing to replace the valve. All parts of the tank are correct,I am mainly trying to figure out how to seat the poppet valve properly. I took another corny air in keg post apart,and that valve appears to have the three flanges for the triangular piece pressed firmly below the rim inside the keg post. I'm not sure why I can't seat the valve properly,but I do know I am going to try the large nail punch. Thanks for the info

 

[TBaGZ]

I am slowly switching my poppets out to all universal ones.

 

[passedpawn]

[thread moved to Kegging ]