lionsandtigers Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Big thanks to Slay, way to come through with these. So, who wants to post a nice tutorial on how to remove the crummy rep tubes and install the new ones??? also, what and how to change the stem for the eta movement to the new crown. photos would be just dandy if anyone has (ubi?? ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 The last 3 tube jobs I've done did not turn out well, so I had to send them out to be removed. I suspect my error was in not heating up the tube enough to soften the glue. As for the crown... If you have a small pin vise, you can snug up the stem in that and then simply unthread the crown. Then, repeat the process with the new crown. Genuine Rolex crowns use the same diameter stem as ETA- Tap 10 if I recall correct. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionsandtigers Posted October 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 c'mon bro, lie to me :) so how do i go about getting the glue to heat up in order to unscrew the tube? and pardon my french, but what the [censored] is a pin vise? do i ever get to stop buying things for these projects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 I think this covers about all of it... How-To...crown installation... RG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porschespeedster Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 ...The Zigmeister knows all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slay Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 glad your recieved them so fast How long has it been? Only 5 days, hasnt it? Wow, that was pretty fast, I didnt even send express or anything!! and btw. I would not suggest doing it yourself. I tried to reglue the tube into my S ub, and the glue hardned before I could screw the tube in all the way, now its not ALL the way in the threads, but its not noticeable at all. Still I wouldnt do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005SUBMARINER Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 (edited) hey LT its not that difficult of a job .. if you remember i did my 1st gen crown , tub & eta stem mod on mt old eta sub & it turned out pretty good .. just remember to use a hair dryer to soften the tube glue & itll come out pretty easy with a ratstail file .. the old stem should be heated also just incase it has some glue .. thats comes out pretty smoothly . i was lucky puals subs have the china case & it was no need to drill out a 3mm hole just slipped right in .. now the only tricky part to the mod i would say is cutting the new eta stem to size .. mine was a lil too long & the watch stopped after a few hours .. tribal & ubi told me the stem was too long & would have to cut it back to size! & vualaaaaaaaa there where 100% right .. the watch is working great & the gen crown feels way better than the rep crown ! .. good luck cant wait to the the out come .. oh make sure you use some good super glue on the new tube , to keep the water out of your watch !!! Edited October 27, 2006 by 2005SUBMARINER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermanx Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 I removed the movement and all oring, heated the tube with a hairdryer and used a small file to twist the crown tube out... Once heated it came out like butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionsandtigers Posted October 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 how did you all put the new tube in? just with the same file that you used to remove the old one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 To put the new tube in you can buy the $40 tool that Zig shows you in his post, the file, or maybe a Torx screwdriver. Also, the pin vise comes in that $49.95 watchmaker tool kit that you see advertised at the top of the page here- from Amazon.com. I still maintain that cheap-ass tool kit will pay for itself, if you like to fool around w/ watches. Of course, you'll still have to spend another $200 on other tools not in that kit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 how did you all put the new tube in? just with the same file that you used to remove the old one? Be prepared to redrill a hole and tap it for the new crown tube threads. The Zigmeister's watch in the tutorial was one of the ones that don't require this, but apparently many TW Best cases (which yours is) do require it. FYI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 and pardon my french, but what the [censored] is a pin vise? Needle nose pliers work too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leeson43 Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 if you have a powerdrill that has a pin vice where you put the bit in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionsandtigers Posted October 27, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 do the mbw cases need the retap as well? cause i am doing one of those also for my 1665 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 do the mbw cases need the retap as well? cause i am doing one of those also for my 1665 The 16610 MBW does. Not sure on the 1665. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted October 27, 2006 Report Share Posted October 27, 2006 Vintage MBW's typically don't need to be retapped. I don't recall if they need to be countersunk or not. For what it's worth... To install, I simply just thread the crown to the tube and then use the crown as leverage to drive the tube home.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaccum Posted October 28, 2006 Report Share Posted October 28, 2006 Vintage MBW's typically don't need to be retapped. I don't recall if they need to be countersunk or not. For what it's worth... To install, I simply just thread the crown to the tube and then use the crown as leverage to drive the tube home.... Hi ubiquitous You are a polex expert Cheers, vaccum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005SUBMARINER Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 how did you all put the new tube in? just with the same file that you used to remove the old one? yessssss 1st i put 3m super glue on the new tube threads & made it up with the rrats tail file .. went in like butta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionsandtigers Posted October 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 tube would not screw in on the 1665 mbw case, got stuck about halfway, and then i couldnt get it out, so now that tube is destroyed, even when i heated it, i had to use pliers to get it out. now i'm nervous to try the other tube, dont want that one to get ruined also.....[censored] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ubiquitous Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 How were you trying to seat the tube? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lionsandtigers Posted October 29, 2006 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 not exaclty sure what you mean randy, explain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2005SUBMARINER Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 not sure but it sounds like you might have too re-tap a new hole .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 not exaclty sure what you mean randy, explain? How were you screwing it in? Using a tool? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingkitesurf Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 LT What I did with the 1665 MBW was use the eBay 55$ retaps. Just get the old tube out with a counterscrew (left turn thread with sharp threads...). Retap the hole with WD40 or 3-1 oil... half turn at the time and back again to get the chips out (not to damage new threads)... Do not countersink. When tapped rinse the case and hole to make it grease free!!!!! Now the tube screws in but will get hard to turn by hand when on 75%. I screwed the crown on the tube before with two iron rings so it does not screw all the way up the tube. That way you will be able gain momentum and grip to screw the tube 100% in the case using needle nose pliers (protect the crown with a cloth on it). Of course drip the tube threads with some 'loctite' or equivalent before fitting it and don't forget the rubber seal. When screwed on leave the watch for a night. In the morning...unscrew the crown, fit the other seals and you are set. I tested it on waterproofness... the tube and crown are you least worries for leaks... Supersealed. Good luck.. The job takes an hour with retapping and all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heywood Posted October 29, 2006 Report Share Posted October 29, 2006 Lions, Here's my two cents worth. With all of the variables involved with rep cases I'd practice with generic case tubes first. If you get a good seat with the generic tube you can leave it in and use it, if you have to destroy it removing it because it wouldn't seat properly it doesn't hurt as much as if it were genuine. The new style crown tubes that have the splines at the top of the tube are easily wrung off when it's a tight fit and you apply too much force. I've twisted several off this way. It's not a bad idea to invest in a tap and a case tube tool (Ofrei, Caskser and Borel all sell these). Even when the case threads are correct for the tube I run the tap thru to clean up the hole. Like Ubi mentioned, some mfgrs use glue or loc- tite when installing the tube (my MBW had this). Running the tap thru will remove the residual glue and allow for an easier installation. I also lube the threads and tube to case gasket with a little Silicon 7 when installing the tube. The first couple of times are always the most difficult and I'd practice on spare cases if possible. These ideas are based on my own experience busting up watches as I figured out how to do this on my own and offered as the opinions of an untrained amateur. I wish I'd come across this board long ago, they're is a wealth of knowledge available here from people who actually know what they're doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now