REO Tips & Tricks...some basic troubleshooting ideas

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Cnew

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Okay, major RED ALERT. Figured I'd do the atty connector testing on the known-good REO GRAND, just to see what the readings "should" be.

Collapsed the spring on the Grand.

Probes must have shorted the atty connector?

Which is not a problem, the problem is that I have every tool known to man, and I CANNOT GET THE BOTTOM SCREW OUT TO CHANGE OUT THE SPRING.

I have all those tiny little screwdrivers, a couple collections of them, and the screw will not come out. I just compared it to the screw on bottom of the mini....its not nearly as big. (+ is not very big at all). Machine shops / computer repair shops are closed, otherwise, I'd run it into town. Guess I will do that in the morning.


So now..........I have no vape. At the moment...............


Gotta go look for my backup ego kit........... Be back.

Hang in there Racehorse. This too shall pass!


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redeyedancer

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I would bet money you need to clean the positive contact on the mini . Its dirty I no you cleaned it but you didn't clean it good enough . You have to apply pressure and run the file over the contact at least 4 or 5 times apply a good drop of noalox the mod will run perfect

You can pull the spring in your grand back up . This will get you buy until you can get a new spring installed
 

Racehorse

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I would bet money you need to clean the positive contact on the mini . Its dirty I no you cleaned it but you didn't clean it good enough . You have to apply pressure and run the file over the contact at least 4 or 5 times apply a good drop of noalox the mod will run perfect

How much money did we bet? :laugh: I hate losing bets but I just did. :vapor:

Applied more pressure to the positive contact with the file (per you and the reonauts). Took the firing button all the way out of the mod, to look at it under magnifier lamp, it had a thin white-ish filmy buildup on it, all the way around---I scrubbed that off with very hot water and a toothbrush----applied the naolox to the end of the firing pin.

Put it back together and.......:vapor: VAPING!

I really thought I did a good enough job the first time around.....guess not. heh :laugh:


You can pull the spring in your grand back up . This will get you buy until you can get a new spring installed

I did not know that! Pizzazz!

I will just send it in for a newer screw----even if I ask my computer repair guy to take screw out, he probably won't have right screw size that you are putting in these days.

Thank you everyone.

Now, one more thing.......

1) did I short out the grand with the probes?
2) what is the proper way to test voltage on that atty connector? I feel I need to know how to do this.


This is not as bad as a gal pal and I changing out the mowing deck on her riding lawnmower last month. :) Just that I'm not needing the mower to vape with
 

ancient puffer

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You *might* be able to get the screw out with a thin piece of metal inserted sideways, to give you more leverage, or, if you have a phillips screwdriver that fits the screw, grab it with pliers to turn it. You might also squirt a bit of wd-40 on it first to sort of loosen it up. All in moderation, of course. But bottom line, you're vaping again :w00t:

Something tells me Rob knows more about these REOs than he's letting on LOL
 

Racehorse

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You might also squirt a bit of wd-40 on it first

I have a farmstead of sorts here, I know screws and bolts freeze up if they are not taken in and out once in a while, so I am often doing that on items that I know may eventually need to be worked on.

That is actually the mechanic's nightmare, fixing stuff isn't hard if the parts come off and go on, and don't freeze or break in the process.

Yes, I will apply a bit of WD to that screw, good idea.
 

JC Okie

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Getting that screw out.......you need a screwdriver with a little tiny head on it to fit the screw, then a big, fat handle on it so you can get some leverage. I tried to take a screw out with a little bitty screwdriver that comes in a little bitty set....and could never get a good enough grip. I got a "real" Phillips head screwdriver out of my son's toolkit that had a big handle on it, and it was easy. So.....just a suggestion.
 

redeyedancer

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Your better off testing the battery . once I build a mod there is no way the connection from the atty connector to the battery will loosen up . I wrench them on there with force and use liquid solder to guaranty it never comes lose .

It is almost always a dirty mod or a bad atomizer in these cases . If you keep the contacts clean the mod will not stop working its like a terminator it only knows one thing . The only weakness a reo has is the center post gasket dont use adapters and never wrench your atomizer on and the mod will just keep ticking on and on for years
 

Racehorse

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its like a terminator it only knows one thing

:laugh: For a moment today, I felt like I was mis-cast as Sarah Connor. :blink:

The only weakness a reo has is the center post gasket dont use adapters and never wrench your atomizer on and the mod will just keep ticking on and on for years

And what would be the outward signs of having busted THAT? I guess that is what I'm needing to know.

I like to know about bad stuff before it happens to me, although I have to say, one of my *fears* has always been a spring collapse in a mod..........and guess what?

T'wasn't NOTHIN BAD AT ALL in a Reo. I didn't even know right away til I realized the battery was rattling around in there! Perfectly safe !!!

So now, I'm officially had a "spring collapse" in a vaping mod and I feel like I've just joined some very advanced club LOL


It's like having a 2nd chance to lose your virginity or something. :laugh:
 
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Racehorse

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Put it back together and.......:vapor: VAPING!
sad news, vaping was short-lived. Went right back to intermittant performance.
I think it's the atomizer gasket is bad.....why? ..........the clue: went to put juice into bottle and the feeding tube split wide open....atty gasket is as old as that tube. Sending it in to the master for some TLC. :)
 
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FeistyAlice

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Can somebody explain to me how I can test the atty connector in the REO mini with my multimeter?

The atty I'm using tests fine, and works on my REO Grand.

Experiencing mis-firing or no firing on the reo mini, and I've given it a thorough cleaning, re-applied naolox on tip of metal firing pin, checked batteries, firing button itself, etc. Sides of firing button felt a tad bit "sticky" so that was cleaned as well.

So------That leaves the actual atty connector inside the catch cup as not being good?

Could the rubber insulator in the atty connector wear out with age --- even if not used and just stored in a drawer?

I really do not want to send this in....I will be travelling and need this in my possession.

Is this the green Mini we traded for. I'll have to assure everyone that I major cleaned it well in the hottest forceful tap water we have (I had to use heavy rubber gloves), alcohol rinse, blew out, dried well for a couple of days, filed the firing pin, renoaloxed, and even unscrewed original hex spring screw and put new phillips in (noaloxing the screw hole, too). The only way to get it any cleaner would have been to disassemble it and scrub every little part. Although it was hardly used ever it never had any juices that destroys bottles or plastics or silicone. I just can't imagine a silicone tube splitting like that. I'm not saying it can't happen but goodness knows I have a few REOs and I've never had that happen. I'm still using the original small tubes that came on my early REOs and even the original small tube on my first Silver Mini that hardly ever gets any rest. Green Mini was firing fine when it left my place. I just don't understand. I apologize if it arrived to Racehorse in less than perfect condition but the described issues are totally foreign to me except for a few REOs from classies that obviously needed rebuild (and I was told their condition when I purchased). So, folks, the damn thing WAS NOT DIRTY!!!!!! I realize Racehorse did not identify from where the Mini came but I'm figuring it was the Green Mini. Just stumps me as to why it was having any problems.

I do feel bad for ya Laura especially if it came out of box acting up but it still stumps me.

Feisty Alice
 
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Racehorse

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jeez Alice, I have to tell you, I have NO IDEA why the mention of previous ownership was brought up here.....I came to the troubleshooting topic to get troubleshooting advice.....your name was never mentioned.

I'll have to assure everyone

I don't get this. You and I made a private swap........not anyone else........so I'm unclear as to why *anyone* else, (esp. in a public topic) would need to be assured of anything?

Coming into the thread defending yourself from......... I don't know what? It seems like *Drama* has been created where none is necessary......Couldn't you have just sent me a PM?:laugh:


To get back to topic, let me share some thoughts about mechanical objects:

I run a rural homestead here. I can tell you that I have many hoses and equipment that have gaskets, that have never been used and when I go to use them, oh-oh. :)

I have plenty of weed-eater fuel hoses......that never had a drop of gasoline or fuel run thru them.......that were put back in a drawer for "just in case" and they are no longer good. I do not live in an well-controlled heating/cooling environment.

We live in that kind of climate. East TX, Arkansas, etc.

It doesn't matter if it's been in a drawer, in a closet, unused. If a silicone or rubber gasket or tube is old and/or in a certain climate, it is going to break down.

If that were not true, most hardware stores would have gone out of business a long time ago. :lol:

If you took the REOs out of "storage" after many months, or even a year or so.... or more...............and didn't use them faithfully for a week or so immediately afterwards like I did ----------you would have no way of knowing they were going to fail.

My brother is an aeronautics engineer--- my other brother is a safety expert in a highly technnical deep sea diving field.....I know all about failures. ;)

Whether it be seals on Space Station Freedom, an robotics camera device, or an atty gasket on a REO mod. :laugh:

The thing about imminent equipment failure is that it often cannot be predicted. (and I doubt very much that Robert would deny that since a reo is a mechanical device, it may need to be *serviced* just like any other mechanical device. It doesn't mean it wasn't cared for.....it means it is equipment like any other equipment. ) If indeed, he denied that, he would be at odds with 99% of the mechanics in the world. ;)


If you remember, the mini had one of the old tubes in it....quite a bit smaller in circumference than the ones that come with more recent models. What year do you think that was put in? See my point? Nobody is blaming you for anything.

I certainly had no intention of returning it to you, I was just here to try to fix this mini myself.

NOBODY said you didn't maintain or clean your equipment, nobody......it wasn't even implied.....

......as a matter of fact, nobody brought you up at all, and certainly not me, until you inserted yourself into this thread, and I guess I"m still scratching my head as to why. :blink:

If anything about this was bothering you, a simple PM to me (privately) "I'm sorry you are having problems" would have sufficed, and also showed you care.
 

Shane Bappe

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So I don't have time to read through this whole thread to see if my issue has been talked about already.. :( I wanted a Reo sooo bad but I couldn't afford a new one yet so I got a used one. Unfortunately it's having issues right out of the box that prevent me from using it :(

When I squonk, even without an atomizer attached, the liquid floods into the catch cup from around the outside of the 510 connection. Nothing comes up the middle. I'm looking at the photos in the users manual and it shows there is a hole in the center of the 510 that appears to be a plug? Is there any reason a plug would be in there? I can't get it out with my dental pick though, whatever it is. At first I assumed it was a one way valve type thing. Please help me get squonkin! :)

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nerak

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Here is how your connector should look. Yes, a hole in the very center of the slotted post.

GrandPolishedcopycopy.jpg


I suggest you contact the seller and ask what was done to the connector. It should have been noted in the sellers ad if it did not function correctly.

Of course Robert can fix it for you. You might want to send him a PM (redeyedancer) and pic.


The juice should come up through that center hole and not around the connector.
 
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Rhapsodies Fire

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So I don't have time to read through this whole thread to see if my issue has been talked about already.. :( I wanted a Reo sooo bad but I couldn't afford a new one yet so I got a used one. Unfortunately it's having issues right out of the box that prevent me from using it :(

When I squonk, even without an atomizer attached, the liquid floods into the catch cup from around the outside of the 510 connection. Nothing comes up the middle. I'm looking at the photos in the users manual and it shows there is a hole in the center of the 510 that appears to be a plug? Is there any reason a plug would be in there? I can't get it out with my dental pick though, whatever it is. At first I assumed it was a one way valve type thing. Please help me get squonkin! :)

View attachment 268420

Welcome, Shane :)
No...it is not supposed to be plugged...at all. If you can't get it out, I strongly suggest you send it to Rob for repair. That's the downside of used mods...you never know what someone has done to it until you get it. Repairs are priority, so as soon as it arrives, it will be fixed and sent back out. Contact Rob by PM (redeyedancer) or give him a call for more information (Contact Us)
Mail to:
Reosmods, LLC
120 Ida Jim Rd
Alfred, Maine 04002
Please make sure there is no juice in the mod and no battery when mailing. Please add a note with your name, address and phone number with a notation about what the problem/s are.
 
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