EASY Gas Block Removal/Reinstallation

[The_Caged_Bird 474]

Good thread Joe, but my question regards the gas ports. I have a 4 port gun and from what I can measure my ports are about .046 - .047 and I have problems cycling bulk ammo. Im just wondering if I should upsize my ports to help out this problem.

 

I'm not sure about the correct gas orifice size in four-port guns but I would exhaust all other possibilities before I removed the gas block and reamed out the ports. When I say that I mean the gun would have professional re-profile and polishing, I'd try a few different pucks and gas plugs, and grease the internals before enlarging the ports. BTDT, yes, your gun will cycle anything but you'll have to clean it about every 200-300 rounds...

[White Rider 1]

My gun is completely torn down right now and I just got done drilling and welding on my reciever, so I wont have a problem running a drill bit through my ports if thats what it takes. But it was having a few FTE's every mag with bulk ammo when the gun was completely stock. I now have the Auto-plug but didnt try it before I tore the gun down. I plan on polishing the internals and running the Auto-plug when together and I guess I could see how that works out.

[pitbulld45 23]

I believe the port size you are wanting is 5/64. Does anyone know where I can get new roll pens that hold the gas block on? I put mine back together tonight and seem to have missplaced my pens.

[tunnelrat 10]

I am installing the Dinzag Arms AK gas tube kit on my new Saiga 12. I had to move the gas block forward enough to get the old tube out in one piece. Knocking out the smaller of the two cross pins was not easy, but it came out. I bent the smaller punch in the process. The larger pin came out pretty easy. One thing to remember about removing the upper pin (closest to the gas plug)...this pin is what holds the detent and its spring for the gas plug...when you drive the punch through, be careful when removing it, as the detent and spring will shoot out and be lost if you are not paying attention...it happened to me, but I was able to find both pieces:

 

Tapping the gas block forward was actually easier than removing the pins. I used a piece of 1/8" brass flat stock and a hammer, and drove the block down far enough to remove the factory gas tube:

 

Since I was almost there anyway, I went ahead and drove the block completely off. I wanted to check my gas ports, and I figured that being Russian made, the holes would be metric in diameter...I have an assortment of metric bits, so I found a 1.8mm bit that fit like a glove:

 

I went ahead and reamed each of the four holes with it.

Edited January 16, 2012 by tunnelrat

[G O B 3,516]

Save those bent pin punches!!! Cut them off to leave about 1/4" or less of the working end. Use the short punches to start when removing pins. The long punches have too much flex to start the pin moving.

Edited January 16, 2012 by G O B

[tunnelrat 10]

Hell yeah...that was a Snap On punch! I will definitely take you up on that :-)

Edited January 16, 2012 by tunnelrat

[Deadeye 325]

I used the air hammer technheeque. made it very easy and had no truble getting the gas block off. drilled mt 3 hole gun to 3/32.

[Painless 0]

Thanks, it works a treat.

[gunman1 1,753]

This has inspired me to break out the S20 and get those ports done.

 

This is a great thread, it's short and has a bunch of great information.

[omnimedic 0]

+1 for using the air hammer to get the gas block off.

 

-10 to me for placing the blade directly over the detent spring hole when I put it back on, thereby collapsing the walls of the hole. Be very careful when putting it back on (better yet, use a piece of brass or aluminum as someone said). I was able to drill out the burrs on the detent spring hole, but the threads the gas puck screw into are mangled, so my gas block is trashed.

 

-100 for lack of places to find an OEM gas block. Currently looking for one, so if anyone has one that they took off and replace during an upgrade, PLEASE contact me at aggieemt at hotmail dot com. Gun is torn down right now and trashed unless I find another one. Can't use an aftermarket because the gun is in a kushnapup and they won't fit.