Topcover ratchet won't release

[Garrett]

I was shooting the Uzi today in both 9mm and .22LR. I had several instances where the ratcheting mechanism in the topcover did not want to release. It appeared that the little wire trip was dragging somewhere as the cocking knob would start moving forward.

I've got a couple of other topcovers in which I have simply removed the ratcheting mechanism (mostly for use with a closed-bolt setup). While that is an option here, I would prefer to keep this one functioning properly.

Before I go tearing it all apart, is this a common problem? I had one other topcover that would do this, but I thought it was just a fluke at the time. Is it just a matter of the mechanism needing to be cleaned, or is there something else I should be looking for?

 

[Garrett]

Since nobody has responded yet, I took the topcover and hosed it down with brake cleaner. Ran the cocking knob back and forth a few times and hosed it down some more.

Then I wiped everything down with a paper towel, and hosed it with CLP. Ran the knob back and forth a few more times, and wiped off the excess.

It seems to be better now. I'll play with it some more today and see how it is.

I'm a little put out by all of this, though. It's not anywhere near time for the "clean it once a year whether it needs it or not" schedule.:jester

 

[jim c 351]

I once bought a top cover with a bad spring. I think I bought a replacement spring from Vector. It was easy to install and now works perfect. I locktighted the cocking handle in place rather than staking.
Jim C

 

[Noah Zark]

I was shooting the Uzi today in both 9mm and .22LR. I had several instances where the ratcheting mechanism in the topcover did not want to release. It appeared that the little wire trip was dragging somewhere as the cocking knob would start moving forward . . .

Before I go tearing it all apart, is this a common problem? I had one other topcover that would do this, but I thought it was just a fluke at the time. Is it just a matter of the mechanism needing to be cleaned, or is there something else I should be looking for?

Look for weak spring, damaged spring, and worn tooth on the ratchet pawl point.

You did right to clean it and lightly lube it, but if the proble persists I would check to see that the cover is not bent and binding on the top of the bolt, make sure the cocking knob screw is tight, and then I'd recommend a new spring and pawl, assuming the rack teeth are not excessively worn.

Noah

 

[Surly]

I've got a couple of other topcovers in which I have simply removed the ratcheting mechanism (mostly for use with a closed-bolt setup).

If you saved these parts, you'll have some spares to experiment with. If nothing else, get a few more spares from Centerfire. :thumbs_up

 

[Garrett]

If you saved these parts, you'll have some spares to experiment with. If nothing else, get a few more spares from Centerfire. :thumbs_up

Yeah - that's what I ended up doing. Cleaning it helped quite a bit, but it was still hanging up some.

I pulled it apart and compared the spring and ratchet "tooth" to the ones I'd removed from another topcover. The tooth looks pretty worn, and the one leg of the spring was not bent nearly as far as the replacement. I swapped out both parts, and it seems to be back to 100%.

 

[M60joe]

http://www.uzitalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5729&highlight=top+cover

"The ratchet works better if the spring in that area isn't flush because the ratchet sometimes have a chamfer on the edge and the spring rides under the ratchet."