Jigmaster Stainless Steel Gear Sleeve/Handle Screw Issue

[Kalbi]

Hi, I'm having an issue that I hope someone can help me with. I purchased and installed a stainless steel gear sleeve, 98-505AT, on my jigmaster, but there's a gap between the handle screw and the handle.  I've tightened the handle screw fairly tight and the handle sits flush with the top of the gear sleeve, but the gap remains.  Is there a particular handle screw that needs to be used with the stainless steel gear sleeve?  I hope to hear back from some of you.

Thanks for reading.

[swill88]

Hi Kalbi, A picture would make it easier.
Steve

[Gfish]

Possibly the handle screw(23-60?) is bottomed out on the bridge stud, inside a the gear sleeve. Or, the handle sits too low on the new gear sleeve for the handle screw's head to contact the handle, in which case you'ed need a shim washer.

[alantani]

if you tighten it down and it's secure, then you should be fine. 

[Kalbi]

Thanks for the quick responses.  I punched the retaining pin out and removed the stainless steel gear sleeve from the bridge, then screwed the handle screw in to make sure it wasn't bottoming out on the bridge post. I'm still not able to screw the handle screw in all the way.  Since the handle screw doesn't screw down all the way, the handle wobbles. I also have another jigmaster and its handle screw doesn't fit in the stainless steel gear sleeve either.  In fact, it doesn't screw in nearly as far.  I'll attach pics below. What's also odd is that the handle screws from each jigmaster are not interchangeable.  The handle screws only fit the brass gear sleeve that it was originally screwed into. It almost seems like the threads are different.

[alantani]

on the inside, the threads are supposed to go down as far as the pin hole.  can you take a look? 

[Kalbi]

Thanks for the quick reply.  When i get home this afternoon, I'll check the threads and send you a pic.

[alantani]

i the threads do in fact run all the way down, then my might just have to muscle the handle down all the way down and chase the threads.  i'm thinking that will likely be the case.  otherwise you have a couple of bad gear sleeves that i will have to replace. 

[swill88]

Be careful muscling the handle screw down.
Make sure you have a backup handle screw on hand... ask me how I know
Steve

[Dominick]

Since the sleeve if off how about running a tap down the center?  What is the thread pitch?  Dominick

[alantani]

it's a weird thread.  it's not something you could buy at the local hardware store.  let's find out first if the threads run down far enough.  if they do, then he can lean on the handle nut and chase the threads.  hell for all the trouble he's had, i should just send him a wrench......   

[Kalbi]

Thanks for everyone's input.  The threads go further down than on the brass gear sleeve.  I tried three different handle screws, none would screw down all the way.  I took Alan's advice and just forced it on.  I was torquing it so hard I worried that I would strip the threads, but I didn't.  I backed it off and repeated a few times.  Now all three handle screws can screw onto the ss sleeve.  I think the threads needed to be cleaned.  Thanks again for everyone's help.

[alantani]

i'm glad it worked out, but that is still weird.   

[sdlehr]

So if you had to work as hard putting all the nuts onto the same sleeve it wasn't the sleeve threads, it's the handle nut threads with the issue.

[alantani]

no, i think it's definitely the sleeve......