Arca Swiss P0 Hybrid/Replacement of QR Clamp

[hcubell]

I want to change out the A/S Standard Clamp on my P0 Hybrid for a RRS QR Clamp. My understanding is that A/S has gone back and forth on being able to remove the A/S Standard Clamp without major "surgery." How do I determine if my A/S Standard Clamp is removable by me or it is glued in place and I need to send it to Precision Camera for replacement? If it is removable by me, what type of tool do I need to remove it?
Thanks.

 

[dchew]

Hi Howard,
Here is a description of how to remove it:
https://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium...1-great-tripod-head-thread-17.html#post777907

It is a 3mm hex key that fits the head. You want a good tool that is strong and correctly sized so you don’t strip the bolt. Sometimes the smaller hex key tools don’t have very tight tolerances.

I think it is worth a try, just start out easy to make sure the key fits well. I used channel locks on the outside of the head (wrapped in a rag) to keep the head from twisting. Edit: if you install an old camera plate in the clamp, that gives you something to grip the channel locks onto.

Dave

 

[hcubell]

Hi Howard,
Here is a description of how to remove it:
https://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium...1-great-tripod-head-thread-17.html#post777907

It is a 3mm hex key that fits the head. You want a good tool that is strong and correctly sized so you don’t strip the bolt. Sometimes the smaller hex key tools don’t have very tight tolerances.

I think it is worth a try, just start out easy to make sure the key fits well. I used channel locks on the outside of the head (wrapped in a rag) to keep the head from twisting. Edit: if you install an old camera plate in the clamp, that gives you something to grip the channel locks onto.

Dave

Thanks, Dave. Am I mistaken that that A/S at one point was "permanently" locking down the clamp with Loctite Glue? Is that no longer the case?

 

[fotophil]

I have not tried to remove the Arca Screw Clamp from my PO Hybrid because it seems to function well. Unfortunately my field operating experience with the lever version of the Arca Clamp that came factory fitted on both my Cube and D4 Heads was so poor that I had to replace them with RRS Lever Clamps. I recall that very early owners of the cube reported no problem in removal of the Arca Clamp but later on when I worked on my cube, the thread sealant was too strong to break loose. I used a combination of a direct heating the bolt head with propane torch and cooling the surrounding area with with wet rags which worked fine. Sometime later I successfully changed the Arca Lever Clamp on a D4 Head using the same technique. Since that time the folks at Precision have indicated tome that Arca Swiss had changed to an even stronger thread sealant to discourage folks from installing RRS Hardware. At this point I am afraid to change the head on my PO Hybrid.

 

[jng]

Great advice as always from Dave, but you may want to eat your Wheaties before starting the project:

https://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium...1-great-tripod-head-thread-14.html#post760506

:ROTFL:

John

 

[dchew]

Thanks, Dave. Am I mistaken that that A/S at one point was "permanently" locking down the clamp with Loctite Glue? Is that no longer the case?

That has been reported, yes. I don't know of a way to determine which you have or if that was ever really true. I have four A/S heads:

• A very old B1 that doesn't have a bolt. Either it comes apart from inside the ball or it was fused together in 1986 during a nuclear accident in the Ukraine.
• An old Cube that came with a flat, six-sided bolt. Very strong loctite, came off with a short break bar and channel locks.
• P0h with a 3mm hex bolt bought a few years ago ~2016. White loctite that came off without much trouble. This is the head I disassembled with the intent of creating my own "L60." A/S announced the L60 soon after my infamous disassembly.
• L60 with a 3mm hex bolt bought several months after they were announced. White loctite that came off but required enough force to bend my hex key.

So in my case with the exception of the early-'90's B1 ballhead, all three had white loctite that came loose with some degree of torque. I suspect it just depends on how much thread locker was used during assembly, but anything is possible. In each case, I clamped in an old base plate to give the channel locks some grip. Obviously, you have to find one with a slot that can be lined up to get your hex key through to the bolt below. Once you get the bolt loose, take off the camera plate and remove the bolt the rest of the way. I never needed heat, but others report that helping.

Note there are a few third parties mentioned in the Tripod thread (Grimes and Precision Camera - as you mentioned, I think) that will do this for you if you don't want to try. Nothing wrong with that; I'm just too impatient.

Dave

 

[hcubell]

That has been reported, yes. I don't know of a way to determine which you have or if that was ever really true. I have four A/S heads:

• A very old B1 that doesn't have a bolt. Either it comes apart from inside the ball or it was fused together in 1986 during a nuclear accident in the Ukraine.
• An old Cube that came with a flat, six-sided bolt. Very strong loctite, came off with a short break bar and channel locks.
• P0h with a 3mm hex bolt bought a few years ago ~2016. White loctite that came off without much trouble. This is the head I disassembled with the intent of creating my own "L60." A/S announced the L60 soon after my infamous disassembly.
• L60 with a 3mm hex bolt bought several months after they were announced. White loctite that came off but required enough force to bend my hex key.

So in my case with the exception of the early-'90's B1 ballhead, all three had white loctite that came loose with some degree of torque. I suspect it just depends on how much thread locker was used during assembly, but anything is possible. In each case, I clamped in an old base plate to give the channel locks some grip. Obviously, you have to find one with a slot that can be lined up to get your hex key through to the bolt below. Once you get the bolt loose, take off the camera plate and remove the bolt the rest of the way. I never needed heat, but others report that helping.

Note there are a few third parties mentioned in the Tripod thread (Grimes and Precision Camera - as you mentioned, I think) that will do this for you if you don't want to try. Nothing wrong with that; I'm just too impatient.

Dave

Thanks, Dave, for the detailed instructions. I think I will send it in to Precision Camera. :ROTFL:

 

[Steve Hendrix]

Great advice as always from Dave, but you may want to eat your Wheaties before starting the project:

https://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium...1-great-tripod-head-thread-14.html#post760506

:ROTFL:

John

LOL

Eat your wheaties, that's good John, I remember that.

Wheaties.... what a strange name for a cereal when you think about it.

Similar to Raison Bran. You'll have raisons and bran. The name is what's in it.

Versus good ole Cap'n Crunch. Who knows what was in there, but it was crunchy (at least for the first 2-3 minutes).


Steve Hendrix/CI

 

[Simon Barter]

Thanks, Dave. Am I mistaken that that A/S at one point was "permanently" locking down the clamp with Loctite Glue? Is that no longer the case?

The last P0 Hybrid I got had no glue and most of the used Arca stuff I've come across didn't have any glue so I thought they'd learned their lesson and moved on.

Nope nope nope. I got a brand spanking new GP Cube a few weeks ago and they've used Loctite red. :angry:

It annoys me no end, they've managed to sell me the stupid head, they've won, yet they can't trust me enough to make my own decision on which clamp best meets my needs and have to try and force me to use their clamp.

 

[fotophil]

I don't which of the Locktite Thread Sealant Products were used on my Arca Heads but I was not comfortable trying to get the thread sealant to release with force. I was told that the best way to break the red Locktite Bond was heat and it worked well so long as I kept the heat on for 30 sec for so. Big problem is preventing heat damage to the part so I used lots of wet rags I find it somewhat insulting that the Arca Swiss Factory feels it necessary to use super strong thread sealants where a standard Blue Locktite would be adequate. It must stem from their inferiority complex associated with making such crappy lever clamps compared to RRS!

 

[hcubell]

I don't which of the Locktite Thread Sealant Products were used on my Arca Heads but I was not comfortable trying to get the thread sealant to release with force. I was told that the best way to break the red Locktite Bond was heat and it worked well so long as I kept the heat on for 30 sec for so. Big problem is preventing heat damage to the part so I used lots of wet rags I find it somewhat insulting that the Arca Swiss Factory feels it necessary to use super strong thread sealants where a standard Blue Locktite would be adequate. It must stem from their inferiority complex associated with making such crappy lever clamps compared to RRS!

I sent it in to Precision Camera. $45 for the changeover. I should have it back by Wednesday.

 

[fotophil]

I sent it in to Precision Camera. $45 for the changeover. I should have it back by Wednesday.

That was $45 well spent!