disassembling my manix 2 xl.....gone wrong

[jgleasonraptor350]

i was taking apart my manix 2xl to clean it and the bearing shot out and is lost....after hours of searching i started to look for a place to find one but could not find anything.

any suggestions? will spyderco send me another bearing or not?

[Donut]

Hey, don't sweat about it. Someone on this forum replaced the ball on their normal Manix 2 with a ceramic ball and posted the size of the bearing. It was a 3/16". I'm sure we can get someone to figure out if the Manix 2 XL uses the same size bearing or not.

Link to thread: http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showt...post-mod-video

[SpyderBite]

.... and this is why i love the people on this forum. so kind and willing to go out of their way to help

[BAL]

In regards to Donut's comments about someone replacing their;s with a ceramic ball,
I believe that it was done as an improvement for a smoother action, so it might work
out as a positive in the long run. Someone else will probably have some better info.

[The Deacon]

Am sure Spyderco will sell you one. They may even send it at no charge. I'd suggest at least giving them a call and finding out before attempting substitutions that may, or may not, work correctly.

[jackknifeh]

I bought two of the ceramic bearings for my normal Manix2. They were about $1.70 each. I ordered two in case I lost one. It works great. The original goal was to make the lock release easier even though mine was fine already. There was a little improvement but not enough to notice if you didn't know the steel bearing had been replaced with a ceramic one. You need to know the size of the bearing in your knife if you order one just in case it's different from the standard Manix2. I bet it's the same size. The thread mentioned above should have places to order them listed.

Good luck.

Jack

PS edit: The thread you need to read on bearing replacement is titled "Manix2 lightning mod". Lots of info in that one.

[Jay_Ev]

any suggestions? will spyderco send me another bearing or not?

It would be best to call them and ask but I'm not sure they would sell you something that would require you to disassemble the knife to install, an action which is against their own policy.

[Donut]

Paul, that is very good advice.

I might recommend looking again. Finding something you drop, especially something that can roll is a real pain. However far you think it could have gone, double it. Check behind things like chair or table legs. Try using a magnet. Try using a Flashlight close to the ground, you should be able to see a shadow.

Good luck.

[JNewell]

If this were a poll, I'd go with Jay rather than Paul on the theory that (1) company policy disfavors taking knives apart in the first place and (2) mailing out functional/safety-critical parts for DIY repair is unlikely to be something any knifemaker is likely to do...but who knows? OP, please let us know what happens?

[mcjhrobinson]

sorry to hear that...i just bought a manix xl and work landscaping....i have to clean it daily. LOVE the knife though.

[JNewell]

Even a landscaper probably doesn't need to disassemble the knife to clean it. If you do, just don't lose any of the parts. I've taken several apart and never lost any of the parts...

[The Deacon]

If this were a poll, I'd go with Jay rather than Paul on the theory that (1) company policy disfavors taking knives apart in the first place and (2) mailing out functional/safety-critical parts for DIY repair is unlikely to be something any knifemaker is likely to do...but who knows? OP, please let us know what happens?

I could be wrong, certainly wouldn't be the first time. However, since the OP has already voided the warranty, I'm guessing that Spyderco might be willing to help him out. As for your other point, the counter argument would be that they may feel it preferable to send him the correct ball rather than have him replace it with one of questionable size.

[jzmtl]

Doubt it they would send the parts, their lawyers wouldn't let them do it for fear of liability if anything goes wrong.

[Blerv]

Their warranty is pretty solid and sending a bearing is a clear case of them helping someone who doesn't have one (a warranty). On that basis automotive parts departments selling tie rods and lug nuts would be under attack for shadetree mechanic lawsuits.

I would send another BB if I was Spyderco. Putting a $.05 part in an envelope and burning $.45 on a stamp is very cheap PR. That said, only they can make that call.

[Ferris Wheels]

i was taking apart my manix 2xl to clean it and the bearing shot out and is lost....after hours of searching i started to look for a place to find one but could not find anything.

any suggestions? will spyderco send me another bearing or not?

In the future if you decide to disassemble I recommend doing it inside a 1-gallon ziplock bag. I use this trick anytime I disassemble something that is spring loaded so if a part goes flying it stays contained within the bag for easy retrieval.