navynmr Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 i need help my 32" stargate stem seized. any ideas how to break it loose. I tried brute force, quite tough. I remember someone had the same prob a while ago but i can't seem to find it. thx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Try running hot water over it this will help the seal come undone. Then you should have no problems with a little bit of force getting it off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HookahDuck Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Hahaha... well im a part time mechanic. Welcome to my world!!Which part of the stem is it? If its very visible, test this on an area first.PB Blaster and Liquid wrench both work wonders. They are a penetrating catalyst which will loosen the threads. WD40 will work almost as well.If that doesnt work, use a propane torch(MAPP and Acetylene will be far too hot), and tune it so that the inner blue flame is about an inch and a half long. Touch the tip of that flame to the part you want to heat(right near the threads) for a few moments. Let it cool, and it should come right apart.Good luck!I put some LOC-TITE anti-seize compound on all the the steel/steel threaded connections on my stargate. It works well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Try rubbing maasel around the seem, the glycerine might act as a lubricant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeder Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 i have the same problem. I cannot disassemble the stargate stem anymore. I'm afraid of trying wd40, or pbblaster (or similar penetrant) because i don't want it to affect the coating. I guess wd40 shouldn't do anything... Torch is also out of the question, again because of the coating. I emailed tasqeem to see if they found a non-damaging solution for the problem, but he has not replied. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 I looked at the construction, the threads seem very thin and shallow. I think you need vise-grip pliers for this job. You could try a rubber strap wrench...they have them for chrome pipes, you might be able to find one that would go small enough to get a grip on a hookah stem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skiracerj1 Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 I'll second what hookah duck said, PB Blaster is a miracle worker, if it can break lose 30 years worth of rust on my old british car, it should loosen you stem right up, assuming the reason its seized is rust that is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilgore trout Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 I recently had this problem and the guys at Social Smoke told me this:1. Run hot water over the neck of the glass for 15 - 30 seconds. This will soften the grommet as well as expand the glass making it easier to come off.2. Place hookah flat on preferably a carpeted floor. Then using the bottom of your feet to hold the base secure rock the top of the stem side to side while pulling up slightly. Do not just pull up hard as you risk hitting or stabbing yourself in the event that the stem comes off unexpectedly.or...3. have a friend hold the glass while you hold the upper part of the stem and twist. Do not use the hose connectors as levers as you can damage the welds. Beside watching out for the welds on the hose and air vent connectors, the stem is virtually indestructible, so do not worry too much about damaging any part of the hookah. This works best with both parties standing with the hookah being positioned horizontal to the floor. Once you separate the hookah you will probably have to moisten the grommet with water to get it to slide back in. A better alternative is to smear a drop of light oil such as olive or cooking oil onto the grommet. This will condition the grommet better than the water and will prevent the stem and glass from sticking again.It worked for me, best of luck man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeder Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 did anyone figure it out yet? now besides not being able to unscrew the stem, the bottom thread on the stem stripped :/ so i really need to take it apart so i can shorten but still use it. the hookah is brass (i'm pretty sure) so i don't know if pbblaster would help, but i guess i'll try it. hrmm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enima For Your Lungs Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 I have the same problem with my stargate. I tried just about everything and couldn't get it apart. I've just learned to live with it and wash the stem as one long piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeder Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 enima: what have you tried? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonthert Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Yeah, gosh, you guys could just wash the whole thing as one piece, like the rest of us! Good call, Elite enima. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enima For Your Lungs Posted July 3, 2006 Share Posted July 3, 2006 Haha. This all stems (no pun intended) from my inability to clean my hookah frequently enough. At first I just tried brute force, then heating the connection up under hot water and trying, then brute force with a friend, brute force with a friend and hot water. Then I tried monkey wrenches (which started to scratch the surface and couldn't get grip anyways) then I switched to clamps with grippies. I attempted to lubricate the connection with olive oil. I tried to scrub the connection clean from the inside. I tried lubrication with dish detergent. I've basically tried everything but a blow torch and KY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speeder Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 i don't mind washing the stem as one piece but since the threads on the bottom stripped (mainly due to a friend not being careful when threading it on) i need to separate is so i can use it again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostofdavid Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 Is this a pretty common problem with the Stargate? I've looked at them before... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enima For Your Lungs Posted July 4, 2006 Share Posted July 4, 2006 If you're the type of person that cleans and dissassembles the hookah after everyone use, I don't think it should be a problem for you. If, however, you're not this diligent you might want to pick a bit more user friendly hookah. The stargate smokes very nicely and looks very unique, but the setup is a bit more complex than other hookahs due to more parts and very fine threading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TaqseemHookahs Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Hi All, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catalyst Paintball Posted July 5, 2006 Share Posted July 5, 2006 Its times like this when I kick myself for not spending the extra $30 or so bucks on a Stargate... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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