Zippo question

[Fr_Tom]

The flint wheel on one of my Zippos is almost impossible to turn. I changed the flint and nothing appears wrong given a non-expert inspection. I can turn it with my thumb backwards a little and then usually get it to spark, but it is really hard to turn. This is a factory pipe insert by the way. I have only been using it a few months.

Anyone have any suggestions besides sending it to Zippo for a new insert?

[kb7get]

Make sure you don't have a little piece of flint stuck in it. They can flip side ways and jam the wheel. Bang in down hard with the plunger out and see if a chip falls out then stick a thin rod like what come with a tamper up it and look for the tip to meet the wheel.

[Fr_Tom]

Make sure you don't have a little piece of flint stuck in it. They can flip side ways and jam the wheel. Bang in down hard with the plunger out and see if a chip falls out then stick a thin rod like what come with a tamper up it and look for the tip to meet the wheel.

Pretty sure... I did run a flint down to nothing while on vacation and did not have any flints. I looked under the seat of the car and found a dead Bic and took it apart for the flint. It seemed to work great, but when it got hard to turn, I got some official Zippo flints. Compared to another Zippo I have, it seems to have more clearance in the flint "tube," and it is getting at an angle and binding.

[ncrobb]

I ran into the same thing last week. I put a recovered Bic flint in one of my Zippos. The first thing I noticed was that it was longer than a Zippo flint and I think they are harder as well. At first I couldn’t get it to rotate/strike either. I stayed after it and once I got it to roll a few times it seems to have “broken in” and now works fine. I guess there were some sharp edges from possibly a different diameter wheel that locked up the Zippo wheel. Once they wore off it works fine.

[ncrobb]

Oh yeah, I COULD NOT get the Bic flint to come back out of my Zippo. They must be slightly larger in diameter.

[Fr_Tom]

So I took things apart and used a pipe cleaner to see if there was still something in there. It seems there was a small bit of some flint still in there once the Zippo one came out. I worked it in and out with the wheel and a pipe cleaner. It took some serious smacking it on my palm, but I finally got the piece out. It is pictured below. I have a Zippo flint in there now, and everything seems good again. I was pretty sure I was not going to find something like this.

[Kevin Keith]

So I took things apart and used a pipe cleaner to see if there was still something in there. It seems there was a small bit of some flint still in there once the Zippo one came out. I worked it in and out with the wheel and a pipe cleaner. It took some serious smacking it on my palm, but I finally got the piece out. It is pictured below. I have a Zippo flint in there now, and everything seems good again. I was pretty sure I was not going to find something like this.

[mention]kb7get[/mention] strikes again

[ncrobb]

Glad you got it. I’m a cheap skate. I’ve picked up a couple Bics laying in parking lots or wherever just to get the flint. Maybe Zippo brand IS the better option.

[Fr_Tom]

Glad you got it. I’m a cheap skate. I’ve picked up a couple Bics laying in parking lots or wherever just to get the flint. Maybe Zippo brand IS the better option.

I am all about the cheap. Sometimes it gets me in trouble.

[Whalehead King]

Glad you got it. I’m a cheap skate. I’ve picked up a couple Bics laying in parking lots or wherever just to get the flint. Maybe Zippo brand IS the better option.

This never even occurred to me until I read this thread. I'm not going to go on patrol around parking lots about town, but I'll file this information away for a Zippo emergency.