Usually it is sufficient to clean and grease the cone surfaces and the locking flaps which can be accessed from the outside without disassembling the unit.
Completely disassembling the unit is only required if the grease on the inner mechanism has completely washed out or there is some severe amount of dirt and debris inside, hindering proper operation.
Note that this requires some mechanical skills and should be approached with caution! If you feel unsure about the procedure it is better to return your QRT to Ambient for service.
Note: There is also a video version of this tutorial available on our YouTube
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Tools you'll need:
- 1.5 mm Allen key
- 2 mm Allen key
- Fine hook (e.g. a dental pick)
- A special tool that you'll have to build yourself: we suggest a piece of bent wire (approx. 3 mm gauge), covered with heat-shrink tubing or tape to protect the QRT surface from scratches
- Bench vise
- Paper towels
- Grease – we use the same PAO-Lithium (Polyalphaolefin) grease for our QuickLoks as for our QuickPole boom poles
Disassembly and cleaning, step by step:
- Remove the tip from the QuickLok.
- Unscrew the M4 grub screw on the bottom using the 2 mm Allen key
- Take the special tool (bent wire with scratch protection) and place it in the groove between the aluminum body and the plastic cap of the QuickLok
- Then carefully clamp it in a bench vise without too much pressure.
- Gently tighten the vise until the plastic cap pops off
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- Remove the plastic cap with your hand
- A second grub screw (M3) is now visible – this one prevents the inner part from twisting too far. Unscrew it using the 1.5 mm Allen key
- Unhook the spring from its groove using the fine hook
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- Hold the spring in place with your fingernail or the hook, then unscrew the inner carrier completely from the chassis (counter-clockwise)
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- Carefully remove the spring from the carrier
- ➡️ ✨Now clean all parts thoroughly with paper towels. Do not use rubbing alcohol or similar products. Use only paper towels.
Re-assembly:
- Slide the spring back onto the carrier and hook it back into its groove.
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Grease all parts thoroughly using a toothbrush or your finger before assembling. Important: don't forget to apply grease to the inner side of the top, where the flat top of the microphone tips connects – otherwise the tips can seize.
- Screw the greased inner carrier back on
- Insert the hook back into its groove
- Screw the M3 grub screw back in. You won't it at first; you'll need to unscrew the inner carrier slightly. Then hold the carrier in place with your thumb and tighten the screw.
- Push the plastic cap back on – it simply snaps into place with a bit of pressure
- Finally, screw the M4 grub screw back in
That's it – your QuickLok is now ready for many more years on your boom pole.
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Advice for older QuickLok Models
If you see a black rubber ring at this point while disassembling the QuickLok, you are using an older model.
Our tip: Remove the rubber ring and replace the spring with our current (improved) spring for even smoother operation. The torsion spring is available separately as a replacement part.
https://ambient.de/en/products/quicklok-feder-ersatzteil