I know this is a ridiculously old post, but I actually ran into the very same issue today, literally almost a decade later. I guess that says a lot about the quality of these little amps as they’re still being used in 2022 and even sold band-new. Mine is the
Drop variety, BTW. Basically, I wanted to swap the knob out as both of the rubber o-rings have worn-out, cracked, and finally snapped off. This little detail makes it quite a bit more difficult to turn as there is nothing else grippy on such a tiny knob to begin with. I purchased the
Black Aluminum Knob by Taiss as sold through
JDS Labs for my replacement as it’s (a) far beefier and easier to grasp onto, (b) has no rubber components at all, and (c) actually has a dial marker, something my OEM knob never came with! I am actually curious why Drop’s version of the O2 Amp does not have a dial markers as they make it significantly easier to see exactly where your volume level is currently set at — Hmmm
— Anyhow, regarding my upgraded knob, not bad for $5 when considering that I was placing an order with JDS anyways!
So, even after completely unscrewing the Allen screw, it still wouldn’t budge and of course I was using a fair amount of force considering an Alps Pot should be able to take a bit of abuse. I was still not overdoing it as those Alps Pots are not invincible, but won’t break even half as easy as the stuff coming out of China in mass these days. Well, after trying a few ideas something finally hit me — to use a couple of small drops of oil — that’s right, any kind of oil designed for lubricating should work, but I used a couple of drops of Wahl Clipper Blade Oil as that’s what I had handy. The Wahl oil also has a dropper top so you won’t make a mess like you would when spraying a can of WD-40, something I would highly advise against when working near electronic components! A very small and targeted amount of such oil should do the trick, and it did!
Here’s the procedure:
- Always completely remove the Allen screw from the current knob.
- If the knob still cannot be removed from the Pot shaft with a fair amount of force, place 1 to 2 full drops of oil into the screw hole while allowing the oil to penetrate before applying a second drop. You will clearly see the oil level go down, but keep in mind that oil is viscous and may take a couple of minutes to work. Additionally, be careful that no oil works it’s way too far back into the O2 Amp itself.
- Periodically wiggle the knob as your applying the oil, e.g. wiggle it a bit after the screw hole fills with the first drop, wait a minute and wiggle it again as the oil level is going down, subsequently wait another minute and wiggle again after the first drop has completely penetrated, you get the idea! You may just get lucky and it will easily wiggle at this point off as it did for me, otherwise repeat the procedure with a second drop. (Note: You could also use the faceplate to help distribute greater pressure a bit more equally in an attempt to remove the knob, but be careful not to apply too much pressure as you could bend the faceplate or worse!)
- If after a couple of drops of oil and several attempts at wiggling off the knob don’t prove successful, simply let it sit for a while as the oil will continue to penetrate. You could consider another drop of oil, but prop the O2 Amp in such a way that the oil will not drip back into the device if you do. I really don’t think it should take this much work for anyone, but I am nevertheless listing the steps that I would take. Whatever you do, I would avoid using heat or direct flame to ‘help’ the oil penetrate! Heat may work great to loosen parts in a mechanical setting, but I would absolutely urge you to avoid this method in an electrical setting! (BTW, Yes! Soldering does get extremely hot, but such heat is highly targeted, quick to cool, and the proximal components are built for heat at those specific locations, e.g. the leads.)
- Finally, once the old knob is removed, visually inspect the Pot and remove any excess oil from the shaft with isopropyl alcohol wipes. Once the shaft has been thoroughly cleaned of any remaining oil and/or debris, ensure the alcohol has completely dried, and install the replacement knob. Don’t forget to use a new Allen screw when installing the replacement knob.
That’s the procedure, and yes, I didn’t ‘have to’ be so wordy, but I wanted the instructions to be crystal clear. Just to cover my behind, this procedure is to be done at your own risk, and I am not to be held liable for any mistakes, errors, omissions, or the like. Please, only attempt those repairs that you are comfortable with or that you understand may cause additional damage if done incorrectly.
With all that said, it’s time for me to peace out