Please help me with my wah enclosure! Pot not rotating.

[xorophone]

Hello! Take a look at the picture below. As you can see, the rack (the jagged rod) isn't pushed against the wah pot and I can't figure out what I've done wrong. I'm guessing it has something to do with the tension clutch (the white thing that is supposed to push the rack against the pot.)



The gear on the pot is the same size as the one that came with the wah enclosure. I've mainly been using these links for instructions:
http://diy.smallbearelec.com/HowTos/SwellPedalKit/SwellPedalKit.htm
http://www.liantronic.com/WAH-Pedal-Shell-Assembly-Instructions-n19.html

At smallbear there's a tension clutch for the Crybaby available and it looks bigger than the one I've got, but is there any way to make it work using the current one?
http://smallbear-electronics.mybigcommerce.com/tension-clutch-for-the-crybaby/

I'm really tired so I might be missing something obvious, but it's a very annoying part to be stuck on..

[bamslam69]

Loosen tension clutch - move to right position - retighten while holding in position.
Surely it could be as simple as this?

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

[GibsonGM]

Yes...the white plastic "THING" (tension clutch) needs to push the treadle bar thang into the pot's gear.

You will have to 'set' the wah...turn it on, opened up like this.  Put it toe down, adjust pot by hand to the highest treble you want it to sweep to.  Engage gear, tighten up the clutch will not moving anything.   If it's too shrill, do it over, back it off a bit....makes a world of difference if you actually tune the thing!

[digi2t]

The tension clutch (OK... the white thing-a-ma-bob) might be too small. However, I can't see in the picture if it's attachment tang is long enough to move that far up. If not, then a proper part is required. In any case, it just looks way too short/small to me.

BTW, those "clutches" are simply cable clips, which you can probably find at most auto parts or hardware stores.



A larger circular section (the part that actually rubs up against the rack gear) is important as well. If it's too small, like the one in your picture seems to be, then it won't have any spring to it, which represents the "clutch" action of the whole deal.

A little lube wouldn't hurt either. Quicksilver 2-4-C PTFE grease is what I use.

[xorophone]

The tension clutch (OK... the white thing-a-ma-bob) might be too small. However, I can't see in the picture if it's attachment tang is long enough to move that far up. If not, then a proper part is required. In any case, it just looks way too short/small to me.

Thank you! I tried adjusting the tension clutch (the white-ish thingymajig-thing) but I can't move it enough to make it push the rack against the pot, so I'm guessing It's too small just like you said.

BTW, those "clutches" are simply cable clips, which you can probably find at most auto parts or hardware stores.

Ah that's great! If I can't find any cable clips, maybe a small cable tie will do the job?

[GibsonGM]

I'd find *something* in the hardware store that you can bend around on itself to make that loop.   You could even MAKE it out of some sheet metal or something.     All it does is push the arm into the gear.   It does have to provide a bit of pressure tho, or your wah will feel too floppy.

[Mark Hammer]

Wah pots never rotate fully.  And with good reason.  Pressing the full force of your body down on the treadle and demanding that the wiper continue to move past the endpoint will likely break the pot.

So, once you know you'll be able to apply suitable pressure via the white clutch thing, ease it back a bit, rotate the wiper/pot fully to what would be the toe-down position (without stepping on anything).  Then rotate the pot back a gear tooth or 2 in the other direction, and THEN tighten the clutch.  Ideally, there should be a couple of gear teeth to go, on either side of the pot's rotation.

[xorophone]

I'd find *something* in the hardware store that you can bend around on itself to make that loop.   You could even MAKE it out of some sheet metal or something.     All it does is push the arm into the gear.   It does have to provide a bit of pressure tho, or your wah will feel too floppy.

I'll take a look! Those cable clips are very hard to find here. I don't understand why they even gave me a small one. The gear that came with it was the same size as the one on my wah pot, so it doesn't really make sense. But hey. It's from China. What can I expect?

[xorophone]

Wah pots never rotate fully.  And with good reason.  Pressing the full force of your body down on the treadle and demanding that the wiper continue to move past the endpoint will likely break the pot.

Yeah, you're right. I'll be very careful. I'm afraid I won't be able to afford a new one.

[digi2t]

All it does is push the arm into the gear.   

Yes.

It does have to provide a bit of pressure tho, or your wah will feel too floppy.

Not so much. While it does have to provide enough pressure to keep the rack gear engaged with the pinion gear, it's design is meant to allow the rack gear to skip if the pot is seized, or the sweep is mis-adjusted. Putting too much pressure on the rack gear also increases radial force on the pot shaft, and accelerates wear on the pot shaft bushing. With a quality pot, you shouldn't need to put any pre-load on the clutch (i.e. put excessive pressure on the plastic clip, and then tighten it down). You should just provide just enough pressure to keep the gears engaged, and secure it there.

As for the "feel" of the wah, the lion share of the work is done by the tension spring, which is found between the treadle and the casing, close to the heel end of the wah.





The spring, as the second picture illustrates may or may not be completely tightened down at one end, and a bit higher at the other end. These "springs" are made of heat treated spring steel, making them VERY stiff. Tightening, or loosening the screws that secure this spring, adjusts the friction pressure on the treadle pivot shaft, which in turn determines how stiff or loose the pedal feels. If both ends of this spring are completely tightened down to the casing, and the wah still feels "loose", or simply flops to the toe down position when you take your foot off it, then the spring may be too deformed to work anymore, and/or the pivot pin may be too worn, and one or both will need replacing.

BTW; if your wah is squeaky when you rock it back and forth, the tension spring is generally the culprit. It does need lubrication, and depending on what you use as the lubricant, you may have to readjust the tension accordingly.

[Mark Hammer]

Adjusting the height of the stompswitch can sometimes be tricky.  You don'twant to have to press down extra hard to switch, but neither do you want to be unintentionally bypassing every time you go bom-chicka-wawa.

Many dollar stores (pound world for those overseas) sell packages of self-adhesive felt pads for placing under furniture legs.  Sometimes a small one attached to the underside of the treadle can be of help in providing just the right transfer of foot pressure to the stompswitch.

[xorophone]

I've been looking all day for cable clips, but I've only been able to find them online. I tried cutting up and drilling a small part of a bottle and that kind of worked, but seems very unreliable. I'm considering making an order online, but I don't know what size I should go for. The Dunlop ECB-032 is the one smallbear sells. What size is it?

[PRR]

> I've been looking all day for cable clips, but I've only been able to find them online.

Where are you, Easter Island?

"P-clips" are universal accessories for auto repair, car sound, industrial electronics, some TV cable, millions of uses and many stores have them, even if not featured. Usually you have to buy them 10 or 100 at a time because they only worth a few cents each. You really want to find them local because there's like 10 sizes, from the too-small you have up to 34mm (1-1/3").

[davent]

Home Depot  have them in packages. They may also have them individually in their specialty parts drawers in the hardware aisle, haven't looked.

Size? Just pulled one from a wah and it has 3/8 printed on it, or i guess could go 10mm depending where you are.
dave

[xorophone]

> I've been looking all day for cable clips, but I've only been able to find them online.

Where are you, Easter Island?

I'm in Sweden. Yesterday I went to 6 or 7 different stores and e-mailed 2, with no luck. Everyone has cable clips of some sort, just not these ones.

> I've been looking all day for cable clips, but I've only been able to find them online.

Where are you, Easter Island?

"P-clips" are universal accessories for auto repair, car sound, industrial electronics, some TV cable, millions of uses and many stores have them, even if not featured.

Ah, I've never heard "p-clips" before. That might make the research a bit easier. Maybe I should ask some auto repair companies too. Haven't done that yet.

Home Depot  have them in packages. They may also have them individually in their specialty parts drawers in the hardware aisle, haven't looked.

Size? Just pulled one from a wah and it has 3/8 printed on it, or i guess could go 10mm depending where you are.
dave

We don't have Home Depot here, sadly. But thank you for the size!

[xorophone]

I just ordered some p-clips online. I bought 3/8" (9.5mm) and 7mm because 9.5mm looked like it might be a bit too big for my wah enclosure and I want to be on the safe side. I ordered them on a Swedish website, so they should arrive in a couple of days. Nice!

[sominka]

can I just say, they don't have to be exact or even what is being offered. You just need a piece of plastic that will do the job. Make something up. What did you do with the old piece of plastic? Can you still use it or did you throw it away. This is DIY.

[sominka]

Cut a piece of plastic from an ice cream container.

[xorophone]

can I just say, they don't have to be exact or even what is being offered. You just need a piece of plastic that will do the job. Make something up. What did you do with the old piece of plastic? Can you still use it or did you throw it away. This is DIY.

I still have the plastic piece in my wah and it works fine for now, but it really doesn't give me the "springyness" I need, because it permanently bends and stuff. I'm a perfectionist and a solution that kind of works doesn't cut it for me. I want it to be reliable and I want to make it as good as I possibly can.

[Les Turnbull]

Here in the UK they are called zip ties ..you could make lots at different lengths out of one zip tie and try them for best operation