TromboneChat

I have a newer Conn with a rotor valve on it. It's always been a slow, gummy valve. What's the deal? Is it a too tight-fitting valve? Is it crappy manufacturing? Or is it just dirty? What would you recommend? I have never had this problem on Bach and Yamaha valves.

How long have you had it? What type of valve oil do you use with it? Have you tried detaching the linkage to see which part is sticking?

I've had the horn for maybe 6 months and bought used. I've been flooding the valve with Blue Juice and using Hetmanns for the linkages and bearings. When I oil the valve, it gets better for a day or two, and then it's gummy again. I haven't detached the linkage, but that's a good idea. However, I'm sure it's the rotor in the casing because oiling the valve helps.

In fact, I have a few horns with slides kind of like that.

Take it apart, clean it out.

Burgerbob wrote: ↑Wed Feb 26, 2020 11:45 am Take it apart, clean it out.

seconded. If there is "crud" in there, no amount of oiling is gonna get it out.

I had a similar issue and it was a mis-adjusted linkage. disassembly and cleaning would be a good idea too. Then you do not have to guess what the valve looks like (crud-wise).

I pulled my 42 out of storage after years and I had to wet sand the valve core. The oil just got nasty in there and hasn’t been bad at all before even with how seldom I need to play it. Maybe it got too hot.

Much less extreme measures had to be taken after switching valve oil. Sometimes they don’t play well together I guess. A good cleaning and reapplication of oil always does the trick.