Gitzo 1321 leveling base

My 11 year old tripod has an equally old RRS BH-55 ballhead are working just fine but the Gitzo 1321 leveling base, also 11 years old, is giving me problems.  No, it's still working fine at leveling but I can't seem to move the bottom locking lever that's used to lock the ballhead onto the leveling base.  I'm trying to remove the ballhead so I can put a gimbal head on it for use with the Sigma 150-600 lens.  My goal was to be able to attach the gimbal head to the top of the leveling base so the leveling base could be used to help level the system.

I suspect the locking lever is frozen due to corrosion as I haven't removed the ballhead from the leveling base in years.  I've sprayed some WD-40 on it but that's not working.

So, in case the locking lever can't be moved how do I remove the ballhead from it?


Brian

There's no reason it should be bound that tight. I have used these leveling bases for years and never had that problem. Looking at it from the top down, the lever has to move clockwise. I would not hesitate to tap it with the heel of a shoe fairly hard or with a light hammer blow if you put a piece of rubber or some cushioning on it first so as not to mar it. If it is like mine, there is a hex head that the lever rod screws into. If you can unscrew the lever rod, you may be able to get an open end wrench on that. Good luck!

One more thought or two. You can try to place a tight fitting piece of pipe over the shaft to give you more leverage in loosening it. The place to spray with oil is where the hex head touches the bottom of the top plate.

Joe

You might consider putting the 1321 and the BH 55 in the refrigerator or freezer and see if the contraction helps.

Well I managed to get it lose and was able to remove the ballhead. It wouldn't budge and even WD-40 didn't help at first, but when I came back a while later it came lose without much difficulty


Brian

Liquid wrench works better than wd40 for that kind of task. My heads seem to constantly bind but a sharp knock seems to free them. you can exert a lot of leverage with a wimberly and over tighten (just by seeing if it is tight enough).

Mike in O wrote:Liquid wrench works better than wd40 for that kind of task. 

And for lubricating, I prefer Triflow with teflon because it doesn't tend to attract dust as much as WD-40.

Joe

Totally agree - triflow is a far superior lubricant for photographic purposes.

I'll have to pick up some Triflow then -- I used what I had, WD-40 and it worked -- eventually!


Brian

A silicone based lubricant is almost always superior to a petroleum based one, especially if there is any risk of getting it on plastic.