Potential problem installing flash hider

[Glockman1968]

Using a new crush washer to set a DD flash hider (from my old barrel) on my new Faxon barrel.

So I have no trouble spinning the FH to the crush washer.

Hand tight got the bottom of the FH to about 1 o clock. Of course I have to go to 6 with the bottom. And I did just that. Timed perfect.

The potential issue is the amount of force I had to exert to get it there.

Used a Hammerhead with a half inch drive breaker bar attached to it, and it was almost all I had to get it to time.

WAY beyond 15-20 ft. lbs of torque. Guessing closer to 50 to 80 ft. lbs. Quite possibly alot more than that though.

Am I screwed?

Am I good?

[ace4059]

You were crushing the crush washer. You should have crushed it down where bottom was at 4 or 5 o'clock then loosened flash hider the retighten where bottom is at 6 o'clock with proper torque.

You might be able to loosen and retighten correctly but my guess is you collapsed the crush washer too much already to get proper torque with it being aligned correctly.

Too much torque can affect accuracy on a muzzle device.

[Iraqgunz]

Well considering that there is no torque value when using a crush washer, I would say it's a non issue.

[HansTheHobbit]

There is no torque spec for crush washers. They crush at about 25 foot pounds or so, and that stays pretty much the same until they bottom out. If it suddenly gets much harder, then you've likely bottomed out. As far as backing off after each quarter turn, it depends on the situation. If it has to travel very far, say over 300 degrees, then doing a little pre-crushing seems to be preferred. But it shouldn't be necessary. If you started out at 1, then you should not have exceeded 360 degrees, which is well within normal. I think a mil spec crush washer has 450 degrees of rotation before it bottoms out, so you should not have been meeting that kind of resistance if I understand your situation correctly. If you're really at 80 foot pounds, which it sounds like you probably are, then something is very wrong. Installing a muzzle device on a crush washer should never involve a breaker bar, ever. It should be easy enough that a child could do it with a plain old wrench.

[Iraqgunz]

Depends on the crush washer. DPMS uses some that are soft like Philly cream cheese. I have also noticed that with melonite/QPQ barrels it seems a little harder.

There is no torque spec for crush washers. They crush at about 25 foot pounds or so, and that stays pretty much the same until they bottom out. If it suddenly gets much harder, then you've likely bottomed out. As far as backing off after each quarter turn, it depends on the situation. If it has to travel very far, say over 300 degrees, then doing a little pre-crushing seems to be preferred. But it shouldn't be necessary. If you started out at 1, then you should not have exceeded 360 degrees, which is well within normal. I think a mil spec crush washer has 450 degrees of rotation before it bottoms out, so you should not have been meeting that kind of resistance if I understand your situation correctly. If you're really at 80 foot pounds, which it sounds like you probably are, then something is very wrong. Installing a muzzle device on a crush washer should never involve a breaker bar, ever. It should be easy enough that a child could do it with a plain old wrench.

[HansTheHobbit]

Depends on the crush washer. DPMS uses some that are soft like Philly cream cheese. I have also noticed that with melonite/QPQ barrels it seems a little harder.

I have noticed some differences in crush washers between brands and batches, but that can't be what's going on here. We're talking like 5 or 10 foot pounds difference between different brands.

The minute the breaker bar comes out for a crush washer it's a definite FUBAR and then some, especially when you're "putting all you have" into it. The amount of force a grown man can generate with a breaker bar is pretty insane. I just hope he's a short dude and it was a small breaker bar, or he may have far exceeded 80 foot pounds.

My advice would be to start over with a new crush washer, preferably a different brand if possible, and watch some videos on the installation. There must be hundreds of youtube videos on that subject.

[Iraqgunz]

Not sure how he is being able to determine what the torque was, when it seems to indicate that he didn't use a torque wrench.

I have noticed some differences in crush washers between brands and batches, but that can't be what's going on here. We're talking like 5 or 10 foot pounds difference between different brands.

The minute the breaker bar comes out for a crush washer it's a definite FUBAR and then some, especially when you're "putting all you have" into it. The amount of force a grown man can generate with a breaker bar is pretty insane. I just hope he's a short dude and it was a small breaker bar, or he may have far exceeded 80 foot pounds.

My advice would be to start over with a new crush washer, preferably a different brand if possible, and watch some videos on the installation. There must be hundreds of youtube videos on that subject.

[HansTheHobbit]

Not sure how he is being able to determine what the torque was, when it seems to indicate that he didn't use a torque wrench.

I was wondering that myself. I assumed that he just had enough experience with torque wrenches to be able to guesstimate it.

[Glockman1968]

Thanks for the replies. I'm no monster sized guy...but I aint weak either. Blue collar guy my whole life..work on my own vehicles...carpenter for 15 years...

I tried the method of backing off and tightening...and that seemed to work to get the bottom to 6 oclock...but

It was like I was trying to tighten a lug nut on a tire...or better yet breaking a very tight lug nut loose.

Believe me when I say I've watched a ton of video on installation...thats what is baffling me about the whole thing...still don't understand what in the world was going on. My guesstimate on the amount of force is just that. It was HARD to turn. I did grease the threads whith Aeroshell 33 beforehand.

I knew I had no choice to get it to time correctly...

[HansTheHobbit]

Thanks for the replies. I'm no monster sized guy...but I aint weak either. Blue collar guy my whole life..work on my own vehicles...carpenter for 15 years...

I tried the method of backing off and tightening...and that seemed to work to get the bottom to 6 oclock...but

It was like I was trying to tighten a lug nut on a tire...or better yet breaking a very tight lug nut loose.

Believe me when I say I've watched a ton of video on installation...thats what is baffling me about the whole thing...still don't understand what in the world was going on. My guesstimate on the amount of force is just that. It was HARD to turn. I did grease the threads whith Aeroshell 33 beforehand.

I knew I had no choice to get it to time correctly...

Are you absolutely positive that the crush washer was new? It sounds to me like it's bottoming out. My only thought is that maybe someone sold you a used crush washer or it was just a bad batch. Sorry I can't help you more. My only advice would be to switch to a different brand of crush washer and see what happens. But if you find yourself in the same situation again, needing a breaker bar that is, don't force it. That kind of force will definitely cause problems, perhaps permanently.