Grivel Katana Ice Vario

Does anyone have any tips on installing the Katana Ice blades on a Tech Machine. I spent a decent amount of time trying without success. The Katana's appear to be slightly wider than the standard Total Ice blade making the tolerance very tight or near impossible to place into the axe head. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cheers!

It was definitely a two-beer job the first time around.  I find putting the forward bolt in first and then twisting everything into places works.  A vice makes the whole thing much easier.

Jake907 wrote:

It was definitely a two-beer job the first time around.  I find putting the forward bolt in first and then twisting everything into places works.  A vice makes the whole thing much easier.

Thanks, I will give it a try. Those shims are so damn frustrating!

I agree with Jake—I additionally push the back bolt through the hole and shim, then rotate the pick around the installed front bolt, then slowly twist the back bolt out until it’s *only* holding the shim in place but you can finish rotating the pick into place.

But yeah… it sucks. 

Not that I'm recommending this, but I was able to open the gap in the tool head a bit with a prying device (flathead screw driver)... Bending aluminum back and forth will weaken it though, so take care out there

Dr Worm wrote:

Not that I'm recommending this, but I was able to open the gap in the tool head a bit with a prying device (flathead screw driver)... Bending aluminum back and forth will weaken it though, so take care out there

Thanks. Sounds like Plan B. 

Jake907 wrote:

It was definitely a two-beer job the first time around.  I find putting the forward bolt in first and then twisting everything into places works.  A vice makes the whole thing much easier.

Thanks for your advice. Putting the front bolt in first made everything a lot easier.

I can't speak specifically for this problem, but I will say for pain in the ass press-fit bike parts, I have had good luck playing with thermal expansion (i.e. put the outer piece in hot water, put the inner piece in the freezer). Might be worth throwing the picks in the deep freeze overnight prior to assembly?

I was looking at buying these same picks (Katanas) or the Razors. Do they come with the shims? I don't see the shims for sale on the Grivel site nor anywhere else I look. In fact, the only place I've seen them mentioned is on MP and graphically in an insert that came with my ice vario picks.

Matt R wrote:

I was looking at buying these same picks (Katanas) or the Razors. Do they come with the shims? I don't see the shims for sale on the Grivel site nor anywhere else I look. In fact, the only place I've seen them mentioned is on MP and graphically in an insert that came with my ice vario picks.

Shims came in the package with the katana ice picks. I’d assume the same for the razors.

Kuznia sells shims separately, and if you sweet talk beartooth they probably would sell you one. It’s the best shim of the lot… but let’s be real… they’re shims.

Spopepro O. wrote:

Shims came in the package with the katana ice picks. I’d assume the same for the razors.

Kuznia sells shims separately, and if you sweet talk beartooth they probably would sell you one. It’s the best shim of the lot… but let’s be real… they’re shims.

Thanks for the info. Appreciate it.