Emmons Push Pull tuning issue

[Carl Burcham]

I’m trying to tune up my push pull, and everything is all good except my second raise on my 4th string from E to F, it’s my LKL lever and to tune that raise it’s a fine tuning nut up underneath the guitar. But the nut does not want to rotate at all and I was gonna see if anyone had a fix for it

[Jason Putnam]

It should have an Allen set screw holding the collar on the rod. You could loosen the screw and slide it off the rod to see if you can break it loose with the collar removed. It should have some resistance but you should be able to turn it with your fingers so sounds like it may be stuck. Just be sure to mark where the collar is on the rod before removal so you can put it back in the same spot.

[Charlie Powell]

The pull in question should be a half tone tuner like this. If it is stuck, the only thing I could suggest is oil on the threads. I guess penetrating oil if conventional oil doesn't free it up. This pic is from psgparts.com where you can obtain a replacement is necessary..

[Lee Baucum]

It won't turn in either direction?

~Lee

[Carl Burcham]

Lee,
No sir it is totally stuck and does not want to rotate. I looked up underneath the guitar and there seems to be a good amount of oil around the fine tuning but I’m gonna stop on my way home from work at Lowe’s and get some WD-40 and give it a little shot of that and see if it’ll free it a little bit

[Landon Johnson]

Personally I wouldn't use WD... that may be how it got stuck up in the first place. My advice would be to get some liquid wrench - if it's in a spray can, spray a bunch in a small cup and dab it on the threads with a toothpick or something similar. Leave it on there a while. Might have to repeat it a couple times.

[Bobby D. Jones]

Kano Kroil penetrating oil is the best I have used.
When I worked in light bulb industry they got it,
1n 55 gal. drums to tear down production machinery.

[Larry Behm]

I have had new ones that would only go on part way, it seems to me that the threads on the collar and or the screw are not compatible the more you screw them together. I would start with Jason’s advice then take a small needle nose pliers and see if it can be broken free. If the screw is made of brass it may have become distorted and thus lodged.

[Ian Worley]

...If the screw is made of brass it may have become distorted...

I've seen this before with brass and aluminum, the screw thread is 10-32, the through hole is 1/8" diameter, there is very little material left at the deep end of the thread cut (the "minor diameter"), ~1/64". If the through hole is slightly off-center the threads can shear on the near side and collapse. If that's the case all you can do is replace it.