Having trouble removing your high speed star from the quick coupler?
First, let’s get it out of the quick coupler:
- Take a flat blade screwdriver and insert it between the end of the Star 430 handpiece and the hose coupling.
- Gently turn the screwdriver. Make sure there is contact between the coupling and the back of the handpiece. Do not let it slip or it could be damaged.
- With a little pressure, you will feel the handpiece slide past the o-ring.
- At this point remove the screwdriver, position it and simply pull the handpiece out of the quick connect as you normally would.
Now let’s fix the source of the problem. Take a cotton swab and moisten it with WD-40 and clean the back of the Star 430 handpiece by wiping it across the surfaces of the o-ring grooves inside the inner housing. Repeat as needed until there is no visible color change from WD-40 on the Q-tip. Take a dry swab and remove as much of the WD-40 as possible. It doesn’t hurt to follow this up by blowing some dry air from inside the syringe, blowing out any remaining debris. We don’t want the WD-40 to get into the bearings. Time to check the o-rings on the quick connect for Star 430. Look for cracks, brittleness, or actual breakage. If any of these conditions exist, replace the o-rings. They are relatively inexpensive and it is good practice to always have a couple of sets on hand. Lubricate new o-rings if replacing or old o-rings if not replaced, with a drop of handpiece oil. It’s also a good idea to replace the o-rings at least every 12 months, even if they look fine. The quick connect o-rings should be lubricated weekly, per the manufacturer’s specifications. Lubrication prolongs the life of the O-rings, makes it easier to connect and disconnect handpieces, and also helps keep the back end free of debris that could cause the handpiece to seize again.
Tech Tip: I have answered several service calls where the quick connect on the Star 430 handpiece cannot be removed from the supply line. To prevent this from happening and incurring the expense of a service call, the quick connect should be periodically removed from the hose connection and the threads lubricated with a drop of handpiece oil or grease to prevent freezing. instead. Once a month or so should keep this part of the operation relatively trouble free.
