Pinlock shield issue

[snackbauer]

I've noticed the pinlock shield on my Nolan N104 clear shield has been developing a gap at the bottom and I see fogging there. It seems the pinlock shield slides over time toward the bottom thereby creating the gap. I removed it and checked the silicone seal and it looked as good as new.

So I cleaned the shields, replaced the pinlock shield and it seals perfectly again. Just thought I'd post this in case anyone else is seeing gapping at the bottom of the pinlock shield.

 

[dudeckp]

Only a month on my Nolan N44, but I'll keep an eye on mine.

Thanks.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I just make sure to push mine up from the bottom, to make the seal.

 

[CA G-Man]

I don't have mine in front of me, but isn't there some sort of adjustment you can make at the pins that go into the holes in the helmet visor (by rotating something) to adjust the tension? I thought there was a way to effectively lengthen (increase the bowing/tension) or shorten (decrease the bowing/tension) the pinlock. Maybe this is just a figment of my imagination - it's been a while since I've paid any attention to it.

 

[20valves]

I don't have mine in front of me, but isn't there some sort of adjustment you can make at the pins that go into the holes in the helmet visor (by rotating something) to adjust the tension?

Yes, but for that adjustment to work, it does need to be properly aligned first. My experience is the same, it needs a little attention now and then but I am a big fan of the pin lock system.

 

[snackbauer]

I just make sure to push mine up from the bottom, to make the seal.

I didn't think to try that, thanks Joe.

I am a big fan of the pin lock system.

Me too, haven't found anything that works better.

 

[dudeckp]

My guess is the jolt when closing the visor causes the insert to slide down little each time, eventually creating the gap.

 

[wheatonFJR]

I think the issue is the material after awhile conforms to the shape of the face shield.

The pinlocks, when new, are flat...while the face is curved. Pushing that flat plastic into the curved shape creates a "spring" that creates such a good fog free airlock.

Pull out the pinlock after some months of usage, and it will have a curved shape, conforming to face shield contours. This is called "material creep" in the material science world. Therefore it will have lost some of its "spring"...that pressed it against the pins.

There are some adjustment screws/cams on the pins. I forgot about those when I gave my pinlock shield to my son. I have no idea if those are effective or not.

Let me know if I have a good shield to my son.

 

[SacramentoMike]

I'm ready to mount my third Pinlock on my Multitech. In fact it just came in this week from RevZilla. The plastic of both the shield and the insert are soft and can be scratched pretty easily. After a while--like one riding season--I've found it's time to replace both (if I didn't use a Pinlock I'd still replace the shield about that often). After that time, the silicone bead on the Pinlock insert loses its flexibility or something and won't adhere to shield, so it can move around and create gaps so the system stops working like it should.

When my first one did this I called Pinlock, and they told me how to wash it and let it dry for a whole day or more and so on, but it never did stick right again. But they do work fpr a while, and nothing else ever has for me. And riding with a fogged-up shield is no fun at all.

By the way, I don't know if the pins/cams give any benefit to tighten the insert down or if they just hold it in place. But you can get a 5.5 mm socket at Sears or somewhere. Pliers on that soft little plastic hex knob deform it too easily.

 

[Harald]

The pins that the pinlock get inserted into are actually offset cams. By turning the pins, you can get more or less tension on the pinlock against the shield. I've found that too much tension can create a gap that allows some fogging to intrude, just like too little tension would - gotta find that middle ground.

I just had to adjust the one on my wife's Nolan N104 because it was so loose that it was flopping up and down. I had to turn both pins to max tightness to get the pinlock to seal. I have no idea how this could have happened?! I've had pinlocks on numerous helmets for many years and have never seen such a drastic loosening on a helmet that only has a few thousand miles on it.

 

[Goodman4]

Yes, as stated above, the cams do make an adjustment difference in the tightness. I had to replace mine this year and I was shocked how much difference the new one made. The old one had been wet a lot and just didn't ever quite work the same. My experience is that they need to be replaced after a year or two of heavy use.