# port. floor corker problem



## dralarms (May 18, 2013)

My brother bought a used port floor corker with the plastic/nylon jaws In it. Its cutting the rear of his corks and then the next bottle gets cork in the wine. I can't figure out how to adjust it. It appears the rear jaws are not moving enough before the plunger contacts the cork.

Please help.


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## vacuumpumpman (May 18, 2013)

The jaws come out and you can see if they are binding or not. There are screws that hold the jaw in place as well as the spring tension. Take a look at the edges of the jaws to see if they are sharp or deformed as they made need to be replaced. Typically this happens with the synthetics that they will possibly put a slight scoring mark down the side of the cork

Here is a great thread on this exact problem -
http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f3/portuguese-floor-corker-5273/

I hope this helps ??


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## dralarms (May 19, 2013)

Thanks Steve, but that didn't help. I had already seen that "instruction".


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## rjb222 (May 19, 2013)

Have you taken the mechanism apart and cleaned it? Some times excess wine from previous bottling gum things up clean everything up and reassemble using a very light wipe of petroleum jelly.


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## dralarms (May 19, 2013)

He fixed it, took it apart and put a shim behind it.


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## vacuumpumpman (May 19, 2013)

dralarms said:


> He fixed it, took it apart and put a shim behind it.



can you explain a little more or better yet a picture ?


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## dralarms (May 19, 2013)

Didn't get a picture, but what he did was take it apart and between the right rear piece and the metal part that pushes together he put a shim in, just a little thicker than a quarter.


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## vacuumpumpman (May 19, 2013)

Thanks for the info !!


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## oldwhiskers (May 19, 2013)

I will have to keep this in mind since this is the corker that I have, thanks.


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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)

I’m needing help with my Portuguese corker. I’m new to corking and the corker is mangling the corks badly. I have no idea how to fix this problem. Any help?


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## vacuumpumpman (Feb 16, 2020)

Can you give the following details so we can help you better = 

size of corks that you are using 
type of corks you are using 
picture of problem 
type of bottle being used 
are you putting them in dry or wet 
Do you soak the corks 


Thanks 
Steve


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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)

Hi Steve
I don’t know what souse corks I am using as it came in a kit however I tried 3 different sizes and they all come out mangled. It looks to me like where the plunger goes in, it’s not sized to the right place for the bottle. It’s close to one side of the top of the neck. I also tried dry and wet. It is the same outcome. I don’t know how to describe the type of bottle. It’s my first batch of red. 

60349664267__81B8562C-A67F-43BB-9B5C-EDA0CA9C5E90.MOV

Not sure if you can view this movie or not. Lol.


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## dralarms (Feb 16, 2020)

lisagoldsworthy69 said:


> Hi Steve
> I don’t know what souse corks I am using as it came in a kit however I tried 3 different sizes and they all come out mangled. It looks to me like where the plunger goes in, it’s not sized to the right place for the bottle. It’s close to one side of the top of the neck. I also tried dry and wet. It is the same outcome. I don’t know how to describe the type of bottle. It’s my first batch of red.
> 
> 60349664267__81B8562C-A67F-43BB-9B5C-EDA0CA9C5E90.MOV
> ...


Nope can’t view it. Take a picture of the cork, then the corker open and closed


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## BABRU (Feb 16, 2020)

A photo of bottle and a photo of bottle on corker would help. Also send photo of underside of corker where rim of bottle rests. Would be unusual but possible that corker has a manufacturing problem, bent metal or something. Some bottles, the very heavy ones, are larger than standard at the top such they the top of the bottle does not fit into the resting place at the top of the corker. Try a standard wine bottle. Also, bottle can’t be filled to top. Must leave room for cork plus about an inch of air space.


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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)

Here are some pics. Hopefully this will help?


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## dralarms (Feb 16, 2020)

Somebody has taken that apart and put it back together wrong.

it also needs a good cleaning.


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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)

Ok so does anyone have instructions on how to put it back together correctly? We bought it used so we have none. I can’t find anything on the internet. Lol


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## dralarms (Feb 16, 2020)

Unscrew the top and take a picture of the jaws


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## sour_grapes (Feb 16, 2020)

I just looked at mine and compared it to your pictures. Honestly, it looks just about the same. (Mine works fine.)


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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)




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## dralarms (Feb 16, 2020)

lisagoldsworthy69 said:


> View attachment 58817




Looking at the pieces, starting at the top left, and going clockwise, jaws 1 and 3 look out of alignment.


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## lisagoldsworthy69 (Feb 16, 2020)

Yes I would agree with you. Just use a screwdriver to maneuver them in place? They are very tight fitting?


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## dralarms (Feb 16, 2020)

lisagoldsworthy69 said:


> Yes I would agree with you. Just use a screwdriver to maneuver them in place? They are very tight fitting?


Not sure, I’d take a marker and number them 1 through 4, take them all out, clean them, the housing, and all parts. Then put them back and try to line them up better.


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## BABRU (Feb 16, 2020)

Good photos. I see nothing wrong with the bottles. It looks like the plunger is out of alignment. I would exchange corker for another one. Mine works great. Must be very frustrating to have that problem with it.


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