Tornado PS Spotter 98220 Nylon Machine Screw #8-32 x 2 in. 19912

The Tornado PS Spotter 98220 Nylon Machine Screw #8-32 x 2 in. (part# 19912) is the genuine OEM screw that carries the float assembly in the recovery tank of the PS Series professional spotter. Tornado’s dealer catalog lists it as “Screw Slo. Rnd Hd Mach No 8 32 x 2.00 (Nylon)” — a slotted round head machine screw, #8-32 thread, 2 inches long, moulded in nylon rather than metal.

Compatible Models for the Nylon Machine Screw #8-32 x 2 in.

• Tornado PS Spotter 98220 — PS Series professional spotter, 115V, on the recovery tank float assembly

Tornado’s factory cross-reference returns this screw for the 98220 only. If you are servicing another machine, call us at 763-535-0770 with the model and serial number and we will identify the correct fastener rather than sell you this one on a guess.

Why this screw is nylon, and why that is not a downgrade

This is the fastener most likely to be replaced with the wrong thing, because a hardware-store steel screw of the same size threads straight in. It should not be.

The screw lives permanently submerged in recovered cleaning solution at the bottom of the tank, and it passes through the float assembly — which has to stay free to move. A plated steel screw in that position corrodes, and corrosion does two things that matter. It swells the shank, which is exactly where the float needs clearance, so the float begins to bind and the shut-off stops working reliably. And it stains the tank and seizes in its thread, so the next person who opens the assembly snaps or shears it.

Nylon does neither. It will not corrode in detergent, it stays dimensionally stable in water, and it is electrically and chemically inert against the parts around it. A 2 inch length in nylon also flexes slightly rather than galling, which suits an assembly that is assembled and disassembled by hand in a confined tank.

When to replace it

Replace the screw if the slot has been chewed out by a screwdriver that was too narrow, if the thread is stripped, stretched or cross-threaded, if the shank is scored or scuffed where the float rides on it, or if it has cracked — nylon fails by cracking rather than bending, and a hairline crack at the head is easy to miss.

Replace it as a matter of course if you find a steel screw fitted in this position, and fit the nylon part the machine was designed around. Also replace it any time the float assembly is rebuilt: the screw costs very little next to opening the tank twice.

Fitting notes

Use a flat-blade driver that fills the slot — a narrow blade is the usual cause of a destroyed nylon head. Tighten by hand to a firm snug only. Nylon threads will strip at a torque that a steel screw would shrug off, and over-tightening here also clamps the float assembly tighter than it should be, which is itself a cause of a float that will not rise. With the tank open, check the float travels freely on the new screw before the machine goes back into service. Twin City Vacuum has been selling and servicing Tornado equipment since 1956.

You can browse every assembly for this machine on our Tornado PS Spotter 98220 parts page, and the manufacturer’s specifications are published at tornadovac.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size is the Nylon Machine Screw 19912?

It is a #8-32 thread, 2 inches long, with a slotted round head, and it is moulded in nylon rather than made in metal.

Can I use a steel screw of the same size instead?

It will thread in, but it is the wrong part. A steel screw corrodes in the recovered solution it sits in, and the corrosion swells the shank exactly where the float needs clearance — so the float begins to bind and the tank shut-off stops working dependably.

How do I know if my Nylon Machine Screw needs replacing?

Check the slot for damage from an undersized screwdriver, the thread for stripping, the shank for scoring where the float rides, and the head for hairline cracks. Nylon cracks rather than bends, so the failure can be easy to overlook.

How do I order the Nylon Machine Screw (part# 19912) or get help?

You can add the Nylon Machine Screw (part# 19912) directly to your cart on this page, or call us at 763-535-0770. Our staff at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428 has been servicing Tornado equipment since 1956 and can help confirm the right part for your machine.

Questions? Call us at 763-535-0770 or visit us at 5415 West Broadway, Crystal, MN 55428.