ReTro Valve LV 10 issue

[fstop_22]

Let me start off by saying that I am an old time player but a recent mag owner (about a year). I just purchased a ReTro Valve with a level 10 - it only came with a gold spring and no shims or spacers. It was tuned perfectly for around 295 FPS. I shot about 300 rounds in my backyard without an issue. Today I played indoor and had to shoot at or below 260 fps. I figured I might need a different spring but I didn't have one to try. While playing it shot well for about 50 shots then I would hear a slight hiss coming from what sounded like the power tube. When this happened RT action ceased. After a few shots this would stop and the RT would pick up again. The process would repeat. Shoot about 50 rounds fine then hiss for a few rounds. Since I am new to the level 10, can any one give me advice. Do I need a different spring? What color? Oh yeah, I almost forgot. Hidden on a back shelf at the indoor place was a complete spacer kit for $9.95. The package was old and yellowed but it was never opened so I purchased it. If I need a different spacer I have them now. Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. Thanks

[Laku]

Do you mean carrier (lvl 10)

or spacer (which are for lvl 7 bolt)


One way to test if the leak is in the power tube is to pull the trigger back and hold it, if it still leaks the leak is in the on/off. So in your case if the leak stopped that would mean that you either have too large carrier, or that the o-ring in there has gone bad or there's dirt in it that prevents it from sealing properly.

LVL 10 springs go from gold spring which is lightest, to red which is the medium, to gray which is strongest.

[fstop_22]

Ok. I'll try and obtain the other springs I don't have. Thanks

[athomas]

The bolt spring might be worn out.

The gold spring will work in all instances, and is probably the one you need for lower velocities such as those used in indoor play. The red and grey springs require higher chamber pressure and will only allow the gun to shoot at higher velocities. The red springs are ideal for shooting above 280fps. Grey springs tend to shoot higher than that but allow you to clip one end to better tune the velocity parameters at which the level 10 works.

Check to see if there are any level 10 shims installed in your level 10 setup now. If there are, take them out. They can cause intermittent leaks.

The level 10 bolt won't use the older spacer kits. You need carriers. You should have a carrier set ranging from 0 to 1.5 in order to guarantee proper oring tension settings in your level 10 if you ever have to change the white powertube carrier oring.

[fstop_22]

I plan on tinkering with it tomorrow. I've already requested the extra parts from Tuna. Just waiting on a price. Thanks so much for you help.

[fstop_22]

Ok. Got the difference between carriers and spacers. Sorry for my ignorance. It's still new to me. I ordered a full set from Tuna - springs, carriers and shims. Waiting for their arrival. I cleaned the entire valve and all looked very clean. After cleaning the valve I dry fired it and heard a very slight hiss coming from the valve after a short string of shots. This hiss slowly went away after about a second. If I wasn't specifically looking for a hiss, I would probably miss it. There was one shim installed with the carrier. I removed the shim and dry fired again. This time the leak was more pronounced and went away after pushing down the bolt. This seemed more like what I was experiencing while playing. Should I try testing with paint? Or is dry firing ok? I took pictures of the sear. It has some wear but would you consider it shot?

[athomas]

The sear doesn't look bad, but it is hard to tell from that picture. It is an old sear, and even a tiny bit of wear on the face that holds the bolt can cause the bolt to sit farther forward and allow the bolt stem vent hole to be exposed.

If the leak goes away when you push on the bolt, does it come back immediately after you release the bolt? The leak could be a result of the carrier getting pushed back a tiny bit when the bolt resets. That would mean the carrier is almost the correct size such that it is not causing bolt stick, but is still tighter than it should be on the bolt stem. This sticking would also slow the reset action which would affect the RT action as well. Once you get your new carriers, try the next larger size using the same white oring you are using now. If it leaks all the time, then the new one is too big and the one you have now is the correct size.

Is your rail bushing in place? A missing rail bushing will cause the valve to sit farther back and change the level 10 parameters. I doubt it it this but it never hurts to ask all the questions.

[fstop_22]

Thanks for the advice. I'll try that as soon as I received the carriers.