Retro Valve has beaten me

[Aslan]

For once I'd like to be able to go into the garage, work on my marker, and WOW!...it works great! Good job me! But instead, one problem leads to another problem which leads to another problem...

So, here's the situation. I built a Minimag, put a Retro Valve in it. The Retro Valve had Level 10 installed and seemed to be working fine when I first tested it.

I then decided I wanted to get the ULE trigger mod so I sent it to Brad Nestle for milling. Theres a big long story associated with that...see link below:
http://www.automags.org/forums/showthread.php?t=200183&highlight=Retro+Valve

Anyways, after the whole ULE issue seemed to be dealt with...I finally debut it. What happened? Nothing. It seemed to shoot okay at the chrono...went out on the field and it wouldn't fire. I couldn't even pull the trigger.

I read some posts and had some conversations and thought that what I really should do is go back to the basics. I ordered a new reg piston assembly and a Retro Valve parts kit. I printed off the post by BlackVCG about taking a retro valve apart and maintenance on it. Well, I took mine apart, replaced some o-rings that looked old, oiled up all nice, and put it back together. I then went out and aired it up.

LEAK out the back. So, I'm thinking, "Okay, a leak out the back means my velocity is too high...so I turned it out. Nothing. I kept turning it until I had it out so far that it started leaking around the o-ring...way too far out for it to be a simple velocity adjustment. :mad:

I tried firing it but it would just runaway fire. :mad:

I tried screwing the velocity adjustment in further, but then it started leaking bad out the front. :cuss:

By then my tank was reading around 1000psi and I just took the bottle off in disgust. :(

Is there another reason my gun would leak out the back? Could I have put something together wrong? I mean, if it was a faint leak out the front, I might be able to say, "Well, maybe it's because I swapped one of the level 10 o-rings or something.

Need help guys...I'm outta simple solutions and I don't think an AGD tech will touch it given the milling that Brad did to the valve probably voiding out any type of warranty or servicability. And after all the money I've sunk into this so far, there's no way I can afford to just go out and get an X-Valve and scrap this Retro.

Thanks in advance. :ninja: :cheers:

[Smoothice]

This is probably not the right answer but at least it will be a free up for someone who knows more to answer.

Did you put some oil in the asa before screwing the bottle on?

The first time I used my mag after a few weeks I aired it up and had a slight leak out the back. Put some oil in the asa and the leak went away.

Probably too simple of a solution to work but you never know.

[Tunaman]

send it here. I'll fix it...if I can.

[Nick E]

Hey tuna, did you get the email I sent you about my valves? Would've came from nickelisio @ gmail.com, but I sent it through your site, not directly to you..

[Aslan]

Wow!

If Tuna works on my valve I think that makes it more valuable! :wow:

I'd be honored Tuna...I e-mailed you because your pm box was full (is that thing ever not full?). I just need some additional info and I'll gladly send it to you.

Thanks Again!
:cheers:

[athomas]

A good cleaning is in order. The orings are probably fine. You probably have a piece of dirt caught somewhere that is causing your problems. After a milling, it is possible that a tiny piece of metal shaving was left behind.

[Aslan]

A good cleaning is in order. The orings are probably fine. You probably have a piece of dirt caught somewhere that is causing your problems. After a milling, it is possible that a tiny piece of metal shaving was left behind.

I would normally agree 100%...but I've taken it apart twice and can't seem to clean whatever it is out. It really baffles me at this point.

[flyingpootang]

You need to seperate your problems and work on them one at a time. First start with the L10 bolt. Use the shortest spring that came with the L10 kit, use the loosest carrier that doasen't leak, and 2 L10 shims. If your marker dosen't fire push on the bolt to make shure its seated.

Second start with no ULE shims and fire your marker add one shim at a time until it goes full auto. Remove the last shim abd then its tuned. Most ULE use up to 5 shims max.

Note: if its leaking out of the rear turn your velocity down, make shure you have a high output tank with more than 800 psi in it, and tune our L10 when the bugs are worked out.

[Aslan]

You need to seperate your problems and work on them one at a time. First start with the L10 bolt. Use the shortest spring that came with the L10 kit, use the loosest carrier that doasen't leak, and 2 L10 shims. If your marker dosen't fire push on the bolt to make shure its seated.

Second start with no ULE shims and fire your marker add one shim at a time until it goes full auto. Remove the last shim abd then its tuned. Most ULE use up to 5 shims max.

Note: if its leaking out of the rear turn your velocity down, make shure you have a high output tank with more than 800 psi in it, and tune our L10 when the bugs are worked out.

See, I understand the first two points...I thought of that as well...that maybe my problems with this dang thing have to do with so many problems all happening at the same time.

But what doesn't make sense is the leak out the back. It just shouldn't leak there with a new reg piston assembly and the velocity turned down all the way. I know the level 10 was working before the ULT was added. So I don't think it's a level 10 issue. I could be that the ULT is still a problem, but that doesn't explain the leak out the back. It's really weird.

[athomas]

The leak out the back with the velocity all the way down is one of two things. The regulator seat oring is leaking or the piston assembly oring is leaking. If the regulator seat oring was leaking, then the valve would probably fire no matter what due to the pressure being high. The problem sounds like your regulator piston assembly oring.