2 flatline problems

[Shirow]

1) It's leaking out of the tank pressure gauge. If I press on the window of the gauge, it stops leaking as much but it's still faintly audible.

2) It fills very slowly (30-45 seconds to fill from ~1000 to ~4000)

I assume replacing the gauge (and hopefully just replacing the fill nipple) will fix it. Is there anything special I should know before attempting any of these two tasks?

It also does n't seem to hold it's pressure output... sometimes I will turn it up to around 1000psi and shoot for a while and next time I look it's around 850ish. The needle on the output pressure gauge also seems to drop quite a bit when I fire before springing back to 850-ish.

Any input would be great, it's a 4500psi regulator.

[athomas]

You don't need to replace the fill nipple. Replace the oring on the fill nipple. Don't oil it. You do not want oil in a high pressure tank. It is a fuel that can ignite when heated by a flash fill.

Replace the bad gauge.

It sounds like your regulator needs a good cleaning. That's all.

[Shirow]

You don't need to replace the fill nipple. Replace the oring on the fill nipple. Don't oil it. You do not want oil in a high pressure tank. It is a fuel that can ignite when heated by a flash fill.

Replace the bad gauge.

It sounds like your regulator needs a good cleaning. That's all.

Cool, I was hoping it was something that simple. I'll look for a flatline maintenance guide, I have a kit laying around somewhere. Thanks :)

One other question - can I/should I lube the parts/o-rings inside the regulator itself?

[fishmishin]

Here is a good flatline guide if you haven't found one.

http://www.mcarterbrown.com/forums/ask-experts/46563-agd-flatline-rebuild-guide-56k-beware.html

[Shirow]

That is a wonderful guide but it makes me very reluctant to start taking it apart :wow:

[fishmishin]

It's not really that bad to do. It took me about 30 mins to pull it apart and clean everything the first time. I still need to pick up a rebuild kit for mine though. When my 3/k tank is full it bleeds off unless I turn it down some. I just cut it off until I get in a good fire fight, and then once it gets down to around 25/k it stops. I still want to move up to a 45/k though, I just have to find the right deal on one.

[Shirow]

It's not really that bad to do. It took me about 30 mins to pull it apart and clean everything the first time. I still need to pick up a rebuild kit for mine though. When my 3/k tank is full it bleeds off unless I turn it down some. I just cut it off until I get in a good fire fight, and then once it gets down to around 25/k it stops. I still want to move up to a 45/k though, I just have to find the right deal on one.

Hmm, I don't have the necessary tools to remove the reg from the tank though :(

Maybe I'll just ship it off to AGD over Christmas and let them fix it up when it's too cold to play. It's really not functioning very well right now, I can't get the output pressure to sit level for anything, it will fly +/- 100psi constantly.

[athomas]

Put the reg in a vise (wrapped in protective rubber or cloth). Don't tighten it. Just snug it to keep it from rotating. Then grab the tank with both hands and turn it. It should turn off the reg. You may need good gripping gloves to hang onto the tank to keep it from slipping in your hands.

[Shirow]

Put the reg in a vise (wrapped in protective rubber or cloth). Don't tighten it. Just snug it to keep it from rotating. Then grab the tank with both hands and turn it. It should turn off the reg. You may need good gripping gloves to hang onto the tank to keep it from slipping in your hands.

How about reattaching it though? Shouldn't it be loctited or torqued to some specific weight?

[Ando]

Take it to your local paintball watering hole. They should have the facilities to get it off.

[Shirow]

Take it to your local paintball watering hole. They should have the facilities to get it off.

My local paintball place is a wooden shack in the middle of the woods. I guess they might... but I'm not sure :)

[athomas]

How about reattaching it though? Shouldn't it be loctited or torqued to some specific weight?No loctite. It should be torqued but not sealed by any thread sealer. There should be no foreign material on the threads. I used to take my regs off all the time for travel purposes. Just hand tighten them as tight as you can get them. That way you can always get them off again in the future. Once the air pressure is put in them, they won't come loose.

[Shirow]

No loctite. It should be torqued but not sealed by any thread sealer. There should be no foreign material on the threads. I used to take my regs off all the time for travel purposes. Just hand tighten them as tight as you can get them. That way you can always get them off again in the future. Once the air pressure is put in them, they won't come loose.

Cool, I will give it a shot.. have to see if I have a vice that will work. I have a little bench vise but I'll have to see if I can use it to hold on the reg tight enough.

If you don't hear from me again, look for a news story about a guy getting killed by an exploding tank in Wisconsin!

[211]

Just make sure the tank is completely drained before you start, and you will be fine

[Shirow]

Well, I did it.. went fine other than the fact that I bent the piston a bit when I was putting the new reg seat on :( Bent it back and it looks straight but I'm a bit worried about it.

Going to fill up tomorrow and see how it goes.. hopefully this will fix my +/-400psi fluctuations..

Now that I know how easy it is to take off the reg, if I still have problems with it I might just throw a new reg on there. So thanks for that either way!

[Shirow]

Update: works great now. Fills very slowly still, I am wondering if I just need a new fill nipple.. but very consistent now. Hopefully it will stay this way a little longer this time around :)

[athomas]

Fills very slowly still, I am wondering if I just need a new fill nipple.. Check the fill nipple. I'll bet the bottom is cracked where the slot is cut. When this happens, the bottom of the check valve piston bends and actually seals the port which slows the air going into the bottle. If this is the case, you will need a new piston. It is probably easier to get a new fill nipple.

[Shirow]

Check the fill nipple. I'll bet the bottom is cracked where the slot is cut. When this happens, the bottom of the check valve piston bends and actually seals the port which slows the air going into the bottle. If this is the case, you will need a new piston. It is probably easier to get a new fill nipple.

I didn't notice that it looked bad when I took it out but I think I will just replace it at this point as I've tried everything else..