View Full Version : AE's Emag is a Lemon. Help!!
ArmyEngineer
10-20-2009, 09:59 PM
So I got my E-Mag today. Not exactly in "great condition" as described. I specifically asked the seller if the battery had leaked. His response was at best incorrect. Also, it appears that the sear lock was hammered out of the frame. The damage looks mostly cosmetic, but I was still disappointed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0595.jpg
Those of you who think that no one can tell the difference between anodizing and paint pen should be shot, and not with a paintball gun. As disappointing as I found that little blemish, I was far more upset about the battery juice that was/is EVERYWHERE! AAAAH!!!
First I took off the battery housing. Not a big deal, only a hint that a cell near the bottom had burst. Seriously, the battery even looked clean. So I still had some hope. Next, I slid out the valve, and just like that, my hopes were dashed.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0588.jpg
It only took one field strip screw. Yeah, the valve has gunk all over it. Then the bolt assembly came out. Bolt is a little messy, but the spring is freakin corroded. Impressive. I may be able to clean it up, but I have some reservations. Someone left the bumper off the powertube, how concerned should I be? I guess I need a new one?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0589.jpg
Out comes the rusty frame screw, and off comes the rail. HOLY CRAP. I had no idea this battery had so much happiness inside. It looks like someone smeared dookie toothpaste all down the rail.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0590.jpg
Well, then I proceeded to completely disassemble the frame. Everything came out fine. Not a single hint of battery juice in the board compartment. There was only a little up around the sear. Well, I cleaned the frame up with a toothbrush, and reassembled. Looks good as new, minus the sear lock hole... I've had enough chemical spill on my hands tonight. I'll try to finish the rest tomorrow. Here are my questions:
How likely is the valve ruined? The electrolytes in NiMH batteries are alkaline, keep in mind. We saw what it could do to the bolt spring. I am guessing I will need a new one. Oh, and the magnets were all corroded and shot. Gonna need some of those... The 14 cells in the battery pack, how many volts are they each? 1.5v? I guess I will hit up DealExtreme for those. Valve rebuild kit? I'm thinkin yes.
Please comment.
Thanks,
AE
Frizzle Fry
10-20-2009, 10:05 PM
Wow. Did the previous owner store that in a septic tank, or what?
:eek:
At least it's got a good home. I pray you didn't pay more than $350ish for the marker.
ArmyEngineer
10-20-2009, 10:11 PM
Wow. Did the previous owner store that in a septic tank, or what?
:eek:
At least it's got a good home. I pray you didn't pay more than $350ish for the marker.
HAHAHA! Yeah, at least it doesn't smell. Got it in a package deal. This guy, a 2005 carleton 68/4500 w/ pure energy reg. 3 tippmann 98s w/ 6 barrels, 1 piranha, 2x scott, 1 jt, and 1 pmi mask. a beat up egg, a halo b in the box, a revvy, 2x motorized no names, 9 CO2 tanks, a few rando parts. Thats most of the inventory. $566 shipped/ppd
Frizzle Fry
10-20-2009, 10:28 PM
HAHAHA! Yeah, at least it doesn't smell. Got it in a package deal. This guy, a 2005 carleton 68/4500 w/ pure energy reg. 3 tippmann 98s w/ 6 barrels, 1 piranha, 2x scott, 1 jt, and 1 pmi mask. a beat up egg, a halo b in the box, a revvy, 2x motorized no names, 9 CO2 tanks, a few rando parts. Thats most of the inventory. $566 shipped/ppd
Ok so you got your moneys worth... Actually that's a damn good deal.
The nice thing about stainless steel is that you can scrape crud off of it with relative ease, and being submerged in human waste for years doesn't destroy it. Lots of "Goo Gone" (http://www.magicamerican.com/googone/product/c7f8659a-40a3-412c-9f1c-03108e6a30db.aspx) and a valve rebuild kit should get it running... Then some polishing for that frame. Which is a travesty. Thank god you snatched this thing up; it's like adopting an abused puppy.
xero28
10-20-2009, 10:30 PM
So this was that huge package you got that killer deal on? Right? Poor, poor EMag. It should be a fun project getting her back up and running though. Good luck.
ZapTheMad
10-20-2009, 10:32 PM
that wasn't a purchase. it was a rescue!
GRimm
10-20-2009, 10:35 PM
I would completly disasemble the frame, and then get in contact with luke and see what he can do for you. You could also have him ule it for you too. other then that, all you need is a valve rebuild kit, a new batery from KC, and some TLC and it will be back to its old self.
ArmyEngineer
10-20-2009, 10:45 PM
Heh, there is hope! I've been disassembling/cleaning since I got home at 5:30, so the better part of 5 hours. I am just now eating. I feel so sorry for this lil guy. :cry:
It's going to be a labor of love, but that is rewarding in itself. I'm going to send Tuna an email and see how busy he is. I am just hoping the brains of the whole operation are alright. Is the board robust enough to power off of 18V, or should I throw in a few diodes to drop it down a lil. I just want to see lights!
Should the ferrite rod of the solenoid be lubed? EDIT: No.
OUCH :eek:
Sometimes Craigslist = Drive-through bro. You still got a deal on it tho. Biggest worries will be the board and Solenoid which are the most expensive. You already know your needing a battery but you should be able to rig a 12v up to it. Chances are you won't be able to trip the solenoid but you'll get it to light up. The valve will hopefully be fine even tho it didn't have that bumper. The X is a damn tank after all ;)
I say send the battery back to the guy and write "Thanks" on it :p
"A E-Mag barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic E-Mag. ArmyEngineer's E-Mag will be that Mag. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."
ArmyEngineer
10-21-2009, 12:51 AM
OUCH :eek:
Sometimes Craigslist = Drive-through bro. You still got a deal on it tho. Biggest worries will be the board and Solenoid which are the most expensive. You already know your needing a battery but you should be able to rig a 12v up to it. Chances are you won't be able to trip the solenoid but you'll get it to light up. The valve will hopefully be fine even tho it didn't have that bumper. The X is a damn tank after all ;)
I say send the battery back to the guy and write "Thanks" on it :p
"A E-Mag barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world's first bionic E-Mag. ArmyEngineer's E-Mag will be that Mag. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster."
I know Ando. "Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes the bear, why, he eats you." I'm not too upset, it has actually cleaned up fairly well. I haven't touched the valve still.
Citius, Altius, Fortius! How would that be for a little rail engraving! (Sweet)
Good news: The lights say AGD 1.37. Bad News: The lights say AGD 1.37. :)
Spider-TW
10-21-2009, 10:05 AM
A valve rebuild kit should be enough to fix it, as long as the reg spring pack is not too corroded (which should mean your piston was covered as well). Be sure and pull the reg pin assembly. When you pull all the level 10 parts out, check for "extra" stuff in the power tube and chamber (shims and dirt mostly). :argh:
BigEvil
10-21-2009, 10:28 AM
Oh dear lord :cry:
athomas
10-21-2009, 03:48 PM
A good cleaning is what you need. Take the valve completely apart and replace all the orings. clean the spring pack on the back. It should be fine. The bolt spring definately needs to be replaced. It is a consumable item anyway. Expect to replace the bolt springs periodically. The rest of the gun should be cleanable with a lot of soap and water. The battery is past its life expectancy any way. Get a new one. There are newer 1000mA versions here on AO. The rare earth magnets can be purchased at a local shop and are quite inexpensive. If you can't find them, then get some from AGD when you order a parts kit.
I suspect the safety detents gummed up and he hammered the safety pin out in order to get the gun to fire. He didn't do a very good job. Mine gummed up and caused problems, even after I put new parts in. I could have fixed the problem, but I just took the safety out and kept it out. If you know how to annodize, you can fix the look of the frame. Just polish the damaged area around the safety so that it is nice and smooth and matches the texture/smoothness of the frame. Then do a a home annodize process and dye it black. It won't be perfect but it will not be near as noticable as the paint pen. You can use a computer power supply for your 12v source. Use a mixture of battery acid and water for your solution. Use black rit dye for your color. Look up the process and you should be good to go.
ArmyEngineer
10-21-2009, 06:47 PM
A good cleaning is what you need. Take the valve completely apart and replace all the orings. clean the spring pack on the back. It should be fine. The bolt spring definately needs to be replaced. It is a consumable item anyway. Expect to replace the bolt springs periodically. The rest of the gun should be cleanable with a lot of soap and water. The battery is past its life expectancy any way. Get a new one. There are newer 1000mA versions here on AO. The rare earth magnets can be purchased at a local shop and are quite inexpensive. If you can't find them, then get some from AGD when you order a parts kit.
I suspect the safety detents gummed up and he hammered the safety pin out in order to get the gun to fire. He didn't do a very good job. Mine gummed up and caused problems, even after I put new parts in. I could have fixed the problem, but I just took the safety out and kept it out. If you know how to annodize, you can fix the look of the frame. Just polish the damaged area around the safety so that it is nice and smooth and matches the texture/smoothness of the frame. Then do a a home annodize process and dye it black. It won't be perfect but it will not be near as noticable as the paint pen. You can use a computer power supply for your 12v source. Use a mixture of battery acid and water for your solution. Use black rit dye for your color. Look up the process and you should be good to go.
Good to know! It has cleaned up fairly well so far. I am about to run and get some brasso to polish out some of the scratches in the body. Can anyone with a micrometer please tell me the diameter of one of the magnets? My precision eyeball says 6mm x 1.5mm, but that might be too big. Thanks!
Hell ya, Rit dye ano is pretty good. Buddy of mine did his whole marker and it came out pretty nice.
Edit: I'll get you the measurements here in a min bro.
http://i35.tinypic.com/ra6yd0.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/2nlwy11.jpg
ArmyEngineer
10-21-2009, 07:00 PM
Hell ya, Rit dye ano is pretty good. Buddy of mine did his whole marker and it came out pretty nice.
Edit: I'll get you the measurements here in a min bro.
Score! Thanks Ando. I think I might buy the 100 pack on ebay. :)
maniacmechanic
10-21-2009, 07:10 PM
augh come on , give 6 bucks to AGD , you probley going to need some other stuff to
Looks like you have a fun project ahead of you, I know I cant wait to get started on my emag. We will get them rocking one way or the other :cheers:
ArmyEngineer
10-21-2009, 07:21 PM
augh come on , give 6 bucks to AGD , you probley going to need some other stuff to
Lol, it's not that maniac! I only need about 6 for the gun (in case I lose some.) I would also like to decorate my fridge. Might as well kill two birds with one stone. :D
maniacmechanic
10-21-2009, 07:59 PM
they are strong for as little as they are , I keep pic's & stuff stuck to my tool box with the old ones
ArmyEngineer
10-22-2009, 12:48 AM
they are strong for as little as they are , I keep pic's & stuff stuck to my tool box with the old ones
:clap: Hooray magnets! :clap: I have always found them fascinating.
6mm x 2.07mm! Thanks for checking that for me Ando! You are a life saver! Let me know if you need any magnets. I think I'm going to find some in 6x1mm for that extra level of customization. :)
CatoRockwell
10-22-2009, 02:28 AM
:eek:
I'm sorry I got a little queezy when I first saw the poor little fella
"and the medic gets out and says "oh my god" New guys around the corner puking his guts out. All because you want to save a couple extra pennies."
Id say she's a perfect candidate for a luke frame and rail ule job, niw get back to cleanin!!! Lol the valve can be rebuilt, KC sells new batteries here in the dealer section, I wanna see updated piks of the whole marker
ArmyEngineer
10-23-2009, 11:21 PM
Id say she's a perfect candidate for a luke frame and rail ule job, niw get back to cleanin!!! Lol the valve can be rebuilt, KC sells new batteries here in the dealer section, I wanna see updated piks of the whole marker
Somebody say photo shoot? Here they are! Sorry for the poor lighting, I'll do a better job when the sun's up.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0627.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0639.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0640.jpg
Good Side:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0642.jpg
Bad Side:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0646.jpg
Naughty Side?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0647.jpg
She cleaned up pretty well brother.
I just purchased another emag myself and the E side doesn't work to well. Everything powers on but it's not shooting right. Top it off the guy who had it cut wires and put them back with electro tape. I'm L33T with a soldering iron so that shouldn't be a problem for me but the fact that I ask what all was wrong with the marker and all that i was told was the safety was removed had me a little ticked. The guy also used a trigger pin as a sear pin really got my goose. Took me a very, very, very, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long time to get it out :mad:
The thing is a mess and it's going to need some TLC. I'm thinking of putting the new PTP body on it so hopefully I can get it running smoothly before it comes in. ;)
ArmyEngineer
10-24-2009, 09:13 PM
She cleaned up pretty well brother.
I just purchased another emag myself and the E side doesn't work to well. Everything powers on but it's not shooting right. Top it off the guy who had it cut wires and put them back with electro tape. I'm L33T with a soldering iron so that shouldn't be a problem for me but the fact that I ask what all was wrong with the marker and all that i was told was the safety was removed had me a little ticked. The guy also used a trigger pin as a sear pin really got my goose. Took me a very, very, very, verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry long time to get it out :mad:
The thing is a mess and it's going to need some TLC. I'm thinking of putting the new PTP body on it so hopefully I can get it running smoothly before it comes in. ;)
No way, man! Some people... I really thought they stopped using lead pipes back in Roman times. They didn't bash the sear lock out with a screwdriver for a punch, did they? That's the thing I'm most angry about... I explored a little more of the electronics this evening. I rigged a little "driver" out of a laptop power supply and some capacitors to filter out any transients. I pulled the trigger a few times, but I couldn't get enough current to the solenoid. But the TS counter reads "97" I probably pulled the trigger 20 times just listening for a click. The electronics were never used!
athomas
10-24-2009, 09:25 PM
. But the TS counter reads "97" I probably pulled the trigger 20 times just listening for a click. The electronics were never used!The boards reset themselves all the time. Its a glitch that happens when the battery gets low.
ArmyEngineer
10-24-2009, 09:42 PM
The boards reset themselves all the time. Its a glitch that happens when the battery gets low.
Awwwwww. You rained on my parade like a hurricane. Good to know!
Frizzle Fry
10-24-2009, 10:06 PM
Awwwwww. You rained on my parade like a hurricane. Good to know!
I have a feeling that's why Xmod1.8 doesn't even count shots; the shot counter had issues.
athomas
10-25-2009, 10:21 AM
The shot counter takes valuable memory space is why Xmod got rid of it. In the original AGD firmware, it was the way the shot data was recorded. For an update to take place, the original shot value would have to be added to a new value. When the battery was low and this took place, a blank value would get recorded.
ArmyEngineer
10-26-2009, 06:52 PM
More pictures and questions. Alright, I started thinking about tuning the valve on this thing and I noticed what appears to be some sort of deformity in the power tube. It is tough to get good light on the bolt, but it kindof look like there are irregular pits and tangential gashes in the surface. I really can't tell if it was a manufacturing defect in the metal, or if it was caused by the previous owner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0656.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0657.jpg
I also wondered what yall thought about the wear on my bolt. I think you can see a small flat spot, mayb from where the sear was catching. Should I order a new lvl 10 bolt kit? I don't have any lvl 10 parts beside the bolt and the mainspring. When you slide the bolt off the powertube, you can hear a very faint pop. Is that about how you want it? LMK! Thanks!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0658.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0603/firewalker877/Ballin/IMG_0659.jpg
I noticed what appears to be some sort of deformity in the power tube. It is tough to get good light on the bolt, but it kindof look like there are irregular pits and tangential gashes in the surface. I really can't tell if it was a manufacturing defect in the metal, or if it was caused by the previous owner.
No way is it a manufacture defect. The :tard: probably used vice grips or channel locks to hold the power tube then used a wrench to remove the PT tip. As long as the power tube isn't bent it should be fine. You can blend those marks out with some 400 or 1000 grit sand paper. As you already know the guy didn't take care of it and I'm sure all the garbage inside the bolt just beat up the power tube a little. You'll get wear marks (horizontal marks) eventually but nothing like that.
I also wondered what yall thought about the wear on my bolt.
It looks fine, I see what your talking about but i wouldn't worry about it. Once the lip of the lvl 10 starts rounding off, then you have problems.
To be on the safe side I would measure your Trigger rod (2.125") and Solenoid plunger rod (3.005" ). Make sure :tard: didn't mess with them, if not set right you could get premature wear on either the sear or bolt.
At least you'll have that peace of mind knowing they're set properly once you start the actual tinkering of the lowers ;)
I wouldn't leave anything to chance on a neglected marker
When you slide the bolt off the powertube, you can hear a very faint pop. Is that about how you want it?
Correct, you should feel a tad bit of resistance when installing the bolt. That's the oring in your carrier grabbing. I would look into getting a kit with some extra carriers just for GP. Talk to KC, I know he was selling a few a while back.
..
ArmyEngineer
10-26-2009, 10:34 PM
..
If anyone lives in Ottawa KS, let me know. I have someone I want you to visit. This guy was a serious tool. Oh well.
I may try to turn it on a lathe with some 1500 grit. I have a lot to do in the machine shop this Wednesday. :)
Flatliner333
10-30-2009, 10:17 AM
AE you are the best thing that ever happened to that little E Mag.That guy was a true :tard: to have let this happen. :cuss:
maniacmechanic
10-30-2009, 05:11 PM
I take it you have axcess to the " shop " in the Army & they actually charge you machine time ( sandblasting time ) ?? , what ever happened to the " government job " ??
ArmyEngineer
10-30-2009, 06:30 PM
I take it you have axcess to the " shop " in the Army & they actually charge you machine time ( sandblasting time ) ?? , what ever happened to the " government job " ??
I know, right! The auto skills center is a nice facility, but they do charge ya! I think I'll just start hangin out up there and learn their cnc machine. That could be useful! I'm still worried about that gnashed powertube. What should I do? Would sanding it on the lathe be a bad idea?
maniacmechanic
10-30-2009, 08:40 PM
I know, right! The auto skills center is a nice facility, but they do charge ya! I think I'll just start hangin out up there and learn their cnc machine. That could be useful! I'm still worried about that gnashed powertube. What should I do? Would sanding it on the lathe be a bad idea?
all you need to do is just " pretty " it up , try not to remove any material off of it , the bolt sort of "floats " on it , the innards of the powertube & the powertube tip
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