anger is flowing..level ten is dying...

[impostal22]

i installed my level 10 bolt a week or so ago, and everything worked fine. i had to use the very smallest o-ring carrier (no dots, no rings) and i used two shims. did the squeegee test, worked FINE.

now..for some UNKNOWN reason...i do the squeegee test again and it does not work. it shoots like a normal bolt; it stops at nothing.

what can i do to fix this and does anyone have any idea why it would start working like a normal bolt?

also, i noticed that the spring i'm using was silver, but now it's getting the silver coat taken off and regular metal is showing (in quite a few places). any idea why THIS is happening?

please help, i'm really getting frustrated.

[Dayspring]

If you were running the 0 carrier, then something was wrong. See, as an oring breaks in, there's a bit less friction. That friction is how the Level 10 system works. When it wears in, you go to a tighter carrier. Since you were on the smallest carrier, there's nothing to move down to. My advice, take another oring and start over again.

As for the spring, don't sweat it. It doesn't matter about the coating.

[impostal22]

is there supposed to be a certain o-ring for each o-ring carrier size? i know this may sound stupid but i got my level 10 kit used and each o-ring carrier didn't have its own o-ring...what should i do..?


**Edit: okay i just realized that i'm stupid and that each o-ring carrier didn't come with its own o-ring....but i'm still confused on what i'm supposed to do about my problem if i already am using the carrier that fit my bolt the best.

[Dayspring]

No. You are supposed to use the SAME oring when you move from carrier to carrier. Otherwise, you're not continuing the break in process, you're starting over again.

[impostal22]

ok so i should just take another o-ring, find the best carrier for *that* o-ring and start over? also since there's this break-in process..how long does it last til you find the one that will fit for good?

[Dayspring]

Yes.

About a case worth of shots. Sometimes less.

[impostal22]

using a new o-ring and o-ring carrier should fix my problem of the bolt acting like a normal bolt?

[Butterfingers]

First check the velocity... If you are shooting indoor speed use the smallest spring. If you are shooting near 300 fps use the largest.

If you tuned your LX at 250 fps and turned it up to 300 fps for play you also have to change springs.

Contrary to popular belief level 10's main operating priniple is not friction. It is counterbalanced force using a large spring for high velocities and a small spring for low velocities. Friction can be used to fine tune L10 but is not and should not be used as a way to counterbalance bolt force.

Level 10 should be set up in a way that allows you to use the largest carrier that doesnt allow the gun to leak. Then what I like to do is use the next smallest carrier after it is nice and broken in.

Before you go any further be sure you don't have your velocity cranked up to 400 or somthing. Also there is two stages to level 10 make sure the squeegie isnt too far forward. Stage 2 of the level 10 firing sequence will always have high bolt force.

[andrewnelles]

Hey just saw the post, sorry your havin trouble with the level 10 i sold ya. There were 3 orings i sent ya, look in some of the other carries, should be stuck in some of em. Good luck.

[impostal22]

Originally posted by Butterfingers
First check the velocity... If you are shooting indoor speed use the smallest spring. If you are shooting near 300 fps use the largest.

...

Before you go any further be sure you don't have your velocity cranked up to 400 or somthing. Also there is two stages to level 10 make sure the squeegie isnt too far forward. Stage 2 of the level 10 firing sequence will always have high bolt force.

i chronoed at around 300 exactly, and am using the medium spring. but before, when i installed the kit, i was probably around 250 (never chronoed it)...will lowering the velocity or just putting the largest spring in cause the bolt to stop on the squeegee? i thought that was more dependent on shims. i thuoght the spring size determined if the bolt would even fire, not if it'd stop on resistance.

[impostal22]

Originally posted by andrewnelles
Hey just saw the post, sorry your havin trouble with the level 10 i sold ya. There were 3 orings i sent ya, look in some of the other carries, should be stuck in some of em. Good luck.

np man. i'm just getting frustrated as hell with this. it'll work out, i hope...

[LoveMyMagMoreThanYou]

The larger spring is softer on paint because it offers more resistance to the bolt in the slower phase of movement.

[tmnothing]

Ok at the risk of embarrasing myself.. I'll use my ignorance to help you.

When I was installing my first LX I was doing a squeegie test without a barrel on the gun bu putting the squeegie right in the front of the body next to the bolt. When I would pull the trigger the squeegie would go flying and I would get pissed. Well I later found out that the air pressure was what was shooting the squeegie, when I stuck my finger in through the powerfeed and pulled the trigger, it worked just fine. I'm not saying you're stupid but just dont make the same stupid mistake I made (that cost me 2 hours at least).

[Butterfingers]

Originally posted by impostal22


i chronoed at around 300 exactly, and am using the medium spring. but before, when i installed the kit, i was probably around 250 (never chronoed it)...will lowering the velocity or just putting the largest spring in cause the bolt to stop on the squeegee? i thought that was more dependent on shims. i thuoght the spring size determined if the bolt would even fire, not if it'd stop on resistance.

Both...

If you want to keep firing at 300 fps use the largest spring and try that out.

If you don't want to be bothered with changing the spring lower the velocity until the bolt force is to your liking.

The carriers and shims should NEVER need to be changed once you have selected the correct one and the o-ring is broken in.

You know you have the correct one when there is no leaking. Carriers and shims have a minimal effect on bolt force compared to changing the spring sizes.

[impostal22]

well...i turned the velocity down a little bit (i have no idea how much...like a 180º turn on the velocity adjuster) and the bolt is working just fine now with the same stuff i used in the beginning. should i bother finding the "right" o-ring carrier with a new o-ring and everything, if the gun is working fine?

[Grasshopper]

Originally posted by impostal22
well...i turned the velocity down a little bit (i have no idea how much...like a 180º turn on the velocity adjuster) and the bolt is working just fine now with the same stuff i used in the beginning. should i bother finding the "right" o-ring carrier with a new o-ring and everything, if the gun is working fine?
Well, I'm not expert on the level 10 (don't have one; saving for an X-valve and don't want to bother with selling my old LX), but a 180º on the velocity nut on the back of the gun is a huge amount. I turned mine about 1/8 and it was a pretty big jump.

[Butterfingers]

Originally posted by impostal22
well...i turned the velocity down a little bit (i have no idea how much...like a 180º turn on the velocity adjuster) and the bolt is working just fine now with the same stuff i used in the beginning. should i bother finding the "right" o-ring carrier with a new o-ring and everything, if the gun is working fine?

it should be fine... If you get bolt stick go down a carrier and/or remove a shim.