Emag valve problem, likely with on/off

[The Alchemist]

[Ando]

You're on the right track. If it was working properly before, then you more then likely have a on/off oring going bad or got a some of dirt inside somehow. It leaking when holding the trigger down is a good indication that the problem is your on/off assy. Try cleaning the on/off cavity out with a Q-Tip and reoiling your packings by rolling them with your fingers to get any dirt that might have made it's way into your marker.

Since you do have a E-Mag valve, you probably have a .712 on/off pin. The quad oring is your best bet with that setup but I would spend the money on a regular RT pin if I was you.

Your "breaking balls sometimes" issue is another monster in itself. It could be something as simple as bad paint. A bunch of the BEO guys got together a few months ago and the field paint had serious issues. Everyone was busting balls and this was with pump markers.

It could also be a slow hopper issue if your firing over 12bps and/or your hopper settings being set too strong (some are adjustable) which will push more then one ball into into the breach if you have a worn detent. Lastly, a worn spring which isn't allowing the lvl 10 to work properly (your spring should be protruding a little ways pass the bolt face not flushed with it). There are many causes to busting paint, you just have to figure it out.

I might have missed one or 2 other things on the breaking paint issue but I'm sure someone else will be backing me up on it.

[The Alchemist]

After testing the L10 with the new springs, I am pretty sure the old spring was bad. When using the red or silver spring, the pressure on my finger when I shot it was very light. I think the breaking issue will sort itself out once I can fix the new problem.

What is the proper name for the black inner o-ring? When I buy the new pin, I was going to get a replacement for it, along with some other things to replenish my parts kits.

[Tunaman]

After testing the L10 with the new springs, I am pretty sure the old spring was bad. When using the red or silver spring, the pressure on my finger when I shot it was very light. I think the breaking issue will sort itself out once I can fix the new problem.

What is the proper name for the black inner o-ring? When I buy the new pin, I was going to get a replacement for it, along with some other things to replenish my parts kits.

That is called the "quad" oring. I have all of those parts if you want to email me. [email protected]

[athomas]

The bolt springs are a consumable item that do wear out. You should always have at least one spare on hand in the length that you normally use and also a short gold spring that will work in all instances.

Check the on-off pin by rolling it around on a mirror. If it wobbles, then it is bad. If it rolls smoothly, then it should be ok. Most of the time, its the orings that cause the leaks, and quite often it is a piece of dirt that gets lodged in one of the sealing surfaces.

[The Alchemist]

I bought some spare parts (thanks Tunaman) and started replacing parts in the on/off assembly. First the quad ring, then the o-ring it sits in, and finally the on/off pin (.750 size).

I used a can of air to try to dislodge any dirt or sand that might have been caught and then liberally oiled it up.

The problem is still there. If I hold down or even sit on the trigger too long it stays open and air some rushing out. I am confused...

[athomas]

If you push and hold the bolt with a squeegie, does the leak stop?

Make sure the rail bushing is in place.

Have you changed the orings in the regulator section of the valve? A leaking regulator seat oring can allow air to leak into the front chamber which is the same problem as a leaking on-off oring. Basically, make sure all orings in the valve are new and fresh. That way you have a good baseline to start from.

[Tunaman]

put ANY STOCK AGD frame back on and asee if the problem magucally goes away...

[The Alchemist]

First off, thanks everyone for your help so far.

When I hold the trigger too long air would rush out of the bolt. If I let go of the trigger and pushed on the bolt with a squeegie I would hear a click and the leak stopped. If I still held on the trigger and pushed on the bolt with a squeegie the problem would not change.

I do not have a rail bushing. However, I did not have one before when the marker was working. I tried my valve on a friend's set up (intelliframe) and the problem was still there (but his set up worked fine for his classic valve -- not sure if it had a railing bushing or not). I do not have any other AGD frame to test.

I did replace the two orings in the regulator section and sprayed the can of air in the area to clean out anything dislodged (reoiled orings after using the air). After doing these things the marker would not fire. I tried different combinations of the old and new orings in the regulator section and nothing changed (it still would not fire). I then went back to my old on/off pin and it fired. The problem changed slightly when I held down the trigger there was a slight hiss compared to the rush of air. I tried different combinations of the orings in the regulator and nothing changed. I am now run out of air so cannot try anything different.

When I would de-gas the marker to swap o-rings I would sometimes here a slight hiss as air was leaked out when taking out the valve or sometimes firing once when pulling the trigger to release the valve when the marker was de-gassed. Once when I was taking out the valve it was hissing slightly and the whole on/off assembly pushed out enough that I could not get the valve out. I had to remove the body from the rail to remove the valve.

I am at a real loss. I will get some more air and try playing with the regulator o-rings again, just in case the last results were because of low air. However, I have swapped them so many times I am not sure which ones are the new or old ones.

[athomas]

You are lucky that it worked before without a rail bushing. Without the rail bushing, the valve doesn't sit in the right place and it is prone to moving around. If the valve sits a tiny bit back from normal, it will cause a leak out the front. It can also throw the timing off a bit and you definately won't be able to tune the level 10 without the bushing in place because you won't be able to stop any leaking until you are using a carrier that is much too tight for normal operation.

Get a rail bushing.

[The Alchemist]

My understanding is the bushing goes in the rail to hold the trigger frame to it when the screw is not there. The thumb screw goes into the valve and it holds the valve in the correct spot. How does the bushing help then, since the screw is actually holding the valve in place?

I do not recall ever having one on this marker (shot it for nearly a year and took out the valve many times with no problems) or my old one (it never had the problem). I am willing to try it, but it seems odd it would be the cause now.

[athomas]

The rail bushing reduces the amount of play where the field strip screw holds the valve in place. Without it, the screw and valve can move back and forth a bit. With a level 7, depending on the powertube spacer, it could still work. On a level 10, the vent hole is too close to the carrier oring. If the valve sits too far back, it will vent air even with a tight carrier. If the carrier is on the edge of the vent hole, then you could get it to stop leaking with an overly tight carrier size, but this would cause the valve to not cycle properly. You would never be able to properly tune the carrier setup because of this.

Since you have another mag setup there, tune your level 10 using it. See if your valve works in his setup after you tune the level 10. Remember to remove all the powertube shims when tuning. The level 10 carrier tuning is bolt/carrier specific, not valve/mag specific so the level 10 setup in your valve will work on all mags once it is tuned. This will allow you to tune your valve in the other working mag and then transfer it to your setup.

[The Alchemist]

[athomas]

Does his valve work in your setup?

[The Alchemist]

Does his valve work in your setup?

I have not tried, I will try this weekend.