Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Repairs to water guns. Please put repair topics in this forum so that people do not have to sort through so many topics when looking for a repair. If a fix is included in the topic, please add (Fixed) before the topic title to indicate so.
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Edwin
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Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:23 pm

Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by Edwin » Tue Mar 23, 2010 6:27 pm

Hi Guys,

I hope someone will be able to help me fix this problem.

1.) When I pump my Super Soaker Monster X (2002) water flows back to the reservoir when a certain amount of pressure is reached (2 or 3 pumps)
2.) I think the return valve close to the nozzle/firing valve is broken.
3.) I disassembled the gun as far as I could and checked the workings by blowing trough the end where the pressure chamber is and closing the inlets.
Air escapes, when i close the trigger manually by applying pressure with my fingers, no air escapes.
When reconnecting all plumbing, not closing up the gun, I can see water returning to the reservoir after 2-3 pumps. In this case I have not enough hands to try applying pressure to the firing/return valve.
4.) I believe the gun to be 8 years old..)
5.) I think replacing the trigger/return valve will fix the problem, this could be a spring or a seal.
Unfortunately that part of the gun is glued together.
Any tips to undo the glue safely would be helpful.
6.) See the high res images included (3Mb each), which is a step by step to an exploded view, any other steps require to undo glued parts.
See the white part next to the nozzle on IMG_4004.JPG.
7.) Super Soaker Monster X (2002) by Larami, item number 9982-0.
It also has Super Soaker 3022 printed on it.


I have enjoyed the gun for many years and as summer is approaching I need some serious power to defend me against my 6 sons.
It is a shame these kind of serious guns are no longer available.


Regards,
Edwin


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C-A_99
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Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by C-A_99 » Tue Mar 23, 2010 7:54 pm

First off, we prefer it if you used smaller pictures or thumbnails linked (or just links if thumbnails are unavailable) to the larger corresponding picture. Large pictures clutter up pages and screw up the formatting, making the whole page more difficult to read. Generally, pictures in a forum post should not be larger than 800x600, though 640x480 is safer. (personally I think width is the only concern as long as it's not a longcat picture or something)

I noticed there is no spring behind the trigger piece, which I believed to be common to almost every soaker that uses a pull valve. It looks like the trigger piece was cut and a burr of plastic removed that was used to hold the spring in place but if I'm wrong someone can confirm otherwise.

If you do need a trigger spring, they can be found in hardware stores. You'll have to look around and figure out what they look like (just over 1" long and fairly thin, with roughly 4mm between the spring's turns) This is unlikely to fix any real problems but may help slightly. For now, I'd say not to worry about it especially until someone else can confirm that the Monster X indeed has such a spring.

For the pumping problem, you are most likely correct. The valve is formally called a pressure relief valve, or PRV, and a common modification is to remove it to allow for higher pressures on the pressure chamber (PC) which is usually done by layering additional tubes over the bladder. (see modifications for more)

Removing the PRV should fix your problem, but be aware that there is no longer any safety to avoid over-pumping. Over-pumping will result in the bladder expanding too far and possibly damaging the reservoir if whoever is using the blaster presists in pumping even when the pump gets stiff. A small explosion could also occur. However, removing the PRV appears to be your only option since it's broken. A guide to removing the PRV can be found here. Be sure you identify the valve correctly, which should be easy if you know how water guns work and where the check valves would go. (if not, read up

Next, it sounds like your trigger valve (pull valve) may be having problems. The most general fix to this is to wrap rubber bands to hold the valve closed or to put a spring behind it. Depending on the situation, one fix is likely to be easier than the other but both generally work effectively. (however, rubber bands may wear out more easily over time; keep this in mind) Opening the pull valve is somewhat rare and should only be done if it's not sealing. A guide for most pull valve issues can be found here but it does not go too in-depth into fixing the common pull valve problem where the valve does not shut. Lubricating the pull valve may help it move better as well and prevent leaks and valves that don't close when the trigger is released.

Good luck with the repair and be sure you have a plan before doing something. Post back to confirm and clarify the problem assessments too; knowing the layout of a water gun well before undertaking mass repairs will be very helpful.

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soakernerd
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Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by soakernerd » Tue Mar 23, 2010 11:36 pm

C-A_99:
In the pictures, it looks like there IS a spring behind the pull valve. Is that what you were referring to? Or were you talking about a spring directly behind the trigger?

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C-A_99
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Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by C-A_99 » Wed Mar 24, 2010 12:21 am

Behind the trigger; every pull valve based trigger I've ever seen has one. Not only is it missing from these pictures, but the trigger piece appears to have been cut off. I doubt this guy opened up the gun before as well so it's quite weird. (though doesn't matter if it can function without a trigger spring but that tends to be less reliable)

Edwin
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Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:23 pm

Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by Edwin » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:32 am

Thank you for the replies, I will make sure to read up on the issue and post back the results.

I do apologize for the high res images, I assumed the style sheet of the forum would display them in a smaller format, allowing users to use the high res images to zoom in in greater detail and use them for reference.

This is indeed the first time the gun has been opened up.

The trigger is actually returned by a spring inside the release/pull valve and that is why it is not visible.

The trigger looks damaged indeed as a corner has broken off. To me it just looks like a factory fix to a design problem where the trigger would otherwise be blocked by the internals of the gun.

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C-A_99
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Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by C-A_99 » Wed Mar 24, 2010 4:04 pm

We indeed should have picture resizing, though it does make loading a high res image redundant if the user does not click on it.

I'm unsure on your analysis regarding the trigger fix. There are no internals behind the trigger itself and it's always designed that way on every supersoaker, so that the tubes never get in the way of the trigger piece. My initial guess was that this water gun was used by someone else previously, but you said the water gun is 8 years old which seems like you have owned it all those years. (otherwise you would've mentioned that it was used) I think we should wait for someone else's take on this since I've never handled a Monster X before.

You are correct that the trigger can still be returned by the pull valve mechanism. However, as I mentioned before, just about every water blaster I've seen that uses the pull valve has an extra spring directly behind the trigger piece. This aids considerably in resetting the trigger position and also does help prevent misfirings as well as preventing the trigger from being pulled back too far. When pulled back too far, the spring inside the pull valve will become overstretched and weaken almost immediately. I am fairly surprised not to see one on this water gun and the cut-off trigger piece as well as the white plastic on the casing behind it (which looks like it used to hold the plastic that keeps the spring in place but broke off) makes it look like there was indeed a spring there, but it was tampered with for whatever reason.

But like I said, I'd like someone else's take on this, someone who has owned a Monster X. (even if it's not the 2002 edition)

For the rest of the pull valve, the rubber band or spring repair I mentioned earlier should do. With the removal of the PRV, you have an opportunity to perform the colossus mod if you wish. (however, it is a bit tricky and involves quite some work, plus power mods make pumping more difficult as an expense to the additional power and range)

Edwin
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Mar 23, 2010 5:23 pm

Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by Edwin » Wed Mar 24, 2010 8:24 pm

I have replaced the images with smaller versions. For those interested in downloading the full size images they are located at http://www.kidsvandamme.com/images/ss/original/.

If you require some sample PhP code on resizing uploaded images, I can mail that directly to you as it is not something that belongs on this forum. (that kind of stuff is part of my work life)

I will probably attempt the repair this weekend, but I will await some more info as cutting away the PRV is rather scarry at the moment. (I am not 100% sure if I have the correct valve)

The white you see behind the trigger appears to be some glue residue, but no parts fell out on disassembly. As I have owned this gun from new and it never failed me until now, I will write that down to a production glue spill for now.

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C-A_99
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Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Re: Super Soaker Monster X (2002) repair

Post by C-A_99 » Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:55 am

Traditionally, we usually just link directly to high res images from the lower resolution one posted on the board, which can be done by putting the url tags around the img tags. As for the PHP script, I'm not in charge of that and wouldn't be able to implement it but I'll talk to Ben (the admin of SSC) about it.

Now for the PRV, I'll just give an illustration of where it is/where to cut.

Image

This is where the PRV is, but if you're still afraid to cut it, study how the water gun works first.

If Imageshack's viewer is causing trouble, let me know and I'll just directly link the image here but it'll stretch the page a bit. (depending on how wide your screen resolution is)

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