Flash Flood
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- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:57 pm
Flash Flood
Ok, so the triggers on my FF don't work. Easy fix, right? Bottom spring broken, replaced with one from top. Top valve hard to pull, use rubber band. Wrong. Now I have issues with the bottom one. Pics:
Full pic:
Bottom with issues (Normal form of closed):
Way mine closes (not all the way):
Look at the middle right, there's a metal piece that's not working properly.
Video of issue:
Full pic:
Bottom with issues (Normal form of closed):
Way mine closes (not all the way):
Look at the middle right, there's a metal piece that's not working properly.
Video of issue:
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- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:57 pm
I fixed it. Easiest type of repair. Instead of a spring, I put a whole bunch of those little rubber bands you use between your braces (My mom's works for an orthodontist), and it works fine. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Also, while I'm at it, I cut out the metal thing in front of the FF nozzle, was that a bad idea?
- C-A_99
- Posts: 1502
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm
- Silence
- Posts: 3825
- Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 pm
- C-A_99
- Posts: 1502
- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm
For anyone who has used them, how long do they last? I just did some rubber-banding on mine and after a few months, I still got to replace them again. The spring on the flood nozzle is still intact, but often locks up and doesn't open. (or opens a little and leaks out) I tried adding rubber bands and that didn't work, then I reversed the spring and that fixed it temporarily. Now it's coming up again.
- Kalogagatya
- Posts: 15
- Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2007 8:50 pm
chloride
hey totokan
have you been using your FF inside a swimming pool? i have a bunch of them and i noticed that all the little metal pieces in all of them were getting rusty really fast because of all the chloride in the water... now i try not to put them inside the pool
just a piece of advice hope i can help
have you been using your FF inside a swimming pool? i have a bunch of them and i noticed that all the little metal pieces in all of them were getting rusty really fast because of all the chloride in the water... now i try not to put them inside the pool
just a piece of advice hope i can help
- Silence
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- Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 pm
The lifetime of the repaired trigger depends on how many rubber bands you use. Some people will use just enough to close the trigger valve each time you fire. I generally add 25-50% more rubber bands, just in case. It makes the trigger a bit harder to pull, but you won't need to perform the repair very often.
If you want the repair to last, use springs instead. I'm actually quite surprised nobody has used extension springs before for such a mod. Actually, I've noticed that the Orca uses an extension spring to close the valve anyway. Maybe Ben could add extension springs to the open trigger valve repair article for the site update.
If you want the repair to last, use springs instead. I'm actually quite surprised nobody has used extension springs before for such a mod. Actually, I've noticed that the Orca uses an extension spring to close the valve anyway. Maybe Ben could add extension springs to the open trigger valve repair article for the site update.
- C-A_99
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- Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2006 11:09 pm
- Silence
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- Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 pm
Well, they still apply some force...you'll have to do some displacement in order to get the valve to close all the way. Otherwise friction would stop the valve at maybe 95%.
The main bonus is the difference in material. Rubber loses its elasticity quickly, whereas metal can take thousands of cycles. Usually.
Yep, I'd suspect availability is the greatest issue. Compression springs are used pretty much everywhere, but extension springs (at least of this size) are a bit harder to find. I'd presume you'd normally order them from McMaster-Carr. Maybe these should be another part in the tentative homemade store.
The main bonus is the difference in material. Rubber loses its elasticity quickly, whereas metal can take thousands of cycles. Usually.
Yep, I'd suspect availability is the greatest issue. Compression springs are used pretty much everywhere, but extension springs (at least of this size) are a bit harder to find. I'd presume you'd normally order them from McMaster-Carr. Maybe these should be another part in the tentative homemade store.
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- Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:57 pm
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- Posts: 60
- Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2007 8:57 pm
After lubing my FF the same way, I was able to use the original spring for the top valve. I had tried lubrication before, but I tried it on the part that is turned to open the valve. Whereas this did nothing, directly spraying on the closed valve and opening it a few times greatly reduced the power required to open it. This is probably the problem that will plague most new guns, probably Max-D series on. I don't think it would work on a similarly afflicted CPS 1000, since it uses a different triggering system (as opposed to a ball valve)
- Silence
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- Joined: Sun Apr 09, 2006 9:01 pm
Brilliant!
Lube would work for pull valves if you can get it in there. But Max-D ball valves (like that of the FF) are far more susceptible to this problem, so lube should still solve many issues.
Mind if we use the pictures in an article for the site update? Thanks in advance. (Or, if you wanted to, you could write up an article about the lubrication yourself. :cool
Lube would work for pull valves if you can get it in there. But Max-D ball valves (like that of the FF) are far more susceptible to this problem, so lube should still solve many issues.
Mind if we use the pictures in an article for the site update? Thanks in advance. (Or, if you wanted to, you could write up an article about the lubrication yourself. :cool