XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

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ncog
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:00 pm

XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by ncog » Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:55 pm

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Firstly, hello to all, it's good to be back in the community again. My 110 stopped working in the late 90s; it just stopped shooting and the trigger no longer sprung back to its original point after being pulled properly. Since I unfortunately tend to ramble a lot by default in posts like this I'll leave the extraneous stuff as black and change the font colour for any important information to blue.

Note: all of the pictures in this post were taken after I'd called it a night for the repair, so that's why the taped reservoir is featured in all of them.


My one attempt to open it in 2003 (when I was 12) failed horrifically; I managed to get all but two very stubborn screws out, gave up, and instead of putting all of the screws back in first I just put the 110 back with my other soakers.

Now it's 2009, I'm interested in water guns again, and I'm wanting to fix my 110 if possible to relive some of those great nostalgic memories of the 90s. This was my first successful opening of a water gun ever, so I made a few stupid mistakes along the way. The fact that I'd had a university exam today and was up all night last night studying probably didn't help either, but I was keen to do something fun as a reward for surviving 3 hours of English essays today rather than begin study for my next exam (Media) immediately.

I cursed my 12 year old self for its stupidity after a thorough search of the garage yielded no jar of 110 screws (As an aside, does anyone know if the screws used for Super Soakers are readily available in hardware stores? I'll be needing a whole new set of screws if I put the 110 back together...), and set about trying to unscrew the remaining two screws to allow the gun to be opened. Both of these screws however (one at the very back of the soaker underneath the reservoir and the other directly underneath the front of the reservoir) proved impossible to move with my small phillips screwdriver set. The screws had been so worn down (presumably from my 2003 attempt at them) that the ridges were almost non-existent, making the screwtop look more akin to a circle than a plus.

None of the tools I tried could find an adequate ridge in the screw to exert force behind, so I set about other ways to get them out. The connection underneath the front part of the reservoir came apart by chance when I was opening the gun quite wide to have a good look at the internals, but the last screw connection (at the very back, underneath the reservoir) would not come apart even after I put two flathead screwdrivers into the gap between the two halves of the gun case. Eventualy I had to resort to prising the two halves apart as far as I could with my hands, and even then it wouldn't come apart. After considerable force however, the two halves separated, but only because the half of the case with the screw hole had snapped, leaving the other half with it still attached (see on the right, the still connected screw connection):

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With the two halves mostly separated, it was much easier to break the screw connection by wiggling the small remaining plastic part around until it finally broke the surrounding plastic enough to break free. Slightly disappointed that my case had snapped, but nonetheless pleased that the gun was finally open, I examined the internals. The trigger problem seemed to be caused by the trigger spring, but I guess it could be due to something wrong with the nozzle area instead maybe? Here's a video outlining the trigger problem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8kkjP-MiLk

The trigger spring is rusted on the right side; while it does provide adequate spring-back for light taps as shown in the video, it gets stuck in the back position when a 'click-shot' (presumably what actually opens the nozzle valve) is used. I'm assuming here that XP 110s make a small clicking sound when firing; I can't remember myself because I haven't used mine for so long. If anyone knows whether a 110 clicks upon firing, that would be really helpful. Picture of trigger spring:

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Here are a few pictures of the nozzle mechanism in case they're needed; basically metal rod feeds into a small green piece of plastic with a hole in it which has a spring over it. When the trigger is pulled the rod moves forward, presumably opening the nozzle valve. The nozzle area is glued together so this was the closest I could get to it without using surgery (sorry for the bad pics here):

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The first time I connected the bottom of the reservoir onto the end of the pump I unknowingly used too much force which generated a small crack in the bottom of the reservoir. Again, I was annoyed at myself but in the end I think the fix turned out to look pretty good. I used aircraft tape to tape up the small crack, and as I tested it each time and found water leaking out somewhere, the area of the tape grew and grew. In the state it's currently in it should be able to hold all water in the reservoir fine (except for maybe a few rogue drops). I ended up writing "HI MUM" on the sticky part of a piece of tape so you can see it through the transparent reservoir and "HAPPY WHEN IT RAINS" on the red outside since I was listening to that song (by the Jesus and Mary Chain) at one point while working on the gun and it seemed fitting to write on a water gun. Pictures:

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^^ this gap will be problematic when I put the soaker back together. Should I try to reattach it or just cover the area with tape or similar?

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The only problem with this is that putting a lot of tape around the bottom hole of the reservoir (that connects to the pump shaft), it has increased the diameter of the hole and no longer fits into the circular opening of the case:

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As shown here there are actually two 'levels' of circular openings; though they are both of the same diameter, I am fairly sure that it is only the top external one that causes a problem:
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Shown here is how the fatter bottom hole of the reservoir no longer fits in this circular opening; this will create a problem when putting the soaker back together later so I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to expand the circular area of the casing so that it will fit the larger hole? At the moment it seems like I'll have to find a way to cut around the opening to make it larger (not sure how I'll do this though...):

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The pump works fine, I tested it using the reservoir connected to the pump shaft; when pumped water comes out of the orange opening that feeds directly into the pressure chambers. I haven't tested yet whether this water feeds into the pressure chambers properly yet; that is next on the list.

So, in summary, help would be much appreciated for the following problems:

- Finding screws of the same size to use when I close the soaker (old screws lost due to young carelessness and the two screws I got out from tonight will not be put back in since they're impossible to unscrew with the equipment I have)
- Fixing the trigger (problem outlined in youtube video)
- What to do with the small piece of snapped casing that had the difficult screw casing in it (try to reattach it or do away with it and tape up that open end?)
- How to increase the diameter of the circular opening that the bottom reservoir hole goes into.

Any help at all would be great; this is my first attempt at a repair and at opening a gun so you can assume I haven't really done anything hands-on outside of what's described above. I have more pictures on my computer and can take more if I don't already have what's needed. Cheers!
Last edited by ncog on Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by VAJMH » Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:17 am

Wow..... I uh... and here I thought my Monster X repair saga was daunting. If you really want to fix it I would say fuck the screws and just secure it with more of that tape, at least make the gun uniform, right? Also have you tried a pair of scissors or flat head screw driver on the 2 screws? you could then just use them at particularly important spots.

For the trigger: try securing a rubber band forward of the trigger and using it to pull the trigger back to position rather than pull it. I would try to reattach the casing piece maybe just fit it in and then tape it.

This is unfamiliar territory for me and honestly, you can score a good condition xp 110 on ebay for 20 bucks, and it'll look like a 110. That would be my first piece of advice because I dont think youre going to be happy with what you end up with, if you end up with anything at all.

My second piece of advice is that if you can't get this into a working deal, you can sell the parts that DO work to fellow soaker enthusiasts, or just give them away for shipping.

Edit: also, the XP 310 is an updated version of the 110 and these arent expensive either. The Max D 6000 is ALSO based on the 110 but in my experience they're more expensive.

Oh! The XP 70 MAY be compatible as far as the tank, screws and other items go. The 70 is a 110 with just one PC. Its still widely available from some stores online and ebay.
Last edited by VAJMH on Fri Oct 30, 2009 5:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

ncog
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:00 pm

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by ncog » Fri Oct 30, 2009 7:49 am

Hey VAJMH, thanks for your reply.

I get the impression from your post that the screws needed for the 110 (or water guns in general) aren't commercially available, so the only option seems to be to use the screws from another soaker. Since I live in NZ, ebay isn't really an option for me; of the few soakers I've looked at with worldwide shipping as an option, a CPS 2500 was listed with $55USD for shipping and a CPS 4100 $92USD for shipping (granted, the $92 one was for a fast method of shipping but it's still unrealistically expensive).

In stores, I've only found the SS 50, Quick Blast and Bottle Shot. In one store there was one Arctic Blast and some new XP 215s, but unfortunately I don't think I've got much of a chance to find an XP 70 or any Max-D rereleases. I have an old Max-D 6000 anyway with a faulty trigger that I plan on fixing later, but the reason I'm trying to fix my 110 is just because it'd be awesome if I could get it working again considering its age, and if it can't be fixed it's not the end of the world since it hasn't been working for about a decade anyway. I'll still try my best to get it going again, but I decided to try it first to ease myself into opening water guns with one that likely won't work again regardless.

I've kept the two stubborn screws but I don't think I'm willing to risk putting them back in; they're so worn down that I doubt I'll be able to screw them in let alone get them out again if needed. I did try several sized flathead screwdrivers when trying to open the gun and they didn't work either. One option is to take a few screws out of my working XP Backfire and put them in the 110 if I do get it working again; I'm sure I'll manage to screw it back together with screws from my other guns, especially if any of them prove to be unfixable.

I think I'll keep my 110 regardless of whether it's fixable or not, just for the nostalgia and parts if needed. I'll take a look at a rubber band trigger fix and try it sometime in the next week hopefully.

Lately I've been thinking that it might be a problem with the nozzle mechanism; theoretically shouldn't the gun still shoot water if it's only the trigger that gets stuck in its backward position? I didn't actually test the gun before I opened it, but I'm fairly sure it doesn't shoot. So I've tested the internals up to the pressure chambers and they seem perfectly fine, so it's either the nozzle or trigger that's causing the problem....

VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by VAJMH » Fri Oct 30, 2009 8:30 am

The most common problem among supersoakers is the snapped trigger, or that the firing pin on the trigger is stuck in the back position, thus letting any pressure escape through the firing valve.

If your trigger was stuck in the back (firing) position with the action connected to the firing pin, then you should have tried pumping the gun while holding your cheek to the nozzle. If you felt pressure coming out with each pump this would mean that the action was good and it was just the trigger that needed to be fixed. You should also check the firing pin. Make sure that when you pull it back to fire it immediately returns to the off position afterwards. If not, try adding a rubber band on it as well, or oiling the metal part with some baby oil or cooking spray or if possible WD40.

The trigger cannot keep a gun from firing if you take the gun apart and manually manipulate the firing pin. Try assempling the pump, reservoir and pressure chamber and nozzle link up. Pump the gun a bit and see what happens. It shouldnt be hard at all to work out the situation with the trigger, but if an O ring has failed on the firing chamber, or the pin is stuck, thats a bit more complicated to get into that. Your trigger assembly looks pretty solid, nothing snapped on it or anything.

Speaking of, though I dont own a 110, my 105 is the same damn gun with a different reservoir (yours has a better one actually) and when I fire mine the trigger does not click or anything.

Heres something else you can try. To check the mobility of the firing pin, take off the nozzle to enable your riot blast and then with the gun unpressurized pull back on the pin while staring down into the firing chamber from the front. You should see it move backwards and then forewards again.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

ncog
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:00 pm

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by ncog » Fri Oct 30, 2009 12:07 pm

Okay, update. I pumped the gun with all of the internals connected and felt air coming out of the nozzle when the pin was in its back position. The problem is that the pin remains stuck in this back position when the trigger is pulled (probably due to the pin not being lubricated - I'll try cooking spray a bit later). To counter this I put a rubber band from the base of the nozzle to the back of the firing pin mechanism, which allowed it to move back to its 'off' position when the trigger wasn't pressed. Connecting it all up again the trigger works as it should and doesn't get stuck in the back position; obviously the problem was with the firing pin. Thanks for helping me solve that issue VAJMH!

I then went to the sink with the internals, filled the reservoir a little bit and pumped the gun. The pressure chambers are fine (no water leaked out of them) but there is a leak around the dark blue tube just before the nozzle (areas shown in picture). The nozzle mechanism was working properly though; when I pulled the firing pin area back, water shot through the nozzle. When I put it sprung back to its closed position the water stopped, but sometimes it got caught in a position halfway between closed and open, making water dribble out the nozzle. I think that's because the pin needs lubrication, so hopefully that will fix it. The second time I did the same test, the area that had leaked the first time seemed fine but water was coming out around the base of the firing pin. I'm not sure how it got there as I don't think that area is connected in any way to the pin mechanism, which after all needs to move back and forth. Weirdly the area that had leaked in the first test seemed to be fine in the second test, and vice versa for the first; it seems there's two main areas of leakage, but they didn't occur at the same time. That's just from my memory after doing both tests an hour or so ago; I do plan to repeat it soon and have myself/someone else look closer at that area to confirm it.

To pinpoint the exact leak areas better I took off the reservoir and PCs to pour water directly into the holes that the PCs go into then tip the internals up so that the water went into the upper dark blue tube. When I did this nothing leaked which I think is a good sign, meaning that the leaks hopefully aren't too major since they only leak with pressurization.

The nozzle of the 110 is glued on unfortunately, the first picture at the top of my first post shows the 110 with all of its non-glued pieces separated (except for the plastic cover on the pressure gauge which I forgot to take off before the photo)...Looks like no riot blast for me :(

As for the problem with the bottom hole of the reservoir being too big to fit back in the casing, I'm thinking that an easier option might be to use a craftknife to cut layers of the tape off to leave enough room on the hole's neck to fit back in the casing. The only worry there would be that it would then make the reservoir leak again but I could just cut the tape down further and then re-tape around the base to hopefully stop the leak again. Thoughts?
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XP 110 022-1.jpg

VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by VAJMH » Sun Nov 01, 2009 4:43 am

I'm glad youre working through some of this stuff. Not sure on the leakage, but some water coming out is fairly common for older soakers as long as it isnt a big amount its not too much of a problem.

As for the tape, invest in a hot glue gun! thats the thing to repair your super soaker with, not tape. And its cheep too, and you can find tons of non super soaker uses for one.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

ncog
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:00 pm

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by ncog » Mon Nov 02, 2009 4:32 pm

At the moment the leaking seems fairly major, I'm still having difficulty locating the exact leakage location around the firing pin area though since at the moment it looks like the water is stemming from the area where the firing pin feeds into (even though I'm fairly sure that there is no water flowing through that area since it's actually above the water tube...).

I tried testing the soaker again tonight with the rubber band in place to identify specific points of leaking. This time I had my younger sister helping, who I asked to carefully watch where the leaks came from while I pumped. At one point she noted that there was a minor drip coming from the area where the pressure meter fits into the main tube, and she touched the pressure meter as she told me. The pressure meter unattached itself and fell to the ground, leaving the opening to expel the contents of the tube and pressure chambers on me (unfortunately the opening if aimed back at the user). We had a laugh at that, then I decided to test the range of the nozzle in its current state outside (all previous tests were in the kitchen). I filled the reservoir up again, took the internals outside and began pumping. I don't think I'd pumped too much, but it seemed I had because one of the pressure chambers exploded upwards into the air, leaving a fountain of pressurized water to spurt out of the vertical opening and soak me again. After that we abandoned the tests and decided that we'd probably have better luck another time.

I'll look out for a glue gun when I go to a hardware store in the holidays. I'm currently very under-equipped when it comes to the tools needed for repairs/mods, so I'm planning on stocking up at some point soon. Currently I'm thinking epoxy/pliers/powered drill (though I'll likely just borrow the one at my girlfriends house), and something to cut plastic with. I currently only have a small set of Phillips screwdrivers and assorted other flatheads/screwdrivers that are larger. What would you say are the essential tools needed for repairs and mods?

VAJMH
Posts: 217
Joined: Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:48 am

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by VAJMH » Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:15 pm

Wow............. Not much I can give by way of advice at this point. Why not try this. Find a Catholic church and fill the reservoir with holy water. See if this helps.
Personal Collection: Monster X, Monster XL, Helix, Triple Shot, Aquapack Devastator, Liquidator, Arctic Shock, Shot Blast, Splazhzooka
Super Soaker 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 100, 200, MDS, Bow & Arrow
XP 20, 35, 55, 70, 75, 85, 105, 110, 150, 175, 250, 270, 275, 310
CPS 1000, 1200, 1350(1-3-5), 1500, 2000, 2100, 2500, 2700, 3000, 4100

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C-A_99
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Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by C-A_99 » Tue Nov 03, 2009 2:55 am

Sorry to get here late. For the screws, if you have any screw left, you could probably go to the hardware store and ask if they have one that matches. From what I've worked with, a lot of the screws through various hunks of plastic (i.e. nerf guns, soakers, etc.) seem to match up though I haven't actually tried them. If you have absolutely no screws left (not even in the gun), then maybe if a thread is intact you may be able to infer some important information on the screw(s): thread wrapping (threads per given measurement), diameter, and length. The head diameter may also be important but I'm not sure.

Never use tape for leaks; as far as I know, no tape is designed to seal. Use epoxy or something of that sort (like epoxy putty), which is designed to seal up areas that will not only hold water, but also pressure. (making it useful for internal leaks) It is also somewhat strong and should work on other types of repairs such as broken plastic pieces such as triggers. (though for those you will want some kind of metal plating to reinforce it, see the repair guides at this site for more details) Epoxy/epoxy putty must be mixed thoroughly (it is composed of a resin and hardener and equal amounts of both are needed in the mix), and of course, follow the instructions on packaging accordingly.

For the trigger, the first method to try to repair it is the rubber band repair, which is also under the repairs section of this site. (http://www.sscentral.org/repairs/nozzle_leaking.html) Actually, this repair is only applicable if your trigger valve is getting stuck open and leaking, or not closing when it's supposed to. All you mentioned was that the trigger wouldn't move back to it's original position, and that sounds like the spring behind the actual trigger piece needed to be aligned. Just reposition them and it should work. If there's any problems in the future, put some hot glue on the trigger/spring I guess. Otherwise the problem may be the spring "jamming" up; try playing around with it to see if it's working well. If it has problems (which is generally unlikely), you can usually replace it with a similar spring. (I've had a pack of assorted springs for a while, and those have been particuarly useful for assisting pull valves, as well as replace small springs I clumsily loose when working on Nerf blasters)

Perhaps with a bit more detail to the trigger problem I/we could figure something out. (i.e. if you notice nozzle leaks, etc.)

Also, for future reference, try to keep your photos focused if you can. Motion blur is preventable by holding still (heck, hold your breath if you need to; that's what I do), but if your camera has poor lens focusing, you may need to do something about that manually.

Be careful while testing. (and always be prepared for soakage) If you pay close attention to the soaker, you'll notice that many pressurized items are held together by the casing of the gun, sealed only by O-rings which is why nothing shoots off randomly while everything is in place. The XP 110 isn't the only soaker assembled like this; dozens of other XP's also do this, as well as numerous CPS's. (and the pressure chambers aren't the only part that may be attached like this; a lot of pressure gauges are sealed via O-rings as well and rely on the casing to hold the pressure)

Just think about it for a bit. Water guns hold around 20-30 PSI, which means 20-30 pounds of force when a pressure chamber shoots off. As far as I know, most water gun plastics aren't designed to hold very high levels of pressure. (being up to 50-60 PSI or so to be safe, but I'm not sure)

Don't feel too restrained by tool limitations. You actually don't even need a hot glue gun for any repairs I know, and hot glue is far too weak for most pressure applications. (though I'll admit I do get lazy and have used it to plug up holes in pump rods before; hey, long as it works) There may be alternatives to what you may otherwise prefer a tool for.

For repairs, you'll definately want to have some epoxy on hand. Drills are good for screws whose heads get stripped; simply drill the screw out carefully (so you don't sidetrack and hit plastic, which is pretty easy to do since metal takes much longer to drill through), and dremels are good for quickly cutting out stubborn glued-on pump caps. (a cleaner alternative is to get a sharp flathead screwdriver and a hammer, and pound away, but that takes long and requires precision on your part) Hacksaws, PVC cutters, and other such tools are useful (usually necessary) for homemades and heavy (usually unecessary) mods. Pliers (small and large), large cutters, and such may be useful for other situations.

I don't know if I made suggestions very effectively here. My dad has loads of tools and I haven't thought too much about what one would need for basics. My very first repair was settled via epoxy (gun leak) though I was being an idiot (before going onto SSC and asking) and tried to duct tape the thing without even opening the gun.

Again, sorry for the sloppy and drawn out post, but I hope this helps.

ncog
Posts: 65
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:00 pm

Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by ncog » Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:06 am

VAJMH wrote:Wow............. Not much I can give by way of advice at this point. Why not try this. Find a Catholic church and fill the reservoir with holy water. See if this helps.
I can't believe I didn't think of that before, thanks! If I happen to be strolling past a Catholic Church I will make sure to grab some holy water (1.2L of holy water, to be exact..) If I'm feeling daring enough I'll even go back a second time after filling the pressure chambers to top off the reservoir!

C-A, it turns out that I found my other 110 screws a few days ago, but forgot to post the find here. I was looking in the garage for something unrelated and happened to come across a jar labeled '110 screws'....Couldn't believe my luck. I guess my 12/13 year old self wasn't as stupid as I'd previously thought.

Epoxy will be something I buy in the next few weeks, hopefully it will help with this repair. I successfully did the rubber band repair a few days ago, which successfully closes the firing valve. I still need to lubricate the firing pin which will make it smoother though; I'll do that sometime next week after my last exam.

Regarding my camera, it just sucks. I've had it for probably 5 or so years now, it's 2MP and has a pretty bad focus. Sorry for the mediocre pictures, they were the best I could get! I do plan on upgrading in the not-so-distant future!

In hindsight I really didn't think about what could happen if I pumped the gun too much before I did it, so I've just been lucky that it didn't break anything and that my dryness was the only casualty. After exams I'll try to get really stuck into repairing the 110, I think there's still a (slight) glimmer of hope that it'll get working again.
Last edited by ncog on Tue Nov 03, 2009 3:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

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C-A_99
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Re: XP 110 trigger problem; pics + video included

Post by C-A_99 » Tue Nov 03, 2009 5:29 pm

For lubrication, avoid WD-40 (since it will damage most rubber, or at least natural rubber used in CPS's and maybe some seals). Usually, we'd suggest silicone, but I heard some mixes of that aren't good. I think if you get any non-specialized silicone, it should work.

Water guns are generally safe. Even if you manage to get to good pressures with just the internals (assuming all parts are secured on, not just merely sealed), the pressure relief valve will prevent higher pressure buildup. I don't want to discourage testing without internals, it's done commonly and can be helpful. For finding leaks, one method is to submerge the internals and pump it up, looking for air bubbles from the leak.

The main danger of over-pumping the internals without being aware of how things are attached is that something could shoot off in your face. Unless you know the blaster's internals are all secured on (i.e. you can't pull anything off), avoid high pressure testing unless you can hold down the parts somehow.

So, fix it up and fill it with holy water. Someone's going to get baptized with a 110! (don't mean to offend anyone here)

Edit: I forgot to mention, drills are VERY useful (well, basically necessary) for drilling nozzles as well. You can enlarge nozzles on stock guns for more output (if you know the gun is powerful enough; drilling the AB or FF's small nozzle is a good idea) but the catch is this: clean lamination. Drilling a clean nozzle is tricky and results aren't always the best. If the sides of a nozzle are rough, it will affect stream behavior, deteriorating stream lamination and thus, range. (stream physics are covered in another article here)

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