Air Leak FAQs

[PBfreak01]

Alright, since I've recently seen an abundance of questions about air leaking, I decided to create this thread. Here are a few FAQs:

Common Sources of Air Leaks:

1) You've over tightened something, thereby stripping the threads that are holding it in. When you go to tighten something, only tighten it to the point where it is snug. Improve the seal with teflon tape (you can buy it at Home Depot, Lowes, or just about any plumbing place), which is something every PB player should have one of, if not two.

2) An o-ring was shredded, frozen then warmed (it would snap if that were the case), jammed, etc. etc. In any case, an o-ring was made to no longer function as it was meant.

3) You've oiled the threads on an air fitting. This is a big no-no. In doing that, your helping the gas push the pieces apart, which as you've probably guessed, is not a desirable effect.

On to the actual FAQ:

I'm losing air down my barrel! How do I fix it?
Before you do any work, fire your marker one or two times...then if the leak persists, go through the 3 parts step by step.

Part 1

1) Disconnect your air source (I won't say that again, this is your only warning to never, never, work with a pressurized marker).

2) Remove your bolt. Remove the o-rings from your bolt, and replace them with fresh ones. Do NOT use industrial o-rings for this. Use o-rings designed for paintball!

3) Reassemble your marker, connect your tank, and have fun. If the leak persists, procede to part 2

Part 2

1) Remove the cup seal on your marker. It is located in front of your valve, and looks like a white horse bead.

2) Clean the cup seal until it is a off white. That will let you know that it is clean

3) Inspect the cup seal for any deep scratches or other such imperfections. If any imperfections are readily visible, purchase another cup seal for your marker, and replace the old one, making sure the new one is on tightly. If no imperfections are visible, then replace the cup seal to it's original position, making sure it is screwed on tight.

4) Connect your air source and listen for leaks. If the leaks persist, procede to part 3.

Part 3

1) Open up your marker's lower body (or in the case of an inline, it's entire body) and remove the valve with a nylon rod! A metal rod can scratch the marker's body. Inspect the valve o-rings, and the body of the valve and area where the valve rests.

2) Even if any imperfections in the o-rings are not visible, replace them anyway. A snapped valve o-ring can decimate a markers internals.

3) If any imperfections are visible on the valve itself (dents and dings, if there are any scratches, you will need to procede to step 4), buy a new valve, and replace the old one.

4) ONLY IF THE VALVE SHOWS SCRATCHES, take a very fine piece of sandpaper, and search the lower body of the marker for any burrs. If there are any burrs, remove them with the sandpaper VERY CAREFULLY!

5) Replace the markers internals, and your problem should be solved. If the leak still persists, you can do no more. Contact an airsmith, or return the marker to the manufacturer for repairs.


My marker is leaking from the LP chamber/plug! What do I do?

1) remove the LP chamber/plug, and the o-ring for the chamber.

2) Replace the o-ring.

3) Play paintball. If your problem persists, buy a roll of teflon tape (if you don't already have one, you should), and wrap the LP chamber/plugs threads 1-2 times. If that still doesn't fix the problem, the problem isn't the LP chamber/plug; it's the vertical adapter.


My marker is leaking from the ASA! What's wrong?
(this procedure can be used for the ASA, regulators, and X-chambers)

1) The procedure for fixing this problem is the same for all ASA's, unless it is molded into the marker's body. You are going to get a bottle of liquid soap (it doesn't matter what brand/type it is), and give a coating of it around the ASA and it's connection points (if you have macro line, extend the coating onto the macro line and vertical adapter). If the marker has a rapid leak upon the initial connection, and doesn't slow/stop, replace your tank o-ring.

2) Connect your air source with the soap on the marker. If the soap suds in any places, check those connections.

3) For good measure, wind teflon tape around all connection threads 1-2 times. If the leak is on your macro line (only if you have macro line), buy another piece, and cut it to fit.

4) Go play.


My marker is leaking through the rear plugs! HELP!

This shouldn't be happening. If it is, you're marker either blew many of it's o-rings in quick succesion, or it is defective (hint...If it blew most of it's o-rings in quick succesion, it's defective). Invoke your markers warrenty. If this happened after your markers warrenty expired, then you'll need to pay to have the work done.




Feel free to add if I missed something.

[Speedballer109]

All i have to say si excellent job, just excellent, i'm not gonna spam this up but that was very well done and should help others.......****EVERYONE READ THIS**** no more "My gun is leaking" read it and you will be fine

[LAMANTEthePBguy]

you can fix anything with teflon tape

also watch out for freak accidents. On my stock piranah, i overtightened the gas thru, and the threads got damaged. (The guy at my shop told me it was my cup seal so id buy a $20 parts package ). needless to say i fixed it with many wrappings of teflon tape.

[Kowz_76]

Teflon tape isn't always good. If you use too much, it can get in your gun it can mess everything up.

[weeji]

Originally posted by Kowz_76
Teflon tape isn't always good. If you use too much, it can get in your gun it can mess everything up.

As long as you don't use more than three wraps around, it'll be fine. But you're right, u shouldn't use too much. And I really think this should be stickied.

[Speedballer109]

**** Not to mention, i installed my x-cha,ber missing a o-ring. So instead i used Teflon Tap to make one and it works just as well havn't had it replaced in almost a year

[Codestar20]

Sticked it shall be...

I'll leave it open for added questions and whatnot. Thanks PBfreak01.



Edit: I can't seem to sticky it because my "session is invalid". I'll take this up with Sid. Maybe I forgot to click my red heels together or something

[swfreak]

So if i did get oil in the air thing what do i do. Like 2 drops in the part where you hook up the Co2 tank on a bottom line. What do i do?

[been_splat]

On my external air fittings I used blue loc-tite (#242) and tightend until snug. Wait 45 minutes to set and 1 day to cure. This will give you the most bang IMHO.

[PBfreak01]

One problem there, kiddo: You shouldn't use loctite on something that you may remove in the future.

As for oiling a markers internal internals, two or three drops into the ASA's hole, conect the tank, and dry fire it one or two times. That will take care of internal lubrication.

Just don't be doing that to a regulator...you need to do that manually, and almost none will reach the markers internals anyway.

[PeYToN-SS]

Originally posted by PBfreak01
One problem there, kiddo: You shouldn't use loctite on something that you may remove in the future.

If you use blue loctite you can still take the thing off. Blue loctite is strong enough to seal it but not strong enough to cement the part in. Red and green loctite is another story. DO NOT USE RED OR GREEN LOCTITE ON YOUR MARKER!

[uthanak2323]

2 questions:

1. what happens if you do use green, red, or black lock-tite?

2. what can wrapping too mcuh teflon tape do to your fittings/ marker? i thoguht it ran on the duct tape rule : can never use too much

[PBfreak01]

Originally posted by uthanak2323
2 questions:

1. what happens if you do use green, red, or black lock-tite?

2. what can wrapping too mcuh teflon tape do to your fittings/ marker? i thoguht it ran on the duct tape rule : can never use too much

1) As a rule, blue loctite (which if I remember correctly is broken down by heat) is what you want to use on fittings. The other loctites are for high stress applications (read: hundreds of pounds of pressure/almost constant use), and will only break down with time or a solvent, the latter of which you are not going to be able to use, since you sealed the fitting.

2) The duct tape rule is good...but with everthing, only good up to a point. Too much telfon tape may cause the fitting to put too much pressure on the threads, cutting through the tape, and thereby making an incredible mess. The other possability is that using too much tape will cause a messy job, and you will have little pieces of it overhanging into the air flow; this will cause them to [most likely] rip off and take a one way ticket through your marker...which will almost certainly damage the valve (which [the stock valve] runs at least $25-30 to replace on most markers), and may also block passages.

The moral of the story is that teflon tape=good, but too much is very bad. Two, at most three, wraps around the fitting in the opposite direction of the threads is best. If you don't put it in opposite the threads, you have just defeated the purpose of using it...which is to make a seal; as you turn the fitting in (with the tape opposite the threads), you are pushing the tape into the threading and creating an almost flawless seal.

[Bluegold Boy]

I have a spyder compact deluxe which has been leaking CO2 through the barrel. I Tried just fireing, replacing all O-rings with paintball o-rings(not industrial), replaced the cup seal, and checked the valve. It still leaked. I noticed some very small scratches on the valve but I don't think it will matter because they are so small. Two things I notice were that it leaked less when it was cocked, and that my bolt was a little loose. When I wiggle it, it sounds different(different amount of CO2 comes out). I noticed that when I force the end closer to the barrel down tward the valve more. It leaks less. I've tried everything but taking it to a professional. Any other tips I should try first?

[Mr.K]

I've been using telfon tape for my air leak woes. just out of curiosity, does anybody know if teflon tape is offered in any color other than white?

[Evil_Wayz]

Originally Posted by Mr.K

I've been using telfon tape for my air leak woes. just out of curiosity, does anybody know if teflon tape is offered in any color other than white?

I have some in black, but I can't recall where I got it from.