Bad day for tophat…
Decided to add O-ring under top hat. Piece of cake right? One grub screw out the other barely loose but jammed in, will not back out. Full tank and top hat won’t back off. I tried to pull valve stem out but something not right, way to much force to pull stem so pressed back down. Now have slight air leak and tried several times to get seal to seat. Placed rifle under table before lightning bolt strikes me. Now kicking self for not just super stretching O-ring over top hat…
Never been into valve so not sure who to talk too about parts or if I should go to one piece stem. Any suggestions?
Cheers
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Viewing 14 replies - 1 through 14 (of 14 total)
Use a small deep well socket, then grind the nut end so you have two small prong to fit into the top brass insert, you can then screw it out.
If you have the small .177 valve I found with mine I had to take the valve apart to get the stem out of the brass insert, as it is kinda knurled at the valve seat end & doesn’t fit through the brass.
I didn’t want to chance screwing it up by trying to force force it out.
If you have the Hi Flow valve it should just pop out like the others have said.
See pic’s below!
Yep! Out the front. It’s amazing just how much the People at AirForce DON’T know about their own product. Pitiful!!! 👿
^^^ that’s an idea but I need to come up/make tool to not mar the brass insert? If the insert is glued and torqued like the tank valve holder I may be in trouble. Tony said some of the 5 year tanks are really torqued down.
I have a new stem and top hat coming from AF, as a back up. I want to salvage the originals if possible. The AF gal said the stem pushes out the tank side but the drawings and Tony say nope, pulls out the front.
Meanwhile, the rifle is shooting just fine at 20 meters in back yard.
You need to remove the air from the tank and then unscrew the brass piece that holds the stem in. Then you can see what is going on.
I have found them to be easily bent if not taken out correctly, also they can in fact collapse inside the valve, especially if weakened by further porting, which might be what is going on with all the force you have applied.
It may have been the past owner that started this fray, may have been you, mute point, fact is you probably need a new stem.
But first you need to pull that stem out. If you consider the stem damaged, I would consider putting the top hat in a vice and then using some heavy duty prying technique to pull it out. If it still will not come out, you might want to consider even removing the valve from the bottle so that you know the condition of the valve seal.
Thanks for that roachcreek. I’ll put that on the tool list.
You too knife.
The first half inch or so, no problem. The last bit took lots of force but was almost near bending the stem and jammed solid. I tried using the screw drivers stack on wrenches to get height and leverage but no dice. Should I just keep trying to pry out in a straight line? The stem feels like it’s flared or something being this tight and concerned about gouging sleeve o-ring.
I was thinking of replacing the top hat with a one piece, just to spite the grub screw, if you guys think it’s worth it.
You can twist on that top hat all you want. It will not budge the actual seat that is leaking. All that you will accomplish by twisting the top hat is spinning the top hats end in the valve seat. Not actually turning the seat at all.
Even with the set screws removed, the top hat will NOT screw off the end of the valve stem. It is a wasted effort. (Usually!(. Simply place two flat bladed screwdriver blades flat behind the top hat and pry the top hat and stem out an one unit. To re-seat, press in with fingers, or a flat object. (I like to use the flat of a simple clothes pin) 😆 and Fire it a couple of times.
You can dry fire it, but a pellet in the chamber works better. It gives the resistance that dry firing cannot. A dry fire will not always fully seat the stem into the valve seat. It needs a bit of resistance. 😉 If you cannot press the stem in much at all, go ahead and dry fire with a reduced spring pressure a couple of times before a full seating with a pellet.
Knife
Knife
If you have a star or torx type screw driver set, the small ones have tapered bits, get the smallest you have, tap it lightly into the rounded .050 allen head screw on that top hat, and you might want something behind the top hat to keep it from bending the top hat, the bit will lodge into the rounded hole and you should be able to back that screw out.
You might want to heat the screw first in case it was locktited in.
I think those .050 screws have sold a lot of fixed top hats for Tony. 😛
Spent about an hour twisting then tapping top hat with wooden dowel at 1k psi. I found the sweet spot so no more leaks. I then found O-ring that was a tight fit over top hat but seems to work fine without excess slop.
I cranked the power wheel up to nine from normal 4 at 2.5k. Gun sounds a bit quieter but will have to wait till I chrony.
Since the bugerd 0.050 hex will have me bothered, I’ll try to get info and prices to rebuild the valve and then try smaller O-rings and get top hat adjustments back.
..and still does not want to pull out. My valve is 5 years old so wondering if factory did something to end of stem, like the same guy who installed the grub screw that won’t back out and maybe the same one who forgot to install collar on cocking stem on bolt?
Oh well, 20 shots now and still leaks so will call AF after the holidays.
Maybe I did not apply enough force to pull out stem. I saw the video which was the basis of pulling the stem out but chickened out due to not knowing when to quit. Will try again tomorrow.
cheers
I am unable to seat the top hat enough by hand and I consider myself fairly strong. I’ve always had to take the tank out push the top hat into the valve then tap it with a plastic hammer a few times till it seats.
But maybe I’m just a pansy since it’s done it in my talon valve and condor valve….
pandemic has a video about popping out the top hat.
you do not have to take the screws out or even loosen them.
I’m on my phone so I cant post the video,
but if you search YouTube for “how to remove the tophat”
I’m sure it would pop right up.
2 flat screwdrivers and it will pop right out with no damage.
and when you put it back in
push it in as hard as you can with your fingers
and then dry fire it a few times and it will seat it the rest of the way.
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Thanks for that. No, I have standard valve. When back in town I’ll get on this.