New aluminum valve stem SUCCESS! now with PICTURES…
EDIT 7-22-14: All right, all right….everybody stand back, keep on moving…nothing to see here!!!
The “Leak” slowly stopped after following Ernest’s directions on step one. I had failed to permit enough air pressure to enter the tube to seal the valve. My fault…solely my fault!!!!
The problem was me trying not to use any more air than necessary, and that was the opposite of what I should have done. I didn’t allow enough pressure in the fully empty tube to force the valve to seal! DUMB! Children, don’t do as I say…in fact, don’t do as I do.
As usual…thanks Ernest!!! (Never thought I’d know someone smarter than me…)
Nothing changed but valve stem, gun cocked, air cylinder empty, HST screwed all the way in, but air comes out the barrel when fill begins, and it never seals.
Obviously the valve isn’t sealing, but why. When I put the OEM valve back in, it filled just fine.
Is this an indication I’ve lead a bad life and am going straight to hell? Or…is there another plausible possibility?
I don’t trust those plastic headed valve stems because I pull my trigger really hard!!!!
Ideas???
Hoot:
EDIT: I didn’t allow enough air to go into the air cylinder to force the valve stem against the valve seal. Operator Error. But here’s a couple of pics I took…the part is available from Ernest. Since they are hand-made, the supply availability depends on whether a batch has been made recently. They seem to move out of Ernest’s shop quickly and for good reason…no valve stem failure…ever!
The delrin part on the valve stem is custom milled and is securely attached. Peace of mind!
Also, my thanks goes out to “Bo”, my shop assistant. He is Chinese, doesn’t speak a word of English, but is invaluable in figuring out technical problems. Pretty good for a fella that doesn’t have any thumbs!!!
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Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
Have you any metal valve stems in stock yet ?
sorry, maybe end off the month shipment
Hi Ernest .
Have you any metal valve stems in stock yet ?
Although the problem has been designated “Operator Error”, I’ll admit acourvil probably has a point about going straight to hell! I just hope I don’t get the pit right next to his!!!
Hoot:
EDIT 7-22-14: All right, all right….everybody stand back, keep on moving…nothing to see here!!!
The “Leak” slowly stopped after following Ernest’s directions on step one. I had failed to permit enough air pressure to enter the tube to seal the valve. My fault…solely my fault!!!!
The problem was me trying not to use any more air than necessary, and that was the opposite of what I should have done. I didn’t allow enough pressure in the fully empty tube to force the valve to seal! DUMB! Children, don’t do as I say…in fact, don’t do as I do.
As usual…thanks Ernest!!! (Never thought I’d know someone smarter than me…)
sniperlabyo and wingman nz have provided plausible answers, but I have to go with “lead a bad life and am going straight to hell” as the highest probabilty answer.
Makes sense, so I’ll try again tonight.
No reason it won’t work, as it’s identical to the plastic head in dimension.
Hoot:
Some new valves just need a little work to mate up with the seat.. Try a little Autosole or a simalar abrasive compound on the plastic valve seal and work it against the seat with you thumb in the valve body.. give it a good clean and try fill it again.. Some times dry firing the gun a few times while you are giving it a full burst of air from your dive bottle will seal it up..
Obviously the valve isn’t sealing, but why. When I put the OEM valve back in, it filled just fine.
Is this an indication I’ve lead a bad life and am going straight to hell? Or…is there another plausible possibility?
I don’t trust those plastic headed valve stems because I pull my trigger really hard!!!!
Ideas???
Hoot:
Your old valve stem seat has already been conformed to the body seat due to long exposure to what ever pressure you have in the regulate chamber,
when installing a new seat it may leak till enough pressure to equally/flatten the delrin to seal then form a terminate sealing surface, this what I do if it wont seal at the current VS tension—->
1. fill AT with out the action, while filling tap the valve stem hard enough till air escape do this about every 15 seconds about 5 times then wait a minute to build pressure—listen if the leak is getting quieter if it does—tap the valve stem again then wait and listen if its getting quieter if so let it fill, if not go to step 2.
2. tighten the valve stem spring retainer 5 to 6 turns of spring tension then assemble. tap the valve stem hard enough to open the valve. now fill the AT. if it seals fill to 250B for one hour, bleed pressure then re set your VS spring tension .5 to 2 turns then fill.
3. if all falls to seal the valve stem—->send it to John to re surface the delrin seat so it has a slight slop to the center.
Went through about 10 or so valve seat that leak one way or another, Step 1 fix most of them, only 2 or so with step 2, 1 with step 3.
Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
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I’ve got to say, as hard as I’m pushing my .22 Cricket, with 21gr Barracudas at 875fps, 35 fpe, I doubt that plastic OEM valve stem would have held up very long! I plan to get a little stronger hammer spring and turn my reg up to 130 bar. It’s going to take a metal valve stem to hold up under that much punishment.
If you believe I’m pushing it too far, recall that Ernest takes that same valve and puts a .25 caliber barrel on the gun, after John has worked a bit of machinist magic on the bolt and breech, and Bingo…you’ve got an ass-kicking .25 caliber putting out some serious fpe!
I believe this valve is money well spent, given the plastic valve stem’s history.
Hoot: