New Here - Feels a bit strange

[TCups]

Well, I believe this to be my first "DarkSiders" Forum post.  By reflex, when Santa Cuz delivered the new AA 410, I, being a creature of habit, posted this to the Air Gun Gate:

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=12598&mid=99456#M99456

Sorry - should have posted here.  Anyway, I now have my scuba tank and, on my first attempt, I was unsuccessful even attaching the fill adaptor to the fully charged tank.  For those of you with a discerning eye, you will see that I have now "modified" my fill adaptor using a metal cutting bit on the Dremel Tool, an undertaking I would not have tried had not Gene mentioned to me he had to do the same thing to make his fill adaptor fit his tank.  After a bit of metal whittling, I got the fill adaptor fitted to settle in over the horizontal parts of the valve stem on the tank and hooked up the fill adaptor Santa Cuz included.  And, I have successfully filled the AA 410 to 200 BAR, but not without the reverse of what Ross Perot referred to as the "giant sucking sound".  The quick connect adaptor Joe included leaks.  I can snug down all the other fittings, and I am sure the leak is at the quick connect/disconnect fitting you see here.  Not so much that I can't fill the AA, but I am going to need to fix this somehow.  The thread pitch on the brass fill connector that came with the AA 410 is finer than the pitch on the hose, so that without the quick connect/disconnect fitting, I can't just screw directly into the HP air hose.  So, am I doing something wrong here?  Or do I need to replace the hose fitting and try again?  

Perhaps now that J 3n003 has returned to SC, he will chime in and tell me what I need to do to avoid wasting air with a leaky connector.  As he says, "Lemmie know . . ."

Thanks.

PS:  I was open water certified in July 1983.  To my surprise, the local dive shop where I bought the tank, with only my name and birth date, was able to go on line and verify my certification and PADI Certification #, which will be convenient if/when I ever need to get a refill from somewhere other than my local dive shop.  The folks at Columbia Scuba   ( http://www.columbiascubasc.com/  )have been really nice.  They filled, cooled, and refilled the tank to 3300 PSI.  They call the unpainted aluminum tank the "Ugly Tank".  Both the name and the $30 savings appealed to me somehow.

[DanoInTx]

Teflon tape Tommy, I use it on all of my hoses and fill probes where threads meet.  Wrap it around the threads in a clockwise motion3-4 wraps, and snug up good, works great:)

Oh wait, just did a re-read, is the connection between the Foster male and Foster female leaking, like right AT the disconnect?  There is an o-ring in there, may be out of place or damaged.  I did a fully pressurized disconnect once with one of those fittings and blasted the o-ring into orbit, it'll leak if that's not there or damaged.

Hope this helps,

Edit: Just noticed, this is my 2400th post, you lucky devil:)

[TCups]

I can see the O-Ring, and to visual inspection (with one of Jerry's keen little Fenix lights) it looks to be seated and undamaged.  When I first filled the AA, it had about 150 BAR in the tube and I took it up to 200 BAR, but only very slowly an carefully opened the main valve on the tank.  Perhaps I need to "hit" the fill a bit harder to seat the O-ring under pressure?  If it keeps leaking, I will ask someone at the dive shop or perhaps J to see if they can fix it or just bypass the quick diconnect for me.  When I first filled the AA, it was at 150 BAR.  I was concerned that opening the valve too rapidly might over-fill the compression tube -- no?

[TCups]

oops

[DanoInTx]

Yea, you usually want to fill slow, but open the bleeder fast to seat the check valve.  Fill too fast and you can do some damage depending on the rifle, they also tend to heat up when filled too fast which will give you a higher pressure that will drop when cooled.  If the o-ring is there and unmolested it should seal, no nicks or anything on the male Foster sealing edge is there?  You can bypass the quick disconnect most likely by just attaching the fill clamp deal to the hose with a bit of teflon tape and a snug tightenning, but.......when you get your next PCP you will have to constantly change probes and that will be a hassle.....and don't tell me this will be your only PCP Tommy, we all know better...haha!!  I doubt you would, but don't try putting any lube or anything on that o-ring to help it seal, that much high pressure air concentrated on a petroleum product could be explosive...again, didn't think you would, but just in case:)

How does she shoot btw?  I bet it's amazing!

[TCups]

Dan:
Shooting this one is a bit disconcerting.  At full power, it will punch a CPL more than an inch deep into a seasoned trap of duct seal putty, but she's no louder (perhaps quieter?) Than my Walther LGR-U.  As this is my Christmas present, I haven't been out back for a real shooting session to sight in and do the Chrony thing, but I can tell you that she shoots "like buttah".  Can't wait to sight in and start sniping at the nutters from 50 yards.  I am pretty sure it's going to be a blast, for both me and the tree rats.

Re: the bleed valve, do I misunderstand?  I thought the function was to bleed the pressure off the connect hose after the fill, before disconnecting.  I connect the fill adaptor to the tank, then to the tube, then close the bleed valve, then slowly open the tank valve, fill to pressure, close the tank valve, open the bleed valve to depressurize the hose an adaptor, then disconnect, right?

[Remo]

On the quick connect fittings that I got from Airhog, there was also an O-ring inside the fitting that attached to the AA fill adapter.  You might want to make sure that the similar O-ring in your setup is intact also.


Eric

[tat2dman]

Yup!

[TCups]

Checked that -- no O-ring between the male quick connect and the AA-410 cap piece.  Brass on brass and it seals OK just being snugged down.  The large female cap piece slides over two O-rings on the tube and locks down with a quarter turn under the T-slot cut into the cap.  The leakage is at the M/F quick connect, for sure.  I can feel the air leak and it is sufficiently brisk that within 3 or 4 seconds after bumping the fill back up to 200 BAR and closing the tank valve, the fill hose is depressurized without need of the bleed valve being opened.  Check valve on the pressure tube seems fine.  No way to apply teflon tape or any obvious fix I can see.

[DanoInTx]

Nopers, a leak from where you describe can only be that little o-ring inside the female quick disconnect Foster fitting or a good sized nick in the male Foster end, no place for teflon tape in there.  If you have a small pick you can pry that o-ring out and might be able to find a suitable replacement at the hardware store, other than that you can ask the dealer who you got it from, or bypass it altogether by removing the male/female QB Foster fitting and screwing the fill coupler directly to the hose end...that is where teflon tape would work if needed(mine usually need it).  Bummer Tommy, I hate getting new stuff that doesn't work quite as advertised, can be pretty frustrating for sure.  Your fill technique sounds exactly correct to me by the way.  Maybe try calling Airhog and see if they have a replacement o-ring or any other suggestions.  I have never personally dealt with them, but all reports seem positive.  Good luck with the fill rig, sounds like the gun is a champ at least:)

[kirby999]

I feel pretty sure your leak is caused by the O-ring as Dan stated . A friend of mine, who has just joined the dark side had the same problem with a setup he bought from a local paintball dealer . He took it back, they replaced the O-ring inside the female part of the QC and problem solved . No more leaks . As to your filling procedure , you have everything in the correct order , but the bleed valve needs to be opened as quickly as possible to make the check valve in your fill end of your rifle's airtube to close quickly preventing any pressure loss. kirby

[melloroadman]

http://www.gatewaytoairguns.com/airguns/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=9191&mid=67545#M67545

[TCups]

Thanks all.  BTW, I have only fired a dozen or so rounds at the indoor trap with this puppy.  I mounted the scope and thought I had the windage about right and guessed at the elevation.  As I say, I haven't sighted in or Chronied or anything, being a (reasonably) good boy and waiting until, oh, first light on Christmas morning to run out back and begin blazing away with it until I am fully satisfied, or put my eye out first.  But anyway, after topping off to 200 BAR, I did load up a mag of Beeman CroMag's to see how deep that would penetrate into the duct seal putty, and I still had a few loaded in the mag.  

So, a short while ago, I look out the kitchen window, and "Hellllllooooooo Mr. Squirell!!"  Hmmmm.  Back upstairs in a flash, picked up the AA-410, eased the sniping window open, and waited just a bit.  Bingo.  He's back for another pass at the bird feeder, 30 yards.  Cock and load, squeeze the trigger -- ppfttt.  Didn't really hear a hit, but the squirrel drops from the feeder, and sits, heads up on the ground, just looking around startled.  Cock and load, ppftt - ploppp - a hit to ground just beside the squirrel -- he jumps and bolts behind the tree 6 feet away, and I didn't see him again.  Oh well, I wasn't sighted in yet and probably just scared him, twice.  But his time is coming!

Then, back downstairs for some coffee, ham and eggs, and a muffin.  Got dressed, and was about to leave the house, but thought "I'll just go see if I see any blood . . ."  Answer:  Yes - lots of blood!, so I peek behind the tree where the squirrel scrambled off to, and right behind the trunk of the tree lies the AA's first nutter.  I may post a pic in the hunting forum later, but it was pretty messy.  The AA-410 /.22, at full power, will punch an 18.3 gr Beeman CroMag through the torso of a full sized nutter, coast to coast, with a large exit wound and lots of red stuff.  Very surprised this guy made it as far as he did.  It was a body shot, but it must have absolutely hammered him.  I didn't really think I had hit him that first shot, but then, I am used to my springers and always try to go for carefully placed head shots.  Have to get the elevation spot on for the next hunt.