[STONER]

I recently installed a bran new Dead-on Bolt and Powertube in my A-5 and it worked, but shortly after I installed it I realized the gun leaked air. I tried putting the old bolt and tube back in and it still leaked. I don't know where the leak was coming from either. I didn't bother.

So I sent it in to tippmann. They said that the aftermarket powertube and bolt did not work properly.
Figures. So I spent $35 on a bolt and powertube that doesn't work. Whatever.
I don't notice much of a difference performance-wise in the bolts either. The aftermarket bolt just has a different sound. It's no quieter, it's no more accurate...

Anyone have a similar experience with aftermarket crap?

[chikin pickle]

closest thing is that my rocket cock II broke but I dropped the gun. so that was my fault.

[Ghostduck]

I use the DOP Bolt and powertube. And I can honestly say that I have seen a diference. I get more shots per tank of air... There is less floating space between the bolt and powertube which allows for better efficiency and pressure to the paintball and less waste air.

Because the air flows more consistantly, there is an increased accuracy. At the University of Calgary Mechanical Engineering and Concrete Lab, with a DOP Bolt and Powertube installed on a Tippmann A-5 and the gun mounted in a vise... a comparison and testing session was done on the accuracy and other improvements gained when going to an aftermarket bolt and powertube. The DOP Bolt and Powertube gave an improvement in tightening up shot groups.

Test Thread. <--- Click Link to see the test thread results.

Notably the Dead On Products Bolt and Powertube was the only one that offered any noticable INCREASE in accuracy over the Stock bolt and powertube. All of the others tested only gave miniscule (meaning less than .10 inch) results or actually decreased the accuracy.

The powertube and bolt combo is louder than stock obviously because the aluminum powertube. The Striking hammer obviously makes a lot of noise when it hits the powertube, aka metal on metal.

And I have never had any problems concerning any "leaks". You said you put the stock bolt back in and still had the leak so I would deduce that its something else and not the powertube.

Now the only problems that I had were these.. The Surface area where the bolt makes contact with the powertube is not completely smooth.. initially it has "ridges". Well that was easily eliminated by using some #000 Steel wool and polished it up to make it smooth, no more ridges.... =). The other problem that I had and its not really a problem just only during the installation.. The Bolt/Powertube combo is a really tight fit when installing everything has to0 be lined up perfectly between the 2 halves on the A-5. It may be necessary to polish the internal areas where the Powertube lays to get it to fit properly, I only did it to make ease of removing the powertube for cleaning purposes. Another area that is kinda tight is the Tombstone, there are less tolerances than the stock, so the tombstone is a really snug fit when seating it.

But once its installed no problem.

For some people these seemingly "miniscule" improvements may not be noticable ... by themself they aren't but once you start adding these miniscule improvements they start to add up and become VERY noticable improvements in the efficency and accuaracy of your marker in the long run.

You have to understand... on a Mechanically operated marker... there is no one "single" mod that really will, by itself, cause a noticable increase in performance, accuracy, and efficiency, save for maybe polishing the internals.

This post has been edited by monkeydn2881: 03 January 2006 - 02:07 PM

[sartek]

I've noticed that Tippmann will tell its customers not to use any aftermarket parts or mods that it doesn't make because "they dont function properly and can damage the gun"

[Ghostduck]

sartek, on Jan 3 2006, 02:08 PM, said:

"they dont function properly and can damage the gun"

TTB... Typical Tippmann Behavior...

Granted I can see why though.. Here is a marker that is EXTREMELY hard to break and its unfathomable to think that someone else other than Tippmann can make something better than they can.. Hardly the case there are some things that we all know are better.. I only send stuff to Tippmann if and when I KNOW that its a Strictly Tippmann problem... If I have to send my marker to Tippmann I tend to put all my stock parts back on it and see if it has the same problem still... if it does then I usually know its a Tippmann problem and then send it.

[STONER]

Yeah, that's what I did. I didn't have much to take off, just the flatline, and the stock. But I left the bolt in. Thing is, the leakage happened shortly after I installed that bolt. I'm afraid to try to put it back in.

I don't know, maybe the metal wore away a seal or something (What do I know?)
and they had to replace it. Tippmann said they replaced an "A-5 valve" at no charge. I don't know what that means.

So if it's not the bolts fault, what happened? And what should I do with it now?

[chikin pickle]

STONER, on Jan 4 2006, 09:57 AM, said:

Yeah, that's what I did. I didn't have much to take off, just the flatline, and the stock. But I left the bolt in. Thing is, the leakage happened shortly after I installed that bolt. I'm afraid to try to put it back in.

I don't know, maybe the metal wore away a seal or something (What do I know?)
and they had to replace it. Tippmann said they replaced an "A-5 valve" at no charge. I don't know what that means.

So if it's not the bolts fault, what happened? And what should I do with it now?

it meams they replaced you cvx valce which is in the power tube. probably dmage the velve or didnt loc-tite the bootomline when you put it back in.

[sartek]

odds are you forgot the o-ring for the tombstone, or it got caught up inside the valve and damaged.

[STONER]

Well, I took a chance and put the new bolt back in. It worked. I think I had lost that little O-ring on the inside of that valve thing ( That goes inside the powertube )

It seems to work fine now. Ha! I think tippmann just is jealous that I used an aftermarket part.
But everything else on my A-5 is tippmann, I swear!

This post has been edited by STONER: 04 January 2006 - 10:21 PM

[ncbbh88]

to be honest it would not suprise me if you damaged the valve in some way while changing it when i changed my bolt and tube over i noticed the aluminum used in the valve construction (old model A-5's) was extreemly soft and scratched verry easily so its possible you scratched something even while being careful

[sartek]

monkeydn2881, on Jan 3 2006, 08:36 PM, said:

TTB... Typical Tippmann Behavior...

For Sh** and giggles, I called tippmann last wednesday for a friend that wants to do a complete rebuild on his old M98 and the conversation i got into with a tippy tech drifted over to barrels. He actually tried to convince me that the 14" Tippmann aftermarket barrel was the best I could get for my friend because other barrels may cause damage to the barrel threads or front bolt. LMAO.. BULLSH

[AK47]

sartek, on Jan 3 2006, 02:08 PM, said:

I've noticed that Tippmann will tell its customers not to use any aftermarket parts or mods that it doesn't make because "they dont function properly and can damage the gun"

please specify on how aftermarket products can damage the gun

[sartek]

That's my point. I have yet to see an aftermarket upgrade designed for a tippmann actually cause any damage. That's just what Tippmann likes to tell people.

Might have something to do with cheaply manufactured parts that are known to break, so they can get money and mailing information when people call in for replacements. (i.e. plastic power tube, plastic front bolt, cyclone ratchet)

[SumoSteve61]

my friends bolt stripped where the velocity screw goes in on his 98. :ph34r:

[sartek]

SumoSteve61, on Jan 17 2006, 08:21 AM, said:

my friends bolt stripped where the velocity screw goes in on his 98. :ph34r:

that makes absolutely zero sense.

how does the front bolt strip out a screw hole on the side of the powertube BEHIND the bolt's travel length?