Tuning Cleaning pcp air tube before going from hand pump to scba tank

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JadedC

JadedC

Member
Apr 27, 2019
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Moreno Valley, CA, USA
I just decided to make the switch over from hand pumping to filling from an air tank. This decision stemmed on the fact that hand pumping is prone to introduce moisture into pcp air tanks. I am going to be filling my tank at a local dive shop so I won’t have to worry about my air quality anymore. However, before I start filling them with dry air I want to clean them thoroughly. What would be the best method to go about doing this. My plan was to open up my guns air tanks inspect for any visible signs of water damage. If all looked ok I was just going to use a blue auto paper towel to wipe down the inside of the tank to make sure it was dry and just put back together and air up. Anybody with firsthand experience of moisture damage is there anything I should look out for? Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I coat the inside of my air tubes with a thin layer of silicone oil. My old gen 1 .25 marauder was almost exclusively hand pumped for about a decade. And hand pumped with NO moisture filter of any kind. (From climates ranging from hot and humid Kentucky to the rainy Pacific Northwest.)I still to this day have zero corrosion on the air tube interior. This rifle has been resealed many times, never for a leak but for preventative maintenance (That’s code for “I was bored and do stuff like that when I get bored in the winter“) or while installing upgrade valves and depingers...etc. 
On occasion I would see tiny beads of moisture in the air tube, but they are simply blown out with the air during normal shot cycles.
I would suggest to anyone to lightly coat the inside of your air tube with a safe silicone grease to protect interior surfaces from moisture. (Obviously this is something you can’t easily do on a bottle gun.) 


 
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I coat the inside of my air tubes with a thin layer of silicone oil. My old gen 1 .25 marauder was almost exclusively hand pumped for about a decade. And hand pumped with NO moisture filter of any kind. (From climates ranging from hot and humid Kentucky to the rainy Pacific Northwest.)I still to this day have zero corrosion on the air tube interior. This rifle has been resealed many times, never for a leak but for preventative maintenance (That’s code for “I was bored and do stuff like that when I get bored in the winter“) or while installing upgrade valves and depingers...etc. 
On occasion I would see tiny beads of moisture in the air tube, but they are simply blown out with the air during normal shot cycles.
I would suggest to anyone to lightly coat the inside of your air tube with a safe silicone grease to protect interior surfaces from moisture. (Obviously this is something you can’t easily do on a bottle gun.) 

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That sounds like a good idea. I’ll pick up some divers silicone grease for the air tubes.


If you plan on complete disassembly be prepared to change all of the o-rings.
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I’m just planning on taking the air tanks out. I own a leshiy and a dreamline classic. Removing the air tubes is simple on both, I was going to change o rings in them and the fill port. If I see any visible signs of moisture I’ll do a complete disassembly on the guns and change o rings. I don’t want to tamper with anything that isn’t giving me problems yet. The guns are only 1 1/2 years old so i think a reseal for both will be further down the line. 
 
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My only moisture problem was from a compressor. My Leshiy was one of the guns I took to my sisters for our annual spring shooting fest. I took my compressor but forgot to bring extra filters. Everyone was shooting like crazy and my compressor got a workout. My Leshiy didn’t fare so well. About a year later it was acting crazy. Upon tear down I noticed the reg was corroded from moisture. It was very hot and humid in Virginia and I should have know better. Should have tore the gun down when I got home. The last two years I do all my refills right next to a dehumidifier in her basement. Never had a problem with a hand pump. Maybe it’s because they fill so slow.
 
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My only moisture problem was from a compressor. My Leshiy was one of the guns I took to my sisters for our annual spring shooting fest. I took my compressor but forgot to bring extra filters. Everyone was shooting like crazy and my compressor got a workout. My Leshiy didn’t fare so well. About a year later it was acting crazy. Upon tear down I noticed the reg was corroded from moisture. It was very hot and humid in Virginia and I should have know better. Should have tore the gun down when I got home. The last two years I do all my refills right next to a dehumidifier in her basement. Never had a problem with a hand pump. Maybe it’s because they fill so slow.
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I have actually opened up the leshiys air tank and it looked ok. It did have a slight white residue but it sorta looked liked silicone grease. There were no water droplets or anything. In SoCal the humidity in the peak of the day is usually around 20 or lower. I have a benjamin pump with a dessicant kit, I guess like you said the slow filling of the pump seems to be ok for the most part. Thats why I plan to just go to a dive shop for a while until I can make my own reliable source of breathable air.
 
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...some of us have to fill slowly...
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Haha don’t worry you aren’t missing anything if you aren’t hand pumping fast, it’s one finish line you don’t want to be first at. 
 
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