JTS JTS Airacuda likes balloons

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nobody1

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Sep 4, 2021
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WA, United States
Not even one week old and my JTS Airacuda Max really likes to inflate those balloons.
The proof is in the photos bellow.

For some reason the 100% positive youtube reviews do not show Airacuda's balloon inflating abilities.
Those youtube reviewers don't know what they are missing.

20241025_200125.jpg20241025_200153.jpg20241024_171533.jpg20241024_171556.jpg
 
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WorriedMan said:
Valve would be first I'd check. 45Bravo has some how-to videos on YouTube regarding MAX, really helpful.View attachment 507555
Click to expand...
I watched most of 45Bravo's Airacuda Max videos.
Really good at showing the internals.

It very likely is the valve stem not sealing against the valve.
This is the first new PCP (out of 20+) I bought that leaked after a few days.

I will let JTS deal with this at the cost of shipping to them under warranty.
 
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Firewalker said:
You should be able to remove the poppet and inspect it first. It probably has a hair or small peice of debris on the seat. 5 seconds of burnishing would probably fix it.
Click to expand...
I would try that and other things.

But that would void my warranty.
And you never know what the issue is until you open up the valve area which again voids the warranty.
 
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nobody1 said:
I would try that and other things.

But that would void my warranty.
And you never know what the issue is until you open up the valve area which again voids the warranty.
Click to expand...

Actually, you won't! I fixed all four of the known defects on my MAX and all I had to do was ask permission from Travis (the T in JTS).
 
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Firewalker said:
Actually, you won't! I fixed all four of the known defects on my MAX and all I had to do was ask permission from Travis (the T in JTS).
Click to expand...
Firewalker I don't think you care about the warranty anyways :)

I will ask for permission then.

Will Travis send parts needed to fix the issue, like a new valve body and poppet if necessary?
 
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nobody1 said:
Firewalker I don't think you care about the warranty anyways :)

I will ask for permission then.

Will Travis send parts needed to fix the issue, like a new valve body and poppet if necessary?
Click to expand...

You are correct SIR! I take pride in ripping that sissy little warranty right out of the guns posterior!

I have not heard of Travis sending parts out, no. The guns go back to Katy Tx.
 
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Okay, after my Max has been trouble free straight out of the box I recently had the same issue.
I removed the tube, regulator and plenum. That leaves the poppet assembly. Look at the cap (with 4 holes in it) that should be threaded into it. This keeps tension on the poppet spring and it should be threaded in 18.5 mm. MINE HAD BACKED OUT TO FLUSH... I couldn't believe it.
I used a pair of mini needle nose pliers to turn it back in to the proper depth. Now it's holding air.
 
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nobody1 said:
Firewalker I don't think you care about the warranty anyways :)

I will ask for permission then.

Will Travis send parts needed to fix the issue, like a new valve body and poppet if necessary?
Click to expand...
E-mailed [email protected] for two poppets and the brass insert, all no charge, under warranty. Sent brass insert by mistake but let me keep, that's original one in photo, new one in MAX. WM
 
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Rizz01 said:
Okay, after my Max has been trouble free straight out of the box I recently had the same issue.
I removed the tube, regulator and plenum. That leaves the poppet assembly. Look at the cap (with 4 holes in it) that should be threaded into it. This keeps tension on the poppet spring and it should be threaded in 18.5 mm. MINE HAD BACKED OUT TO FLUSH... I couldn't believe it.
I used a pair of mini needle nose pliers to turn it back in to the proper depth. Now it's holding air.
Click to expand...
Opposite for me, after broken valve (picture,) reviewed 45Bravo's video, think his was at 18.9 mm. Mine was over 20mm and promptly broke replacement valve when re-installed @ 20mm. Next valve OK with setting around 18mm, IIRC. Nervoustrig mentioned sister platform to Airacuda, Dynamic Air Rifle, had addressed similar self-tightening problem of this spring. I think protruding edge of spring "digs" into plastic valve body, causing movement during use. I've installed thin SS washer over valve knob, between spring and valve body, in case this scenario is accurate. WM
IMG_20240226_144632.jpg
 
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Rizz01 said:
Okay, after my Max has been trouble free straight out of the box I recently had the same issue.
I removed the tube, regulator and plenum. That leaves the poppet assembly. Look at the cap (with 4 holes in it) that should be threaded into it. This keeps tension on the poppet spring and it should be threaded in 18.5 mm. MINE HAD BACKED OUT TO FLUSH... I couldn't believe it.
I used a pair of mini needle nose pliers to turn it back in to the proper depth. Now it's holding air.
Click to expand...
You may be right and the valve spring preload is not enough to keep the seal between the valve and poppet.

It also correlates with the fact that at higher pressures (3200-3400 PSI) it leaks slower than at lower pressures.

The only 2 forces which maintain that seal are the air pressure and the valve spring.
The higher the pressure the larger the force applied against the poppet.

The first few hundred shots I did not see a leak.
The leak only started after shooting a few hundred shots.
I assume that the cap slowly unthreaded out.

Maybe I need to apply a small amount of loctite on the cap thread.
 
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nobody1 said:
You may be right and the valve spring preload is not enough to keep the seal between the valve and poppet.

It also correlates with the fact that at higher pressures (3200-3400 PSI) it leaks slower than at lower pressures.

The only 2 forces which maintain that seal are the air pressure and the valve spring.
The higher the pressure the larger the force applied against the poppet.

The first few hundred shots I did not see a leak.
The leak only started after shooting a few hundred shots.
I assume that the cap slowly unthreaded out.

Maybe I need to apply a small amount of loctite on the cap thread.
Click to expand...
"O" rings on brass insert also critical, outer one crumbled to pieces while attempting to remove, inner one, OK. Spare parts bag has replacements. WM
 
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I watched again 45BravoAirguns' Airacuda videos: https://www.youtube.com/@45bravoairguns4/search?query=airacuda
They are the best online resource available to fix Airacuda issues.

Thanks to him I felt confident enough to open up just the valve block.

The valve spring cap was only about 12mm in depth.
I threaded that cap in to about 18.5-19mm depth based on the info in this thread.

I will update with the results.

By the way, the Airacuda seems to be well designed.
It is made of modules, and each can be handled separately.
 
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nobody1 said:
I watched again 45BravoAirguns' Airacuda videos: https://www.youtube.com/@45bravoairguns4/search?query=airacuda
They are the best online resource available to fix Airacuda issues.

Thanks to him I felt confident enough to open up just the valve block.

The valve spring cap was only about 12mm in depth.
I threaded that cap in to about 18.5-19mm depth based on the info in this thread.

I will update with the results.

By the way, the Airacuda seems to be well designed.
It is made of modules, and each can be handled separately.
Click to expand...
If removing valve run fingernail around sealing edge, my second replacement valve chipped after two magazines, much slower leak out of barrel than valve broken in half. Used drill and sandpaper to dress edge, then re-seated to brass fitting per Hajimoto's Gauntlet Upgrade video, still holding full pressure several months later. WM
 
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WorriedMan said:
Opposite for me, after broken valve (picture,) reviewed 45Bravo's video, think his was at 18.9 mm. Mine was over 20mm and promptly broke replacement valve when re-installed @ 20mm. Next valve OK with setting around 18mm, IIRC. Nervoustrig mentioned sister platform to Airacuda, Dynamic Air Rifle, had addressed similar self-tightening problem of this spring. I think protruding edge of spring "digs" into plastic valve body, causing movement during use. I've installed thin SS washer over valve knob, between spring and valve body, in case this scenario is accurate. WMView attachment 507725
Click to expand...

DAR is great grandpa to the airacuda. 3 generations before the Max.
 
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