ARES M4 Problems

[Noctis]

I recently bought an ARES M4 RAS-L and it was misfiring and finally jammed during a game. I took the gun apart, went into the gearbox, removed the tip of a screw (I've no idea how that got there) that had clogged my gears, and reassembled it. The issue now is that now I can't get my gearbox to fit into my lower receiver. I've tried hammering it and everything, and now I can get it to fit somewhat but my firemode/safety is getting stuck all the time. Sometimes when I put it in, I can't move the switch, other times I can, but either way the trigger is either stuck in safe, or it can be pulled even when in safe. Also, I got the spring slot banged up pretty badly, any tips on getting that up in shape?
Additionally, when the gearbox was opened I checked my piston and saw that the first 4-5 teeth had half of the tooth completely used up. My gun only fired about 600 or so shots, so I was wondering if the wear is excessive, and whether I should get a full metal piston.

[Varjeal]

I'm relatively new to taking my own gun apart and doing some repairs (wouldn't dare call myself a gun tech) but here are some things I know/have learned.

1. If there's a part inside a mechbox that didn't belong there, it wouldn't be going back together until I found out where that part came from.

2. Mechbox wouldn't be closed until all parts had been checked for wear/damage, and those necessary replaced.

3. The only parts I've EVER seen even slightly hammered on were body pins. Everything else slides/snaps together.

Your entire post reads like you didn't do research on stuff before you opened up your gun. Bad call. At this point it reads like you've done enough damage where your best and cheapest option is to find a skilled gun tech near you and drop that puppy off with a blank check. I would also bet there's some other parts in that mechbox that weren't aligned properly when you put it back together. At the minimum it sounds like you are going to need (and I haven't seen it nor am I a pro):

a.) selector plate spring (maybe new selector plate if its bent badly or damaged),
b.) safety switch
c.) piston set (might as well since it'll be open anyways)
d.) possibly gear set if that screw piece was bouncing around inside, likely have some stripped teeth on gears as well
e.) A good file dressing on the spring slot.
(At this juncture it might be cheaper to just buy a brand new, fully assembled mechbox)

FYI notes for the future:
1.) When your gun is misfiring, stop shooting and find out what the problem is.
2.) If you're not sure of what you're doing, don't open your gun up. Take it to someone who is sure of what they're doing.

Sorry dude, you messed your gun up good.

[slink182]

It sounds like the piston housing wasn't lined up correctly when you reassembled your mechbox. The piston has guides on both side that align with rails on the inside of the box. If they weren't aligned (say, the housing and/or piston rotated a bit about its axis) the mechbox will close but won't screw down flush (even if the screws feel tightened). This is likely why the mechbox is hard to slide into the receiver - it's just slightly "fatter" because the mechbox is not properly reassembled.

Also, you mentioned that half of the rearmost piston teeth were chewed away. This is what leads me to believe that the piston was slightly rotated when the box was closed up. The chewing is from the piston gear trying to grab the piston at an angle, and slipping as a result. At a minimum, I think you're looking at a new piston. See a gundoc for a repair. Or you could just drop in a ready-to-use gearbox.

Good luck.

[surebet]

Sounds like you were doing a lot of semi-auto shooting. At this point, just get the gun to an experienced player to help out, I think you're in over your head. Also, never hammer stuff again, ever. Even for pins, with the correct tools, I never used more than the tap from another screwdriver's handle to push something out.

Except for that time I used a sledge hammer to fix something, but that's another story.

[Noctis]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. I'll give the gun a last look tomorrow, and I'll see about buying a new gearbox or dropping it off at a tech. But, what are the odds of the tech being able to fix the busted up spring hole? The spring won't fit in as it is.

[Varjeal]

Really depends on how bad it is..worst that will happen is he will say "new mechbox". It may not be worth bothering to fix in that case, but I'd let 'em have a look just cause. If you talk nice they might "look" for free.

[HKGhost]

If you didn't need a hammer to take out the gearbox, what made you think you'll need one to put the gearbox back in? If the shell is damage or bent, it's easier to just replace the shell than to have a gundoc try to fix it. It will be cheaper and less of a headache for you and the gundoc.

[Noctis]

About replacing the shell for the gearbox, I'm unsure where to get it. Can anyone tell me by looking at it what type of gearbox it is? (yes, I'm a total newbie) I'd hate to order something that doesn't fit...

[Styrak]

Originally Posted by Noctis

About replacing the shell for the gearbox, I'm unsure where to get it. Can anyone tell me by looking at it what type of gearbox it is? (yes, I'm a total newbie) I'd hate to order something that doesn't fit...

It's a proprietary ARES V2 gearbox shell.

[surebet]

You have a V2 mechbox. But don't worry yourself too much trying to track down all the parts, your tech will list them.

But at this point, you're probably looking at a new shell, new gears, piston and whatever else got damaged by the hammer.

Next time you want to work on a gun, type "[gun] disassembly" on youtube, plenty of tutorials for every guns. Also, takes notes as you're going to remember what goes where when you're done. I'm looking into an HD webcam to film my desk as I go, I've seen a few vids of people working that way and it looks really neat.

You might want to look into a complete mechbox for cost issues and to tune the gun to your liking. But for the love of god have someone else install it!

EDIT: Proprietary gears as well?

[Noctis]

I'm really considering a change to my entire gearbox at this point, so here's one last question I'm throwing in the air for whoever might know the answer: Would a "King Arms M135 Ver. II Rear Wiring Complete Gearbox for M4 AEG" be a good upgrade for my gun, and would it even fit in my new full metal ARES M4 RIS-L?
Thanks everyone for your valuable feedback

[Kos-Mos]

No.

Go to a tech. It will most likely cost you less than buying a new mechbox.

And if you install the KA mechbox (it will fit), you will loose the quick spring change feature of the ARES mechbox.

[Noctis]

Have you seen what the spring slot is like atm on my mechbox? Pics are in the OP. It's totally ^%@&ed, I doubt anyone can repair that. I would rather like to know if performance and durability-wise the kingarms mechbox would be a good investment. The quick-change isn't really important, since the group I play with only test for velocity, not force, so changing BBs is all I need to do if I'm to CQB.
Edit: Do you guys think a motor change would be required for the new gearbox?

[Kos-Mos]

Si tu penses que changer de poid de BB pour CQB est une solution viable, tu va te faire virrer de bord a toutes les games.

On calcule l'énergie d'un gun, pas la vitesse. 350fps avec .20g ou 400fps avec .20g.

Si tu utilises des .28g (C'est ce que je fais Ã* l'extérieur), tu réduit la vitesse mais tu augmente le poid, donc l'énergie reste sensiblement la même.

Le quick change du ARES est une solution efficace et pas cher pour quelqu'un qui a seulement un gun.

*EDIT* As-tu 18ans? Les postes de gundam et le bout de bras nu dans tes photos me font penser le contraire... essaie de t'habiller la prochaine fois, ca fait plus sérieux.