Decompressing an AEG Spring

[EdisLeado]

Many guides/people suggest to shoot your AEG in semi-auto a few times to decompress the spring. However, when I notice that when I do this to my TM AUG A2, I notice the air nozzle (when looking into the mag well) *never* fully goes forward to show that the spring is actually decompressed.

Instead, I've been storing my AUG after firing it briefly in full auto which appears to leave the air nozzle fully forward after only a few tries.

I tried out my AUG today (after a hiatus of about half a year) and the gun seems noticeably weaker. Am I not decompressing my spring properly? What can I do to check that it's decompressed without actually having to remove/disassemble the gearbox?

[kalnaren]

The nozzel is engaged by the sector gear (via the tappet plate) before the sector gear starts compressing the spring (via the piston). This means the nozzel can be partially retracted without the spring being compressed.

Take a look at this animation: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...s/4/44/AEG.gif

Notice how the nozzel starts to retract before the piston.

A full cycle in semi shouldn't leave the spring partially compressed.

[HKGhost]

Do tap trigger pull until you hear a pop. Your piston should be fully forward and your tappet plate. It may take some time to learn to do it right, but it shouldn't be hard to learn.

[ThunderCactus]

lolz
believe me, you can't waken the spring more than 10fps by leaving it fully compressed for 7 months, I've tried it.
What's far more likely is your seals haven't been properly maintained. Your gearbox just needs a good lubrication and maybe a new piston O-ring

[kyle milliken]

ok i just looked at my vfc scar and the air nozzle isn't even in sight if look down the mag well. but before i stored it i took out the lower reciver and looked to see if the spring was decompressed and it looked like it was. so can any one shed some light on this?

[EdisLeado]

Originally Posted by kalnaren

The nozzel is engaged by the sector gear (via the tappet plate) before the sector gear starts compressing the spring (via the piston). This means the nozzel can be partially retracted without the spring being compressed.

Take a look at this animation: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...s/4/44/AEG.gif

Notice how the nozzel starts to retract before the piston.

A full cycle in semi shouldn't leave the spring partially compressed.

So what position should I be seeing the air nozzle in if I look into the mag well to know if the spring is decompressed?

[ThunderCactus]

Are you guys even reading? it doesn't matter lol
The air nozzle isn't connected to the AEG spring, it's connected to the tappet plate which has it's own spring.
If you REALLY want to decompress it properly, take off your grip and pull on the anti-reversal latch inside the mechbox. If you wanna do it the easy way, put the gun in FULL AUTO and really quickly snap the trigger, not enough to fire the gun but enough to get the piston moving a bit, and keep doing that until you hear it shoot, then the piston will be all the way forward.

But anyway, you really don't lose any power from keeping the piston compressed over winter.

[Wrath144]

The spring is already compressed to fit inside the mechbox. The loss of spring power would be do to a phenomena called creep:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creep_(deformation)
The spring is already compressed to fit inside the mechbox, being compressed an extra few inches will not increase the rate of creep by a large amount.
The only reason I do the few semi auto shots is to take the stress off the piston teeth.

[SuperHog]

Well guys, let keep this debate going as ICS incorporates a feature to release the anti-reversal latch.

Keep in mind that while the spring is in the mech box, it is still under compression. The best way is to completely remove it.

One of the things that helps maintain the spring life is to fire your gun at least once a week allowing it to compress and uncompress.

[Wrath144]

Originally Posted by SuperHog

Well guys, let keep this debate going as ICS incorporates a feature to release the anti-reversal latch.

Keep in mind that while the spring is in the mech box, it is still under compression. The best way is to completely remove it.

One of the things that helps maintain the spring life is to fire your gun at least once a week allowing it to compress and uncompress.

Temporarily increase stress to lessen creep?





o.O

[kyle milliken]

ok never mind about my comment it turns out that on the vfc scar the air nozzle is only fully extented when the piston is fully compressed and retracted when the piston is decompreesed.:tup:

[ThunderCactus]

go to mechbox.com and watch some videos, they're really helpful
but FYI there's no such thing as gear timing in an AEG.

[Wrath144]

Ugh.
THIS:

Is a SECTOR GEAR.
The SECTOR GEAR is the same on most AEGs. If not the exact same, it works the same.
The SECTOR GEAR determines both the NOZZLE position, and the PISTON position.
They are always THE SAME in relation to each other. As in, the NOZZLE is FORWARD on the PISTON'S forward stroke, and gets drawn BACK on the backstroke.
If the nozzle was BACK on the FORWARD stroke, there would be ZERO seal between the NOZZLE and HOPUP RUBBER. You would get VERY LOW FPS.
The NOZZLE position when the gun is stopped depends on the position of the GEARS. When the gun is NOT being fired, the gears COUNTER ROTATE until they get stopped on the ANTI REVERSAL LATCH. Depending on the position of the BEVEL GEAR's position in relation to the other gears, they might stop with the NOZZLE PART WAY BACK. All that matters is that it is FORWARD when the PISTON is going FORWARD.
So STOP looking into your hopup chamber, the SKY is NOT FALLING.

[ThunderCactus]

But what if they get the gear timing wrong? LOL

[EdisLeado]

Originally Posted by Wrath144

The NOZZLE position when the gun is stopped depends on the position of the GEARS. When the gun is NOT being fired, the gears COUNTER ROTATE until they get stopped on the ANTI REVERSAL LATCH. Depending on the position of the BEVEL GEAR's position in relation to the other gears, they might stop with the NOZZLE PART WAY BACK. All that matters is that it is FORWARD when the PISTON is going FORWARD.
So STOP looking into your hopup chamber, the SKY is NOT FALLING.

Okay, so basically what you're saying is that the position of the nozzle as seen through the mag well is moot?

You mentioned previously that the "only reason [you] do the few semi auto shots is to take the stress off the piston teeth." Since the spring itself isn't really the *main* issue here anymore, I guess the question to ask is how do you know for sure when you've taken the stress off the piston teeth after the semi-auto shots to 'release' the spring (other than the obvious; taking out the gearbox, disassembling/looking through a window in the cylinder)?