Some regs take time to break in and some take longer than others. The general time it takes to break in is subjective to the reg but can be as little as a case or as much as 4 cases (rare but possible).

The Palmers requires usually about a case or 2 but an Ion stock reg may take as many as 4.

To break in a reg, you basically [and initially] tear it down and check for dust, metal filings and clumped grease/oil. An example of "Why?" is the last few batches of the Evolve Pi reg were shipped with metal filings inside. These are excellent regulators, designed for LP markers like Angels. The metal filings would have severely damaged noid gaskets if fired through them. Check it, oil/grease as necessary, reassemble it and set it at its highest output, whatever that might be.

Your next step is to TURN THE REG ALL THE WAY DOWN (closest to zero PSI as you can). This helps keep the LP markers from blowing solenoid gaskets, hoses or armature seals in SP noids.

Next step is to air it up and SLOWLY increase your psi to the manufacturer's suggested operation pressure for that marker. HOWEVER - if you are setting up a reg for an LP marker, I suggest you temporarily do its break-in period on a low-end HP marker FIRST (Tippmann or Spyder). It makes it a lot easier for you to work on and you would simply swap the reg to the intended marker as your final installation.

After your initial tear down and inspection, you install it, increase the psi to maximum output psi (this is why I said to put it on a cheaper marker) and dry fire (safety first...NO PAINT)...about a half-case worth of air. You can do it with CO2 but that's not a good idea because it's a dirty/frozen air source and now is not the time to use it. Use HPA/N2 first and whenever possible. Slow speed, fast speed it really doesn't matter. What you are doing is compressing springs and working the ORings because everything is new and stiff.

-------If you don't have access to HPA, you should either antisiphon your tanks for that ASA or create an inline expansion chamber system FOR THE TIME BEING. See my instructions in this post, just below this article where I have added the "edits".

After the first half case of air, DECREASE THE PSI BACK TO ZERO.

Disassemble it and check for ORing damage, dirt or grit and reapply grease/oil and reinstall it.

INCREASE THE PSI TO MAX FLOW AGAIN.

Dry fire it again in the same method as above. You should now have once case-worth of dry fires through it.

DECREASE THE PSI TO BACK TO ZERO AGAIN.

Disassemble it a second time, service and reinstall it on the MARKER YOU INTEND IT TO BE ON.

Put on your air source, mask and add some paint. Slowly increase your psi to the marker's operating pressure. Listen for leaks and watch for reg 'creep.' Reg creep is where your marker is aired up but you aren't shooting...and the gauge is slowly increasing pressure and you aren't doing anything. Creep will tell you that the seals inside the reg aren't sealing properly, that you need to open the reg again and inspect for torn/worn seals or you didn't lube it properly.

If everything is good, take a few shots at a target that you have in a safe location. You aren't worrying about fps or accuracy right now. What you are doing is setting the regulator seat for that particular psi. 10-20 shots is good. Make them slow and methodical to about one shot every 2 seconds. While you do this, your job is to watch the gauge. You WILL see the needle "jumping." That tells you two things...recharge rate and that it is properly broken in.

"Slow" jumping means that it either isn't broken in yet or it has horrible recharge rate.

You can tell this because the gauge stops "slow jumping" the pressure reading. By slow jumping, I mean an up to 25/50psi variance in pressure reading and it isn't immediately resetting to the set input pressure. You fire and the needle goes down and slowly returns. It's not broken in yet or it has terrible recharge rate.

When the gauge needle begins to react faster...by hitting the low point and then the high point quickly, the regulator is now broken in. The psi variance can still be 25-50 psi but if the needle returns almost as soon as it went down, you are set.

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A third or fourth dry fire/breakdown process may be necessary for some regs. Don't fret, this can be normal for that particular reg.

-----If you have to do this a 5th or 6th time, there may be an issue with that reg and contact the manufacturer for a new internals kit. You may have to send it back, so be prepared for that.
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After you reinstalled it this second time (or more to the point, when it's broken in and ON THE MARKER YOU INTEND TO BE ON), THEN make your adjustments to tune your marker for fps and efficiency.

Take the newly maintained reg and set it at a low setting. This is an arbitrary number so don't take it as "gold."

For blow back markers (Tippmanns/Spyders/all clones), around 450 psi.

For Ions, SP1s and similarly low pressure markers, set the reg to about 50 psi. The reason for this is two-fold....

1. For blow back markers, you are going to use the reg to set your fps and work UP from 450.
2. For LP markers, you don't want to blow their noids or hoses. The sudden shock of all that pressure will cause you headaches. Turn it way down.

You will increase your psi as I describe below. These ^^ settings are only starting points.

Since there are different ways to tune all of the brands of marker, the general way for a blow back marker is to set the desired fps by making the VelAdj about 2/3rds the way IN and THEN set the reg to adjust your fps. You NEED a chrono to make these adjustments.

When I say 2/3rd the way IN, I mean completely seat the adjustment screw...screw it ALL the way in - and then count how many full turns it takes to remove it completely. Let's say that number is 16. Two thirds of 16 is about 10.5 turns. Screw it in 10.5 turns and leave it there for now. Lock it if you have that ability (Spyders etc).

Now a special note concerning Spyders and Tippmanns and their clones...the velocity adjustments are COMPLETELY opposite FROM EACH OTHER.

Tippmanns require that you UNSCREW the adjuster on the right clamshell to increase velocity.
Spyders require that you TIGHTEN the adjuster at the back of the bottom tube to increase velocity.

In this respect, the Tippmann would be 2/3rds the way OUT.

The Spyder would be 2/3rds the way IN.

Now adjust your reg pressure to CLOSE (within 15fps) of your target speed using a chrono. Remember that in between each regulator adjustment, you must fire about 5 times to reseat the reg internals. Get the fps to within 10/15 fps of your target speed. Lock the reg psi in if you have that feature. Now you use your VelAdj to fine tune your fps to the speed you want.

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Another note about regs and Ions or markers with similar noids......
Palmer, AKA and other regs require oil to maintain the reg/keep lubed. Introducing oil into the noids of some markers violates their warranty and can ruin them. If you intend to use one of these oil-maintained regs on an Ion or other mid-to-high end marker, you will have to maintain that reg OFF the marker so oil stays out of the marker's internals.

One way is to simply unscrew the reg from the VA, drip your oil into the asa and slowly blow it through the reg using your asa to slowly bleed air through the system.

Another way is to do the act on a low end marker. Unscrew the reg from the VA and screw it into the VA of a low-end blowback. Drip the oil into the ASA and just fire the marker as normal. When done, unscrew from that marker and reinstall on the Ion/other marker.

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Like I said, this can vary from reg to reg and some may require up to 4 cases (rare but it happens).

All too many times I see people just throwing it on the marker, shoot some oil through it and play - and experience inconsistencies and problems. That's because they took for granted that it would "just work" out of the box. That's a nice sentiment but rarely happens.

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EDIT 17 nov 08 for my answer to a poster's question:



No prob. If that's the case then you should antisiphon your tanks - or the more safety conscious would say - have your air smith antisiphon your tanks. It won't help avert the cold of the CO2 but it will help keep as much liquid CO2 out of the reg. You should also fire it slower so that you don't freeze the internals solid.

A note on antisiphonned tanks: Once it's done (properly) for a particular ASA, you will only be able to use it on the marker that has that ASA.

One way to avoid atisiphoning a tank is to use a remote in conjunction with an 8-chamber Expansion chamber. Screw the expansion chamber into your asa and the remote line into the inlet port. The other end of the remote line, which is connected to your CO2 tank, and the CO2 tank standing up on a table (valve pin toward the sky). That helps keep the liquid CO2 to the bottom of the tank and the remote hose and X-Chamber help break down any liquid CO2 into the gaseous state you need. Think of it as an X-Chamber "plus".....

CO2 is absolutely horrible on all seals and O Rings but are especially horrible on Buna O Rings (black rubber), which are generally what the most common reg internals are.

If using CO2 to break in a reg, then you need to increase your maintenance regiment more often. Instead of tearing the reg down every half-case, do it every quarter case and be more diligent with your O Ring inspections.

Firing the marker slower is more tedious but is better on the reg internals overall.

If anyone has a 68/45 or larger HPA tank, see if you can borrow it for a day to make your break-in period. Your reg (and marker) will thank you for it.

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EDIT: 17 NOV 08


Thanks.

After you open the packing it came in, disassemble.s service and reassemble the reg, you should turn the reg all the way down (closest to zero psi) as possible so that you don't blow the solenoid/seals when you initially air it up. Increase the reg psi to the recommended psi for that particular marker.

If a typical blow back marker, that's about 800 psi.

If an LP marker like an Ion, that's 180 psi.

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for those markers that have special LP psi requirements.


Well, yes...that's what I mean. It was more siple to explain it the way I did earlier...I guess i'll now have to change that....lol.
Questions added to the first post.

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EDIT: I've added this to the initial post to keep continuity.

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once again you have proven your all-knowingness. I nominate this threadto be stickied, or at least put in a few sigs.

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New members please read this first and use this as required. Thank you.

Edited for fine tuning my instructions. But thanks for the props just the same

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Very nice, I never actually knew what the standards for break in or how you could even tell. Lol. Thanks for the abundant information you provide.

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No problem bud, this is something everyone should have access to. It applies as much to the "low[er] end" crowd as it does with the "high-end" crowd. The difference is that I will share that info and they don't........lol.

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Man thanks for this info.

I will be a great guide when i get my reg. rep4u!

great writ-up! rep coming your way.

I have one question though, you said use HPA or N2 first and not to use CO2 to break it in. What do you do if all you have access to is CO2? I have absolutely no place near me to fill HPA. What do I and other people like me do in this situation?

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"For the sake of historical truth I must verify that only the Greeks, of all the adversaries that confronted us, fought with bold courage and highest disregard of death." -Adolf Hitler (From speech he delivered to Reich on May 4, 1941)
^^^true story

No prob. If that's the case then you should antisiphon your tanks - or the more safety conscious would say - have your air smith antisiphon your tanks. It won't help avert the cold of the CO2 but it will help keep as much liquid CO2 out of the reg. You should also fire it slower so that you don't freeze the internals solid.

A note on antisiphonned tanks: Once it's done (properly) for a particular ASA, you will only be able to use it on a marker with THAT ASA.

One way to avoid atisiphoning a tank is to use a remote in conjunction with an 8-chamber Expansion chamber. Screw the expansion chamber into your asa and the remote line into the inlet port. The other end of the remote line, which is connected to your CO2 tank, and the CO2 tank standing up on a table (valve pin toward the sky). That helps keep the liquid CO2 to the bottom of the tank and the remote hose and X-Chamber help break down any liquid CO2 into the gaseous state you need. Think of it as an X-Chamber "plus".....

CO2 is absolutely horrible on all seals and O Rings but are especially horrible on Buna O Rings (black rubber), which are generally what the most common reg internals are.

If using CO2 to break in a reg, then you need to increase your maintenence regiment more often. Instead of tearing the reg down every half-case, do it every quarter case and be more diligent with your O Ring inspections.

Firing the marker slower is more tedious but is better on the reg internals overall.

If anyone has a 68/45 or larger HPA tank, see if you can borrow it for a day to make your break-in period. Your reg (and marker) will thank you for it.

EDIT: I've added this to the initial post to keep continuity.

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Jeeze, doing things properly is always so complicated and tedious... Now I just need to find a cost-effective place to fill my HPA tank or my regs are in for a beating.

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New members please read this first and use this as required. Thank you.

thanks druid I was planning on buying a remote before a reg. I'll just take it slow and maintain it more often. I don't know of any airsmiths, but I'll look around. Do most fields have an airsmith?

__________________
"For the sake of historical truth I must verify that only the Greeks, of all the adversaries that confronted us, fought with bold courage and highest disregard of death." -Adolf Hitler (From speech he delivered to Reich on May 4, 1941)
^^^true story