Vent - frustration with my first rebuild...

[Red Dot]

OK, so I dunno who designed AEG gearboxes but they should be shot.

So many fucking springs holding all these parts, god damn!

I purchased a CYMA AK47S and was attempting to fix the selector plate and figure out why the motor would attempt to turn but the gun wouldn't cycle... about an hour later yesterday I had all whole gearbox disassembled, honestly I was surprised I didn't lose a single spring in that process.

Today I picked up some parts, lube, etc. and (I kid not) spent 5 hours+ cleaning, re-shimming and attempting to close the 2 halves of the gearbox together only to have the main spring explode out a handful of times. The spring guide shot across the room 3 fucking times, the piston went flying twice. Sometimes the fucking anti-reversal latch wanted to get in on the action and pop out so I was playing fucking twister trying with one hand to secure the spring down with the guide and cyclinder and then make sure the latch stayed on with the other while trying to put the other half of the gearbox on. The main spring (an M90) that I am trying to cram into this POS is over an inch longer then the stock spring so once I seat it there is A LOT of tension. This stupid gearbox doesn't have a hole in the rear to secure the spring guide so it's resting on a little tab. Would I be crazy if I want to cut it down to the stock size?

I honestly don't know what to do... my last straw was spending 20 minutes looking for a bushing that was blown off my sector gear with the last spring flying out (it was under my fridge 5 feet away).

[pestobanana]

Sounds like your shimming is gonna be royally fucked since you said your bushings were flying. V3 Gearboxes also generally don't have the spring guide hole.

1. Stick a screwdriver, pin push or hex key into the spring guide, it will help you align it.
2. Weaken the spring on the anti reversal latch a bit, and if it keeps popping out you can lay a small screwdriver or hex key on it to keep it down under the bevel gear.
3. If the trigger spring gives you trouble, I sometimes leave the handle of a hammer on it to hold it down

That takes care of the 3 main problems people have when aligning the gearbox halves... After a few times you'll get the hang of it. If not, I guess that's why airsoft techs exist lol.

Brings back memories of my first time opening up a mechbox... It was a Well R-6 back when I was in grade 8 lol.

[Red Dot]

I used a screwdriver on the spring guide but even with it in the gearbox it really wanted to bend and escape... if I only held the spring guide down the cylinder would pop off (which it did).

I'll try that on the anti-reversal latch spring and I didn't even get to the step in the tutorial I was watching to install the trigger spring... god only knows that will be fun.

[pestobanana]

A m90 is a really soft spring, once you have it in you can just hold the assembly in with one finger on the rear piston rail.

If you're having a lot of trouble you might want to bring it to someone and watch them reassemble it.

[lurkingknight]

takes a bit of finger dexterity and agility to keep pressure on bits as you close the gearbox.

If you have a magnet you can put it under the ARL to keep it in it's place on the outside of the gearbox.

Lay the trigger into the trigger spring and line it up with the holes...

put the main spring in, put pressure on the spring guide and piston and move the other half of the shell into position.

stick a finger in the cylinder window to keep the piston down, take your other finger off of it.

close the top of the gearbox down loosely to keep the compression parts in.

Jiggle the trigger so it falls into place.

Use a screw drive to fish the gear axles and arl axle into place.

Should be closed now.

[DipTwit]

I share your pain!! When we had an indoor arena, I swapped several springs out for M90's and now that we're heading back outdoors I swapped them all back...

I have three crazy little letters that will make your blood boil if you've ever watched in envy as other guys with expensive gear play the sport: truth is, none of the above issues exists on the design of the... PTW

I picked up an A&K clone PTW and although of course it's not up to the performance of the Systema, it is a mid-range AEG priced like a mid-range AEG but with the features you envy from the Systema. I am now selling off all of my frustrating AEGs so I don't have to deal with their issues anymore. Now I can deal with the A&K's issues of course, but... no more SPROING every time I open it up

For what it's worth though, I find the M4 gearboxes to be worse than the AKs, and if they are cheaply built ones, the trigger is just as finicky as the anti-reversal latch so you've got yet another thing to hold down.

By far the easiest AEG gearbox I've worked on was the P90, since a bunch of the workings are outside the gearbox shell. So fast to pull the gearbox out of the gun too!

Best of luck, my friend

[Jimski]

recently I closed a difficult mechbbox with 2 tweezers, in 5 seconds, with my 2 y.o on my lap trying to catch something
I was quite proud

[Jimski]

1.set everything in except the main spring and the parts that pop: trigger and anti-reversal.
set the anti-reversal, hold it in position with a tweezer (clamped from behind the mechbox body to above the popping part)
same thing with the trigger
put the main spring in.hold it at the guide and cylinder with two fingers from one hand.
take the cover with the other hand, install it while always holding the spring.
remove tweezers.close box.After a while it should take you just a few seconds.

[Red Dot]

Thanks guys, I feel better today however I'm not touching it for a bit... building up the endurance to tackle it again. The cylinder is solid (no window) so I can't secure the piston like that.

Anyone know what screw fits into the trigger housing that wouldn't interfere with the tappet plate?

[Styrak]

The problem is that cheaper brands....CYMA/JG/etc have looser tolerances and can be horrible to get back together. Common issues are the anti-reversal latch doesn't stay in place, the trigger doesn't stay in place, the piston/cylinder/spring combo won't stay in place very well. However CYMA and JG can be excellent performing mechboxes otherwise.

However for example a bunch of G&G and King Arms mechboxes I've opened up, and when you put them back together, everything just stays in place by itself (or only takes one finger on the cylinder)

[Hectic]

the main issue is its a cyma box. Ive worked on cyma v2 boxes, echo1 v2, JG v2 , lct v3 and lonex v2 and 3 the lct and lonex boxes everything stays put when u place it (just need to hold the cylender while compressing tye spring) even a cpl jg and echo1 boxes were well made and went together smoothly, in fact even my cyma mp5sd went together well, but my mp5k was a bitch. If you learn on that box, every other box will be a breeze lol.
i wont lend any advice as its mostly been said alrdy.
good luck, welcome to the joys of aeg teching lol

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Styrak

The problem is that cheaper brands....CYMA/JG/etc have looser tolerances and can be horrible to get back together. Common issues are the anti-reversal latch doesn't stay in place, the trigger doesn't stay in place, the piston/cylinder/spring combo won't stay in place very well. However CYMA and JG can be excellent performing mechboxes otherwise.

However for example a bunch of G&G and King Arms mechboxes I've opened up, and when you put them back together, everything just stays in place by itself (or only takes one finger on the cylinder)

^^ This is the voice of experience.


I've worked on a bunch of mechboxes over the years and indeed the cheap Chinese brands (especially CYMA in my case) were a nightmare to work with compared to TM, G&P, KA, Systema, etc.

With good quality brand boxes and parts, everything stays in place nicely; the tabs/pins at the base of the spring guide fit snugly into the mechbox and you only need to apply a tiny bit of pressure on the spring to keep it from lifting the piston/cylinder; because the gears and anti-rev latch aren't falling out at with the slightest breeze, you can just drop down the top half of the mechbox shell and close it.

I honestly don't know what to do...

Buy better quality. Or suck it up and deal with the grief.

[Red Dot]

Originally Posted by Drake

Buy better quality. Or suck it up and deal with the grief.

Thanks buttercup, completely useful. :P

[Jimski]

meh, I've had mostly TM, CA and KA mechbox and all parts pretty much fly all over the place unless you put a big spring in it.

use tweezers, you won't regret it.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Red Dot

Thanks buttercup, completely useful. :P

The truth hurts.