Pneumatic gun gunk

[bbv13]

I'm restoring my first pneumatic air gun/Benjamin 310 and The only real problem I have had is getting all the gunk out of it. I spent the best part of a day cleaning the old oil which looks more like tar out of the gun. I used a wood 1/4" round about 2' long with a paper towel taped to the end to clean it out. I think I used about 10 paper towels to get the job done. The rifle is old and has a soldered in valve. Theres got to be a lot of gunk in it.

Do any of you have any tips, do's, dont's for cleaning the gunk out of a gun?

Is it worth it and is there a way to clean out a soldered in valve?

Bryan

[TooJung2Die]

I'm sure Tim at Mac1 has written about this. I use aerosol carb cleaner. As long as there are no seals in there to be concerned about it cuts varnish and baked on grease really well. Works really well at removing all the oil from skin too so avoid that. A brass shotgun brush works to clean out the threads.

[bbv13]

I posted this very quickly from my phone at work and I was busy today. The post was messed up.

Carb cleaner? I'm sure it will work as long as it's flushed out. Do you use the pump rod to push air and carb cleaner though the valve to clean it out? What do you use to flush it out after you are done?

Bryan

[TooJung2Die]

Carb cleaner? I'm sure it will work as long as it's flushed out. Do you use the pump rod to push air and carb cleaner though the valve to clean it out? What do you use to flush it out after you are done?

Bryan

I'm not talking about the Chem Dip parts cleaner that comes in a paint can for soaking parts. Use the stuff that comes in the aerosol spray can. It's extremely volatile and evaporates quickly leaving no residue. It flushes itself out. Use a paper towel soaked with the cleaner wrapped around a long dowel to wipe out the inside of the pump tube and valve body. When the towels come out white its clean. Then wash the whole tube and valve inside and out with water and blow dry with compressed air.

[kelvinator]

Are you trying to clean out the valve WITHOUT disassembling it? That is an iffy proposition at best, especially if the pump tube is severely gunked up as there is sure to be alot of gunk in valve as well.
I tried this on my leaking 342 to no avail, BUT, the intake seal was bad and ultimately had to tear into the valve.
I suppose if all the seals in the valve are good, it may work and could be worth the effort.
Not trying rain on your parade, but, with the proper tools, it's not that hard to disassemble the valve and mop out all the gunk and inspect / replace whats needed.
If you have the pump tube apart and cleaned, your half way there.
The tools to take the valve apart are readily available and can also be fabricated if your somewhat handy.
I used PB Blaster Penetrating solvent, let it soak over night, pumped and flushed it out by dry firing, more pumping and flushing with WD40 and ATF.
All for not because of the cracked and brittle intake valve.........but I will say this........upon disassembly, the guts of the valve were cleaner than than the pump tube and it was evident that the flushing and soaking had dispersed some of the gunk, but not all of it.
You can probably flood the valve with solvent and pump / flush it enough to get it to work "IF" the intake and exhaust seals are viable, "BUT", it will only take one little tiny spec of crud to work loose at some point and lodge in the exhaust or intake seat and your back to square one.
Long story longer...best to get all that crud out by whatever means necessary. 

[mudduck48]

I go to Frys and buy the electronic cleaner with out the silicone. This stuff is made to clean PC boards and does not affect plastic. Spray and let set. It drys really fast and will take grease and gunk right out.
http://www.frys.com/product/3222211?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[bbv13]

Thanks for the information guys. The valve in this gun is soldered in so there's no way to remove it for cleaning. It may not be worth it to clean out the soldered in valve. As long as air is getting into the air chamber and not getting back out? All the other parts have been removed and cleaned. It looks like I'm going to have to order a new hammer. I should have it by the time I get the stock finished and everything blued and painted. It's going to take a little longer than I thought to wrap it all up but I guess that can be expected when tearing down a +-60 year old gun.

Bryan

[TooJung2Die]

Are you trying to clean out the valve WITHOUT disassembling it?

Wow. It never occurred to me that was the proposition. I once got a Sheridan with a sticky check valve to shoot by pushing alcohol through the valve using the pump. Flushed it by dry firing and followed up with oil like Kelvin said. That was a temporary fix. I took it completely apart and replaced the seals as soon as I had the valve tools. It isn't necessary to remove the soldered in valve to clean it thoroughly and replace the seals.
Jon

[kelvinator]

Heck I may have misunderstood the OP too.
bbv13, you are trying to clean out the valve without disassembling it?
What I described would be for cleaning / flushing the valve without taking it apart.
The valve can be disassembled in the gun, and then the inside of the valve body (which is soldered in) can be cleaned and swabbed out with the appropriate cleaner and any assortment of bottle brushes or home made mini mop on the end of a dowel rod or whatever.
So, actually it is the valve body that cannot be removed, but all the guts are removable for service / cleaning. Just be VERY careful to not damage the intake seal seat.
Pretty sure I've helped make this all this is all clear as mud by now HA .

[bbv13]

I see now that there's nothing left for me to clean out. Like I said this is the first one I have taken apart. I thought there was a chamber left after removing all the parts but there's not. It looks like I muddied it all up with part of my question. Thank's for all the information.

Bryan

[bbv13]

Are you trying to clean out the valve WITHOUT disassembling it?

Wow. It never occurred to me that was the proposition. I once got a Sheridan with a sticky check valve to shoot by pushing alcohol through the valve using the pump. Flushed it by dry firing and followed up with oil like Kelvin said. That was a temporary fix. I took it completely apart and replaced the seals as soon as I had the valve tools. It isn't necessary to remove the soldered in valve to clean it thoroughly and replace the seals.
Jon

I'm waiting on some parts and still have all the guts out of the valve. Is there anything in the soldered in part that can be damaged by pushing lacquer thinner through it to clean the rest of the gunk out?

Bryan

[TooJung2Die]

I'm waiting on some parts and still have all the guts out of the valve. Is there anything in the soldered in part that can be damaged by pushing lacquer thinner through it to clean the rest of the gunk out?

Bryan

No. If you have the valve disassembled everything left is brass or solder. Like Kelvin said, be careful not to scratch the check valve seat with whatever you use to wipe out the inside of the valve body. After using solvent I like to flush with soapy water then rinse with clean water and blow dry with compressed air.