Author Topic: Akela won't fill!! (Read 4670 times))

phoenix02 · « **on:** March 13, 2021, 03:15:18 AM »

Hello all! I got my Akela today from Crosman. It was at 0 on the tank when it arrived, which I thought was odd- i figured there would be a small charge to keep everything seated. I'm not ready to use it yet, still have to do something for optics, but decided to use my hand pump to see just how bad it is to fill manually, never having done it before.

I cocked the rifle as the instruction manual states, connect the foster and start pumping... and hear a constant hiss. All the air I put in is just leaking out the barrel. I tried dry firing and filling uncocked, of course that leaked. Tried recocking it with the action left open and it just leaks out the breach. Close the action and it again leaks out the muzzle- I can put my finger over it and it pressurizes slightly, so it's definitely leaking right out the barrel.

I ordered a YH compressor but it hasn't arrived, all I have is the hand pump. I can't call Crosman until monday... any ideas? I have a hammers scope I can mount for now if I pick up some picatiny mounts, but that seems needless if it won't hold air. :-(

Thanks,
Michael

Sfttailrdr46 · « **Reply #1 on:** March 13, 2021, 03:28:48 AM »

Unfortunately, unless you can pump very fast there is an insufficient volume of air with the hand pump to fully seat the valve. Try to do eight to ten very quick pump strokes sometimes that will be enough air pressure and volume to seat the valve.

phoenix02 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 13, 2021, 03:36:26 AM »

I wondered about that and tried again, pumping the handle as fast as I could about 40 times in 30 some-odd seconds. No difference, just a slow hiss. :-(

Sfttailrdr46 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 13, 2021, 05:36:26 AM »

Sometimes it requires more air than a hand pump can produce to seat the valve

CraigH · « **Reply #4 on:** March 13, 2021, 08:44:49 AM »

You have done all that is possible - the valve should be seated. The fact the rifle arrived without air tells all.

Call Monday for RMA and replacement. Some like disassembling guns with 5-year warranties - I don't.

jus Tom · « **Reply #5 on:** March 13, 2021, 09:24:25 AM »

Sadly,, this exposes the lack of quality control at Crosman AND the importer of the rifle. Seems to be NOT good business sense to ship a rifle to the buyer without first testing its' basic functions..... and then having to pay a shipper / issue an RMA to make it right. Unfortunate!

CraigH · « **Reply #6 on:** March 13, 2021, 09:54:22 AM »

Marauder rifles and Marauder pistols are shipped with a test target.

null · « **Reply #7 on:** March 13, 2021, 11:36:02 AM »

Quote from: CraigH on March 13, 2021, 08:44:49 AM

You have done all that is possible - the valve should be seated. The fact the rifle arrived without air tells all.

Call Monday for RMA and replacement. Some like disassembling guns with 5-year warranties - I don't.

Same here... can't agree enough!

If it's past it's warranty, then fine... Especially Crosman, I can drive the gun down Rt5 and drop it off... lol

CraigH · « **Reply #8 on:** March 13, 2021, 12:30:26 PM »

Quote from: manualf150 on March 13, 2021, 11:36:02 AM

Quote from: CraigH on March 13, 2021, 08:44:49 AM
You have done all that is possible - the valve should be seated. The fact the rifle arrived without air tells all.

Call Monday for RMA and replacement. Some like disassembling guns with 5-year warranties - I don't.

Same here... can't agree enough!

If it's past it's warranty, then fine... Especially Crosman, I can drive the gun down Rt5 and drop it off... lol

I have many (many more than not) modified guns and a very large parts supply for current and future work. But new guns will function or hit the road.

Nice that you live near Crosman. Rather farther to D. B. Webb (going west).

Nomadic Pirate · « **Reply #9 on:** March 13, 2021, 01:06:49 PM »

Quote from: CraigH on March 13, 2021, 08:44:49 AM

You have done all that is possible - the valve should be seated. The fact the rifle arrived without air tells all.

Call Monday for RMA and replacement. Some like disassembling guns with 5-year warranties - I don't.

Agree 100%

I've filled guns from 0 with a pump countless of times and never had one not filling if cocked.

....Send it back as fast as you can.

phoenix02 · « **Reply #10 on:** March 13, 2021, 01:40:13 PM »

Thanks, everyone- that's what I was afraid of. I totally agree that I shouldn't have to do surgery on a new gun with a 5 year warranty- I specifically went with the Akela for the warranty and I THOUGHT better quality control than something from AEA or the new Cattleman brand, that kind of thing in the same price range. I'm not tearing into a totally new gun and voiding a warranty I specifically paid to get. Tighten a screw here or there that came loose in shipping I can deal with, but tearing apart the action to replace a seal or valve or something that was faulty in manufacturing is disheartening. I'll do an oil change on a new car, but not an engine rebuild.

I'll give them a call monday... :-(

-Michael

mrbulk · « **Reply #11 on:** March 13, 2021, 02:55:42 PM »

Quote from: phoenix02 on March 13, 2021, 01:40:13 PM

Thanks, everyone- that's what I was afraid of. I totally agree that I shouldn't have to do surgery on a new gun with a 5 year warranty- I specifically went with the Akela for the warranty and I THOUGHT better quality control than something from AEA or the new Cattleman brand, that kind of thing in the same price range. I'm not tearing into a totally new gun and voiding a warranty I specifically paid to get. Tighten a screw here or there that came loose in shipping I can deal with, but tearing apart the action to replace a seal or valve or something that was faulty in manufacturing is disheartening. I'll do an oil change on a new car, but not an engine rebuild.

I'll give them a call monday... :-(

-Michael

Bummer Michael! But before you ship it back I would try and locate someone that has a compressor or bottle to give it one last try to shock the Akela into holding air and filling. Sometimes a hand pump - no matter how quickly one attempts to pump it - just will not do the trick.

Efrobert · « **Reply #12 on:** March 13, 2021, 05:10:08 PM »

I just got an Akela two days ago. I ordered right from Crosman and they ship the guns empty. Even with cocking the gun, air still came out when I opened my tank slowly. I had to slam the air in. I had to open the tank pretty wide open, It went from 0 to 3000 psi in about two seconds. I thought to myself, this is going to be impossible for anyone who hand pumps.

phoenix02 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 13, 2021, 05:58:36 PM »

Yeah, pretty impossible for anyone who hand pumps. I can attest to that. :-)

I wonder what changed- I read reviews before I ordered and most folks were saying they were showing up with a fully charged tank. I thought SOP for mfgs were to pressurize to 1k at least to keep everything in order before the end user filled to full. Maybe we got ours from a bad batch with a faulty valve that leaked down? Have you noticed any leaking after filling?

Thanks!
-Michael

Rick67 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 13, 2021, 06:43:52 PM »

If you have a rubber mallet, let someone tap the valve area while you pump.

Greg_E · « **Reply #15 on:** March 13, 2021, 06:50:55 PM »

All I can add is that I've had my bulldog apart a couple times to install a depinger, and both times pumped it back up with a hand pump. Only thing I had to do was pull the hammer back to take the pressure from the spring off.

Hopefully my Kral won't do this when it finally returns, not going to want to ship it overseas again for warranty work.

RatRacer · « **Reply #16 on:** March 13, 2021, 07:14:36 PM »

John, the engineer from Crosman, said the other day on a FB group that as of ~Aug 2020, all pcp's are being shipped empty from Crosman. So it's not a defect that it arrived that way.

mrbulk · « **Reply #17 on:** March 13, 2021, 11:27:55 PM »

Quote from: RatRacer on March 13, 2021, 07:14:36 PM

John, the engineer from Crosman, said the other day on a FB group that as of ~Aug 2020, all pcp's are being shipped empty from Crosman. So it's not a defect that it arrived that way.

Wow, talk about enabling compressor and tank purchases!

CraigH · « **Reply #18 on:** March 14, 2021, 08:45:51 AM »

Quote from: RatRacer on March 13, 2021, 07:14:36 PM

John, the engineer from Crosman, said the other day on a FB group that as of ~Aug 2020, all pcp's are being shipped empty from Crosman. So it's not a defect that it arrived that way.

So just in the last months of last year. Members have stated their new Turkish Benjamins have arrived with 3000 psi.

Not sure I like the new policy. I expect it is some shipping agency issue. And likely an air freight issue.

But the rifle should be able to be hand pumped. I will say though that I had an issue a couple of years ago with pumping an empty rifle with Hill and chinese pumps, but the Benjamin pump would start the empty gun fill. The Benjamin has a shorter hose, or perhaps the slightly larger diameter pump tube delivers a bit more volume per stroke.

So I use the Benjamin pump for fills after having degassed.

Rick67 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 14, 2021, 10:25:21 AM »

Also try to put an extra O-ring on the hose's adapter.

My GX hand pump's was deeper by an mm or 2, so Amazon Prime (seller: Ankul) decided to refund me ($160) and told me not to return the item

Personally, I would open it and clean/lube the valve, rather than return it.

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Akela won't fill!!

Author Topic: Akela won't fill!! (Read 4670 times))

Nomadic Pirate