Valve seal / setting adjustment ?

[Case Stuffer]

I have a Guppy CF air tank with a TJ3 valve which is a  SLO-FLO  one as sold by Air Tanks for Sale however mine was purchased along with a Shoe Box Max Compressor from the SB site.

First fill on 7-8-15 went great and after filling my Disco a couple of time pressure was around 4200. Next   morning pressure was 3000.  I checked for leaks and only one was from male foster . Leak was not around it or at the threads but thru it as in a valve leaking. I had tightened it to what I felt was firm enough  but I guess not.   Since then I have been tightening  much firmer and it has not leaked again, however I have read that using excess force can damage the valve seat.

I have heard that you can remove the center  nut(?) from the handle ,tighten the stem , reinstall handle and now it will not take as much force to tighten it. Is this correct and would you have to bleed the tank first?

I did modify a very wide screwdriver so I could tighten up the center nut which ay have  helped but very hard to tell for sure.  I have tested for the amount of force required to get a no leak cutoff by placing end of fill line under water and it is a great deal IMO.

[caniborrowsomeammo]

Maybe call JoeB, if it is one of his tanks. That will get you a definitive answer.

[Case Stuffer]

Thank you for your suggestion however that was the first thing I did and yes I could have mentioned that in my OP. When I called I spoke to one of his employees who made the suggestion I posted but made no mention of any safety issues or how much the steam should be turned. I have never had a HPA valve assembly apart and do not wish to experience a valve steam or other parts being expelled by 3000  plus air pressure.

Often a post on a User's Forum such as this one provides excellent advice from others who have first hand experience with the same issues.

Post here  about a Bleed Valve issue
http://www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/index.php?topic=94481.0

post  9-11 best responces IMO.


I have tread post on that same Bleeder Valve issue on another Forum going back years. I can not help but wonder if  these sealing issues are due to        trash  such as Teflon tape or from being over tightened.         


Added: I have also read post on other Forums y owners of tanks with these same manifold assemblies that they had to really tighten the main valve down to prevent leaking. Perhaps these valves just require Gorilla   strength to seal as they should and all is well with mine..                     

[Buldawg76]

case stuffer
Your opening post stated you found a leak at the male foster around the inside of the check valve itself which would indicate a bad o ring on the check valve and no amount of tightening of the foster fitting should have affected a leak at the check valve o ring. The only way to repair a leak there would be to empty tank of air and replace to o ring on the check valve so not sure what you were trying to accomplish by tightening the valve release handle nut for to try to stop a leak at the male foster fitting as they are completely separate parts with separate functions.

It may have been just a piece of foreign matter got caught under the male foster o ring and was dislodged by you tightening it or filling the tank back up thru the foster but if it continues to leak around the check valve at the inside port of the male foster it needs a new o ring on the check valve for the foster fill fitting.

BD

[Case Stuffer]

From my OP

  I checked for leaks and only one was from male foster . Leak was not around it or at the threads but thru it as in a valve leaking..

NO leaks at Bleed valve , no leaks any where   if I  muscle down on the main valve handle. I just feel like it should not require that much force to get a good seal. The bleed valve  requires thumb one finger and very light pressure where as the main valve requires a full hand firm grip and almost all of my strength but I am 70 years old and not the best physical specimen.
You posted

if it continues to leak around the check valve at the inside port of the male foster

The only Foster fitting I have which has a check valve is the one in the end of the air tube on my Disco.   My Storage Tanks Male Foster fittings have no seals at all.

[caniborrowsomeammo]

I just filled from my TS, should be the same slo-flo valve. I shut it snug, then give it an extra little torque. IIRC when I first got the tank it would leak unless I gave it that last little bit of torque.

[Case Stuffer]

I guess that I need to stop worrying and just tighten it like I have been for the past month and hope the valve steam and seat are tuff  enough to  stand the test of time. It is interesting that I have a Scott  60 min. / 87 cf SCBA tank that is 15 years old that was last inspected 2005 and the      valve takes very little pressure to seal and has held 4,500 PSI since 7-23 ( 15 days now)  . I guess Firefighters get better quality valves than us air gunners but then I bet theirs cost a lot more when new also.