Do I Need to Change Cylinder Airsoft

The cylinder assembly is the 2nd half of the compression component in an airsoft automatic electric gun, the other half existence the piston assembly.

Together, they piece of work as a pneumatic organisation that serve the function of transferring strength from a bound to propel projectiles called bbs through a butt.

The cylinder assembly is 1 of the easier parts to put together. Most aftermarket vendors will label each piece for compatibility. Despite this, upgrading an Airsoft AEG is rarely as unproblematic as picking out components, and there are notwithstanding key points to go on in listen to maximize fps gains and prevent feeding problems.

For those who desire a more visual experience, I cover the adjustments and modifications to the cylinder prepare in the post-obit video. However a lot of the details and reasoning is left out, so I highly recommend that you still read through this entry to better grasp the thought behind the deportment carried out.

The cylinder assembly is mainly composed of the cylinder head and cylinder. However, aiding in the loading of bulletin board system into the hop chamber and transfer of air into the inner barrel, we have the the air seal nozzle and tappet plate. During installation of the cylinder assembly, these 4 parts are installed together every bit ane unit.

From left to right: Cylinder, cylinder head (elevation), sorbothane pad (below), tappet plate and tappet plate leap, and the air seal nozzle.

Cylinder Head Preparation

There are unlike versions of cylinder heads for unlike gearbox versions. Depending on the AEG model, it tin take different variations of gearboxes.

The TM G3 uses a version ii gearbox and so we take to utilize a version two cylinder head likewise.

Stock AEGs will usually come with a polymer cylinder caput. I notice them to be quite durable, just may crack somewhen when using a heavy bound. Aftermarket ones are usually a sort of blend or metallic like contumely and tin have a unlike number of o-rings to make sealing easier.

The impact textile at the dorsum comes in different configurations. Flat, concave, or a mixture called tapered. The concave shaped rear is more than common with cylinder heads designed for bore-upwards sets which utilize mushroom shaped piston heads now referred to as silent piston heads.

Version 2 cylinder heads from left to correct: stock Chinese clone, Lonex, Yard&One thousand bore-up.

Choosing the right cylinder head is more than well-nigh what version gearbox your aeg is using and less nigh performance gains. I have found that single o-rings can seal just as well as double o-rings and the flat bear on material is easier to work with when installing sorbothane pads.

Installing a Sorbothane Pad

Sorbothane is a very expert shock absorbent material that will assistance us reduce stress on the gearbox from the piston'southward impact. They can exist bought pre-cutting or in sheets and come up in dissimilar stiffness ratings called duro. We are using a stiffer lxx duro pre-cutting pad that'south 3/16″ in thickness, from hither, that's less likely to deform and change our angle of appointment (discussed in P1 – Piston Grooming).

Sorbothane pad adds 3/xvi″ to the cylinder caput'southward bear on textile, shifting the piston assembly simply enough to correct angle of engagement.

Despite the Lonex having less surface area for the Southorbothane pad, we will yet exist using this over the stock Chinese clone to observe how the pocket created by the uneven contact patch affects performance and immovability. In the worst case scenario, I expect the pocket to create back pressure against the Sorbothane pad as the piston pushes air through the cylinder head, eventually leading to the Sorbothane pad's removal.

Scatterplot has released a new version for use with Lonex cylinder head since my concluding purchase that fit better which they refer to every bit tapered v2/v3 pads.

Notice how the material behind the cylinder caput has less surface area compared to the Sorbothane pad in the image on the correct.

Moving forrard, the first thing we have to do is set up the cylinder head by roughening upward the surface of the bear upon cloth behind the cylinder head. Nosotros will do the same thing on i side of the Sorbothane pad and so stick these scored surfaces together using superglue while being careful that the holes of the pad and cylinder caput line up properly.

I used super glue to stick these two together after roughening up the surfaces.

Another way to do this is to remove the existing impact fabric, score the cylinder head, and then utilise the Sorbothane pad directly. However, since nosotros are using the Sorbothane pad to correct for AOE every bit well as daze mitigation, nosotros will non remove the existing touch material.

Cylinder Type

The cylinder acts a reservoir that holds the air which will be used to propel bbs. There are designated cylinder types that agree dissimilar amounts of air volume. Yous can identify them by type and the change in the air volume is determined past the positioning of a port, or ports, on the cylinder walls. These ports likewise maximize the spring'due south potential by allowing the piston assembly to accelerate further past the port'south location earlier compression slows information technology down.

Typically the choice of cylinder is a matter of picking out a cylinder type which manufacturers have identified and guess works with your AEG or barrel length. These days butt length is predominantly the determining factor as manufacturers take realized that modded AEGs tin come in diverse different lengths.

Using a ported cylinder every bit an example, a sector gear with xvi teeth and a matching piston without alterations will shift dorsum enough for the piston head to clear the ports as shown below.

Notice how the o-ring and piston head are visible through the cylinder port.

In comparison, the following image shows the configuration using the same ported cylinder using our modded piston and G&Yard'southward have on the dual sector gear.

The short stroke nature of this set-up doesn't allow the piston head to achieve the ports despite the teeth being nearly at the release point on the stroke.

The idea behind the ports is that, depending on barrel length, you may not need the full volume of air provided by a cylinder without ports. By placing vents for air to escape compression is delayed until it'southward needed allowing the piston to accelerate farther improving efficiency in the spring's transfer of power. The closer the port's location to the rear end of a cylinder the more air volume it can provide for longer barrels. Ports further at the front take limited air volume and are used for short inner barrels.

In our case, the brusque travel of our piston does not allow the piston head to make utilize of the ports. Despite the ports playing no gene in our build, the short travel nevertheless translates to a lower book of air because we are effectively limited to a fraction of the cylinder's total capacity.

What this means for our build is that we are limited to running short barrels. In the end this may affect our maximum range and the possible aesthetics of our AEG.

A possible solution is to prefer a bore-up cylinder and cylinder head. As the name implies it is a cylinder with a slightly wider inner diameter originally used to provide more air volume to propel bbs through inner barrels above 550mm in length.

The cylinder on the right is the diameter-up cylinder. Find how sparse the cylinder walls are compared to the one on the left. This difference can be seen by centre and felt by bear upon.

The diameter deviation between the ii cylinders above is about 1.3 millimeters. Information technology's 24.9 millimeters for the bore-up cylinder versus 23.half dozen millimeters for the standard one. A i.three millimeter difference might seem small, but when calculated, it translates to most an 11.32% air volume gain over the non-diameter-upwards cylinder!

Volume Matching

Ideally yous will want your bbs to exit the inner butt just before the piston head makes contact with the cylinder caput. Too soon means yous accept an over volume and the piston head will hitting the cylinder head with actress unneeded force and produce a loud sound signature.

In addition the extra air from the excess cylinder volume may cause turbulence behind the bb afterwards it exits the inner barrel that could disturb it's flying path, affecting accuracy. Also belatedly and you may non reach the spring's intended velocity rating leading to poor FPS readings.

Past getting measurements and using the equation πr²*H, where r is the cylinder's radius and H is the piston caput's travel, yous can calculate the air volume your system makes. Too you tin utilise the aforementioned equation and substitute r for the radius of the inner barrel bore, and H with the length of the inner barrel past the hop window and towards the finish where the bbs exit.

With light bbs, 0.20g to 0.25g, you will want to maintain a ratio of 1.five cylinder air volume to 1.0 of the butt. In a perfect globe it would be i to 1, only in real life nosotros have to account for drag caused past friction and mass. For bbs past 0.25g you lot will demand more air volume to overcome drag.

When using wide bore barrels you will also need to account for blow-by caused by the increased gap between the bb and the barrel walls which let more than air to escape, and therefore need to push button the ratio even further.

The initial ratio we make up one's mind on is more of a guide. Getting the exact ratio for the application tin can be tricky and is largely trial and error wherein you need to employ a chronograph and identify at which bespeak the fix upward produces the highest fps readings. This is where tuning of the ports on a cylinder and the utilize of spacers come up in.

Our measurement indicate the piston moves well-nigh 28.5mm during it's stroke. That would give us a L of 28.5 for our equation in measuring our available air book.

For our build, nosotros are already stripped for air volume due to the curt stroke as shown in a higher place. With only 28.5mm of piston travel it equates to near 12,466.91 mm³ using the formula nosotros discussed. Considering a ratio of 1.v we need a barrel with a maximum book of most 8,311.27 mm³. That leaves u.s.a. with about a 286.41 mm or 286 mm barrel length with a 6.08 mm bore diameter to make apply of if we consider bbs up to 0.25g.

Should nosotros desire more than air volume to run heavier bbs or use a longer inner butt, the just other upgrade we tin apply is to use a bore up cylinder set. Running a tighter bore such equally half-dozen.04 mm every bit compared to vi.08 mm volition net u.s.a. about four mm more length at about 290.21 mm. A small deviation in my opinion, only will atomic number 82 to higher fps readings.

Tappet Plate

The tappet plate is a plastic arm with a fin that synchronizes the loading of bbs into the hop chamber with the cycle of the piston through a peg found on the sector gear. Depending on the fin design, the characteristics of feeding bbs into the hop bedroom can be tuned.

Siegetek Riot SC, the inventor of the dual sector gear suggests that the tappet plate fin be cutting to size at 11mm long. I used a Sharpie here and the X-acto knife to scribe where I plan to cutting.

With the tappet plate fin measuring 11mm long the nozzle chambers a bb merely earlier the sector gear releases the piston. I would take liked to cutting just a bit more material off to speed up the actuation, but the window for bb's to enter might become too brusk.

Tappet plate fin cut to the recommended 11mm length.

Compared to a total length fin the window for bbs to climb upward into the bedroom is shortened. With the nature of a dual sector gear build actuating the tappet plate twice as much per revolution compared to a conventional sector gear, that window is farther decreased and may compromise feeding. Therefore the tappet plate needs to exist drawn back for as long equally possible to ensure that feeding issues are mitigated.

Using a needle as a pick test the tappet movement in the gearbox shell for whatsoever elevate.

Air Seal Nozzle and FPS Gains

The air seal nozzle is a moving component that slides along the cylinder head's tube. Together with the tappet plate they allows bbs to feed into the hop sleeping accommodation without air escaping during the bb'due south firing cycle.

After letting bb's into the chamber the air seal nozzle pushes against a safe hop bucking within the hop sleeping room ensuring that the air transfer from the cylinder assembly is air tight.

Stock air seal nozzles usually take no o-rings and can exist a source of air leaks causing drops in muzzle velocity. Yet o-rings can also exist a source of drag in high speed gear up ups so it is important to go along them make clean and lubed to minimize resistance.

Detect the o-band within. Information technology helps make a improve seal between the cylinder caput and nozzle.

Equally far as choosing an air seal nozzle is concerned, information technology is only nigh getting the proper length at which information technology does not impede feeding by being too long, but not likewise short either every bit to existence unable to create a proper seal with the hop bucking found inside the hop chamber.

Usually the air seal nozzle is pre-measured and labeled for which model AEG it is designed to work with. Though sometimes tolerances can exist loose enough that modding the tappet plate or a different air seal nozzle becomes necessary.

Another mod involves shaving the front of the tappet plate that rests on the gearbox shell to pull the air seal nozzle further into the hop chamber creating a better seal.

Brand sure to sand downward the surface evenly. Too much and the front may be come up likewise weak or cause the air seal nozzle to be unstable, too little and at that place may be no gains at all.

Summary

At this point it is time to put everything together. Nosotros can do a test fit and it should expect similar this.

Cylinder assembly with air seal nozzle and tappet plate test fitted on the gearbox shell.

And so far, we've applied a Sorbothane pad on the version 2 cylinder head that serves to mitigate shock and correct for angle of engagement. There are different cylinder types for different barrel lengths, but in our case, the piston we put together predominantly dictated the barrel length for our build. We will be running bbs not heavier than 0.25g and therefore went with a ratio of 1.5 to 1, which lead united states of america to a maximum barrel length of about 286 mm at a vi.08mm bore bore.

The tappet plate was shaved down at front to meliorate sealing of the air seal nozzle with the hop bucking equally to prevent air leaks during the pneumatic pinch. Material was trimmed off of the fin until we got a length of about 11mm, which was the recommended length for compatibility with dual sector gears, as stated by Riot SC'southward guidelines. Components were and then cleaned out to minimize resistance between moving parts.

This build is my first foray into the world of dual sector gears and there'due south no way to tell how the parts will perform as a whole merely yet. Only with the preparations we've made, I am highly optimistic and confident in the future upshot. If I had to judge, the expanse we might need to tweak more will most likely exist the feeding characteristics of the tappet plate.

In determination, the key when working with the cylinder assembly is to lucifer volumes to your requirements, ensure air tight seals, and prevent feeding issues past minimizing elevate between moving parts.

Go along these three things in mind you lot'll be able to naturally pinpoint the areas that need your attending, and exist on your way to assembling great performing cylinder sets, the warrior manner!

Next up for this build is gearbox beat preparation.

– J4