FWB P44 air Cylinders

[Mmcavoy6]

Hello,

I bought a P44 used a few years back, everything has been great until lately. One air cylinder would not screw all the way down, it got really tight as if it were cross threaded? Then today the second cylinder seemed to be developing the same problem so I degassed the cylinder and they both will screw all the way done without issues? I figured for some reason the cylinder valving has failed but before I order new ones is there something I should be looking at before I potentially ruin new cylinders?

Thanks in advance
Mike

[BobGee]

Very strange that it should happen to both cylinders at the same time. Might be an issue in the pistol where the cylinder screws in. Have you looked there?

Bob

[m1963]

Do the cylinders screw into the charging adapter and charge? If so, it is most likely what BobGee suggested.

[Mmcavoy6]

Ok - It was one cylinder then the other shortly thereafter. The cylinders screw onto the fill adapter and fill without any issues. If they are empty they screw to the gun without any problems and tighten up nicely. The more air pressure in the cylinders the bigger the problem, I am assuming the threads are worn on the gun as well as the cylinders so the more pressure throws the threading out of alignment causing what I described as cross threading. one the puff of air escapes when removing it all loosens up. I hope Pilkingtons can repair it.

[brent375hh]

Have you tried putting a dab of synthetic grease like Superlube brand on the threads?
It works well especially with a little moly powder mixed in. If the threads are bone dry, they have a tendency to gall and stick. Cylinders should go on with just two fingers and a thumb.

[David M]

Yep, its called Galling, caused by dis-similar metals under pressure.
You may fid the tanks are aluminium and the pistol is steel or stainless.
Inspect the threads very carefully, clean and lubricate.
A good moly grease works well.

[KDZ]

As suggested I use a bit of silicone grease on the threads to avoid galling, and for the few years I've owned the P44 it has worked perfectly. Love the trigger too ;)

[Mmcavoy6]

Thanks to all!
It was indeed the galling! Cleaned all the threads applied some molly grease and it is back to normal,

Thank you

[spektr]

For the love of god, remove the moly before it migrates into the gun. clean it really squeeky clean. What happened is you let the gun get too dry. There is a need to use a synthetic oil every so often on the threads on FWB air guns. Additionallly, when empty, take a drop of synthetic oil onto the cylinder pin valve and exercise it so the valve gets the lube all over the sealing surfaces. Lastly. a tiny amount of synthetic oil placed into the housing where the cylinder screws in is a great idea. This oils the internals of the pistol and keeps the belleville washer stack in the regulator happy. It takes very little oil to do this and if you overdo it, the gun will get an oily bore and get messy. The amount of oil is small, none is too little and too much is real messy, find a happy place. Lastly, I do this every 12 to 18 months, except for the tank threads that I wipe with an oiled cloth every time it comes off for charging.......

[Gwhite]

Fortunately, the pressure & geometry are such that it will usually just blow the moly grease out around the cylinder base, and it's unlikely to get into the internal workings of the pistol. It will tend to make a black mess. I've switched to using synthetic grease (Super Lube #21010) on my cylinder threads. I'm sure it still gets blow out from around the threads over time, but it's clear & I don't notice it as much...

For a light weight synthetic oil, I use Super Lube 52004, which doesn't contain any PTFE particles that might cause leaks. Depending on the pistol, putting it into the cylinder port may cause more harm than good. For example, Benelli Kites have a fine filter to keep dirt out of the regulator, and it's not clear to me how well the filter will behave if it's saturated with oil. The high pressure air probably just blows it through the filter, but it's hard to say for sure.
On the Kites, the belleville springs can be oiled from the back where the adjusting screw is located in the front of the trigger area.

[brent375hh]

FWIW I have used the Superlube that Pilk shipped with both my guns on many of the moving parts, like bolt roller for more than 10 years. I also mix some of it in moly powder in a pellet tin specifically to put on the cylinder threads of my Steyrs. They go on and off noticeably easier that Superlube alone. The OP May be using moly wheel bearing grease that May not be compatible with seals, but I don't think the moly interferes with anything more than teflon, which has been zero issues for me.

I have had zero problems with the "internal workings" having any issues. Both of my guns are mechanical, so I have no fear of it getting it on my electronic board.