What Upgrades for a Spyder E99?

[talfuchre]

I have a dead Stock Spyder E99. Are there upgrades (drop ins) that are worth it?

If so - please let me know what to keep my eyes out for.

TF

[scottieb]

Is the body blue or black? It makes no difference, but that blue was sharp.

I assume you're set with tank and barrel.

My #1 upgrade is the valve. I really like the Trinity/NDZ valve (same thing). It's an item you'll have to make a WTB request for as they haven't been produced in some time. They should come with a valve stem and valve spring. You'll need to back out the RVA quite a bit, maybe even swap to a softer main spring.

My #2 upgrade is the bolt. I use a stock 3 ring bolt however a 2 ring bolt is not the end of the world. I would refrain from a ringless bolt as your efficiency will suffer. I also have filed a ramp in the bolt at the top at the front. You'll have little trouble chopping today's small paint with a bolt modified as such.

My #3 upgrade would be the board and/or get new rechargeable 9.6v batteries. I like the Virtue board for its options and the fact that it will take a 9v battery.

And get yourself a feedneck you like.

[talfuchre]

Is the body blue or black? It makes no difference, but that blue was sharp.wap

I assume you're set with tank and barrel.

My #1 upgrade is the valve. I really like the Trinity/NDZ valve (same thing). It's an item you'll have to request as they haven't been produced in some time. They should come with a valve stem and valve spring. You'll need to back out the RVA quite a bit, maybe even swap to a softer main spring.

My #2 upgrade is the bolt. I use a stock 3 ring bolt however a 2 ring bolt is not the end of the world. I would refrain from a ringless bolt as your efficiency will suffer. I also have filed a ramp in the bolt at the top at the front. You'll have little trouble chopping today's small paint with a bolt modified as such.

My #3 upgrade would be the board and/or get new rechargeable 9.6v batteries. I like the Virtue board for its options and the fact that it will take a 9v battery.

And get yourself a feedneck you like.

THANKS! This helps a ton!

[flyweightnate]

You know, I happen to have an NDZ valve that I put in a Spyder build that originally came from ScottieB and I agree. Might need to open up the front block port a hair if you're running a reg. Millenium front blocks breathe really well.

But... without a smaller bore barrel, you'll leave a lot of the gains in the table. I have seen 50fps jumps going from a stock barrel (695?) to a matched Freak (.675 more often than not) with some of my lower-pressure STBBs. And more reliable cycling.

Harbor Freight has cost effective NiMH 9.6s.

[Tarsun2]

one thing id add is that i would not use a force feed hopper. Id just stick with an agitator. if you want to run a force feed for whatever reason, id glue an o-ring to the bolt face to take up the slack and limit the possibility of clipping.

[scottieb]

A good recipe for success is a 3 ring bolt, Trinity/NDZ valve, Madmann medium (blue) spring, and a higher flowing front block (Bob Long, ACI, Trinity, or Check-it). You should be cycling around 400psi.

[Jonnydread]

Scottie how much of a difference did you notice pre-bolt ramp vs. post-bolt ramp? I have an Xtra that I got for nostalgic purposes and I'd like to tweak it a little so I can shoot it with a bit less drama. Also, for higher flowing VAs, is just drilling out the passages enough to help with flow or is it more of a volume thing?

[scottieb]

Scottie how much of a difference did you notice pre-bolt ramp vs. post-bolt ramp? I have an Xtra that I got for nostalgic purposes and I'd like to tweak it a little so I can shoot it with a bit less drama. Also, for higher flowing VAs, is just drilling out the passages enough to help with flow or is it more of a volume thing?

There's a noticeable difference. My theory is the ramp softens the edge of the front of the bolt. Instead of dropping and chopping, the ball drops and the ramp keeps the ball in the stack, riding on the bolt as it moves forward. I can't attest to using one with force feed loaders as I only use revvies.

Drilling the air passages does help when dropping the operating pressure., and I suppose it does add a small amount of volume. A Bob Long/ACI/Trinity/Check-it (and certain models of Piranha) have two large openings in the VA part of the front block and much bigger openings in the LPC and valve side of the front block. Find one of these as they are worth it. The least restrictive/most open front block would be from the Dragun TES line and clones of it. There is no pin in the VA part of the front block because it isn't needed. The VA is wide open with just a small rim to catch a regulator or gas thru grip. You'll need to seal the screw that holds them to the body as they are drilled all the way through, unlike any Spyder front block.

[talfuchre]

Can you just drill out your own front block?

[scottieb]

Yes you can. If you go too large on the valve side then you will get into the threads for the front block screw. It's not a big deal, just seal for leaks.