Metadyne Thumper/Phoenix Redux

[zinger565]

Customer service goes a long way though...

[Riot]

😂😂
Every time Ecapnation mentions “nova” you have to drink. 🍻

And I’ve had good luck with their markers too! (Mostly). 😬

[Ecapnation]

If they had good customer service you'd worship them like nova.... 🤣

[RuleOfSines]

Circling back around as one of the first people to buy the marker direct all I can say is it was the most disappointing marker I've bought since buying my first marker in 1996. Poor quality, poor customer service. Never got the correct barrel kit I ordered. E-mailed a number of times and was always promised then from there no more responses. Just overall very negative. Just checked their website and it looks like they no longer exist. Seems like the problems became self-fulfilling and that's why I'm no longer receiving responses.

I never got my barrel either, and the only reason I'd even want it now is to add it to my collection of shame, alongside my bucket of Thumpers.

[Riot]

Maybe we don’t give these guys a third chance, ehh?

Hopefully, you can cancel payment on credit card?

[maninblack2k]

Circling back around as one of the first people to buy the marker direct all I can say is it was the most disappointing marker I've bought since buying my first marker in 1996. Poor quality, poor customer service. Never got the correct barrel kit I ordered. E-mailed a number of times and was always promised then from there no more responses. Just overall very negative. Just checked their website and it looks like they no longer exist. Seems like the problems became self-fulfilling and that's why I'm no longer receiving responses.

[Timefreak17]

Used planet eclipse grease at first, very light coat. Thought it was sticking a tad.

Wiped that and used slick grease, have to find the jar to tell ya the actual name. But comes in a pink container

[Tippster]

What kind of grease did you use?

[Timefreak17]

Phoenix update:
Replaced rear pump spring for a slightly stiffer spring, same diameter, but slightly longer and thicker wire.
Re-tapped the ac threads in the breech to allow my older ac barrels to work. Metadyne always has a weird thread issue with their ac threads size.
Definitely holds the breach tighter to the body.
Shooting field paint, using reds ac barrel with .687 back.


Was messing around with velocity again. Could not get consistent velocity for some odd reason. I had it before but now it was all over.
So tore it down to each part possible and found this problem.

The velocity adjustment piston was marred up and notched like shark teeth.
So the drilled air thru hole between the velocity adjustment piston and mav-3c valve had a aluminum burr in the piston housing. So Everytime I would adjust the velocity I would add a notch to the piston when I cocked the phoenix under pressure. Those notches would jam the piston movement as well. So one shot would be 250fps, 134fps, 220fps, 120fps, 105fps, 253fps.

So I fine sanded the piston back to smooth. I used a Dremel to de-burr and grind down the problem area in the piston area through the screw thru port.

Removed all shavings and re-grease the o-ring s and areas needed. Then put everything back together.

Velocity was 280, 276, 284, 289, 281, 277, 290, 284, 284.

I think I solved my phoenix. No breaks while shooting or in the breech.
Shot another 20 rounds just to see what happens, and just worked.

[RuleOfSines]

I was wondering if there was enough metal on the feed to bore it out like that without making it too fragile.

[Timefreak17]

They really just killed the rear feed tube and left it un-anodized...ok. I feel that's a quick fix and a sharp edge for balls to hit while loading.

The detent block is a raw finish, but probably clear coat anodized.

[capitalpaintball]

Not any from the piston and reg. Area. Is the detent block always raw?

[RuleOfSines]

Did you take any pictures of it apart by chance? I’m interested to see what unannounced fixes they have put in place.

[capitalpaintball]

I know this is not going to go down well, Considering all the problems everyone has had but... i shot it today at stockclass and it performed great. No breaks, chrono'ed 275. Absolutely no issues.
I bought the phoenix on ebay this week. Its number 0035. It came from Idaho (same as metadyne) i took it apart and lubed it(it was dry inside) it seems the guns has had a few factory fixes, the feed is bored out so tubes fit fine, and the barrel looks re-cut.
there are definitely things i would have done differently if i was designing it.i was getting 18 shots to a 12gram,slightly worse then the Thumpers 20. And the feed could have been longer, like 12 balls. I miss the vert asa but a icd 12gram stock works great and you can hold the front of the frame and use the thumb paddles.

[Timefreak17]

If you need a detent for the thumper, you can use a Tippmann 98 detent and cut the tabs off both ends.
This is also pending what version breech you have.