Hardcore imagine issues

[Method951]

So i bought an imagine from a friend some time ago for $45 with a free electric hopper. The hopper is a quantum and pure ****, but thats besides the point.

The gun didnt work right. It would sputter when shooting, double shoot, chop, etc etc. 4 different barrels tried on it before i realized it wasnt the barrel's fault. The gun is just acting incredibly strange. Dry firing was no different. it would just go "bwap, bwap, bwawap, bwabap" etc. Its in semi-auto FOR SURE. I tried burst and full auto, did the same stuff. Chop chop chop! Tried it without the x-chamber. Same thing. Tried a spring out of a Compact, same thing. Tried the striker from a compact, same thing but not as bad. Tried HPA, same thing. Upon inspection, the spring in it now was cut but a stock spring from a compact was used and didnt change anything so im ruling that out. I have no idea what to do, so i gave it back to my friend and he said he would sell it at a swap meet. He wasted too much time dillydaddling while i needed this money back (it was my lil bro's gun, he paid for it. He saved and we bought an e-99 avant from ebay for $50 with low-rise feedneck, ACI phat x-chamber, and empire on/off asa drop. It worked perfectly, unlike the imagine).

Firing slow or fast, this gun just wont work right. Any idea whats going on?
I got the gun back from my friend earlier tonight and he provided me with extra parts. Keep in my mind my friend didnt use the gun much (he preferred pumps), but got this from his uncle for xmas (brand new) a few years ago. Im no parts expert so alot of the stuff (not the hoses or screws or simple things) i dunno about. So here are the pics.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/Helgaiden/Pics/DSC01004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/Helgaiden/Pics/DSC01003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/Helgaiden/Pics/DSC01002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v330/Helgaiden/Pics/DSC01001.jpg

Any help on fixing this gun so i can sell it would be much appreciated. Also, if i remove the frame from this gun would it be a direct modless bolt-on to a spyder compact? My older bro is looking to up his spyder compact a little (he got it for free) and i was gonna suggest an e-frame for him to start. I basically want to test if a certain 32* frame will work, so if this frame is direct bolt on to the compact, ill drive down to the store tomorrow and see if the frame i had in mind fits this gun, at that point i should know for sure


P.S
forgot to mention that given all the sputtering and choppy fires/double fires it would do, it would never ever uncock/decock/whatever. It would always fully return and ask for another shot. @_@

P.P.S
Everything was lubed up and cleaned by a store owner i know who couldnt figure it out (really, he had no time. he just quickly went over it before giving it back).

I made this post on pbnation, while waiting for my spyder account to get validated so it built up some responses that may be able to help out so here you go...

http://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=1996172

[bullet06]

welcome to the forums

[bullet06]

was it cold out? CO2 doesn't like the cold weather

and yes the trigger frame will fit on a spyder compact. as far as the 32* trigger frame. it'll bolt to the gun but you might need an adapter to put your drop forward on it. and if i'm not mistaken the trigger frame you got is better then the 32* one.

[Method951]

thx for the welcome. The weather wasnt cold out at all.

About the trigger frame, i wanted a cheap one for my brother's compact. I tried the 32* one and the sear was farther back from the stock imagine one, though it bolted on perfectly. Dunno if it'll be the same thing on a compact or if it'll catch.

The thing i want to try right with the gun right now is changing the valve spring, will be trying that soon.

[WhatThaSmurf]

The thing that really screams right in my face is the fact that, although it sputters and burps, it eventually recocks. That tells me that 1) there isn't a block in the air flow, 2) the valve seems to be releasing enough pressure, and 3) the marker at least has the ability to work properly. My guess is that it is a problem with some parts, probably the striker or the sear. It sounds like the sear is not catching the striker right, but it is only enough to miss it some of the time. You said you switched the strikers, so I'm going to go with the sear. Check and see if the tip of the sear is worn down. If it isn't, maybe your frame isn't snug against the body. If that's not it either, well, at least I helped to eliminate some possibilities.

[Method951]

The striker looks fine, had a few people look at them and they all said the same thing. Im gonna try a new valve spring a little later, the one in it seems really hard to me.

I might also try the grip-frame from my brother's e-99.

[Oscum Guy]

put the frame on the compact and see if it is the frame that was the problem. then try the compact frame on the imagine.

[Backmanshooter]

Well if it double shoots, then the detents are worn. But I'm pm you and try to help you more. ;)

[Oscum Guy]

also if you switch the frames then also switch the strikers for the mechanical frame striker is different than the electronic frame striker.

p.s. you shouldnt take apart the hose links like that.

[Mormon]

The sear and striker may look fine but when it stops catching you need to replace them. My esprit did it after awhile too. Change the sear. Also you cant use a striker out of a non-electro marker

[Backmanshooter]

also if you switch the frames then also switch the strikers for the mechanical frame striker is different than the electronic frame striker.

p.s. you shouldnt take apart the hose links like that.The strikers in my old imagine and my xtra were the same size...

But in my JT 3.5, that was shorter but fatter. ;)

[Hob Hayward]

Yeah, I had similar issue with a worn down sear catch on a striker. Basically the same exact thing would happen.

If you try a sear, sear spring and striker that are known to work elsewhere, all I can suggest is that it *might* be the board. I had an issue where my gun would consistently double fire, no matter what, I later realizer that the board I had been using was holding the sear down for too long,and while it'd work with any other gun, the cycle rate on my gun was just too fast (lighter internals). While that wouldn't be the case, perhaps something on the board is halfway fried. Try someone else's board and see if that works.

[Method951]

Well the sear looks fine, and the striker from the imagine and the compact looked exactly the same 100%. The compact is no longer around, brother moved away with it. Anyways, im out of time and my other brother cant get the gripframe off his e-99 because of the way the ASA is setup on it (bought it like that) so i cant use that grip. I have a jt excellerator 5.0, if that would fit i can use that. Dont have anything else, no mechs or anything. Well...a tac-5 but i doubt that gripframe fits on the imagine.

after buying a 32* spring kit and trying various combos of valve/main spring, i decided to give up. The gun is for sale with all extras and stuff in my sig on my pbnation account. I simply dont have time to do anything with this gun and am not willing to pay any money to get it fixed elsewhere. Doesnt seem worth it.

[Oscum Guy]

The strikers in my old imagine and my xtra were the same size...

But in my JT 3.5, that was shorter but fatter. ;)
the distance between the indent should be different and the little indent behind the big one should be a different size.

Well the sear looks fine, and the striker from the imagine and the compact looked exactly the same 100%. The compact is no longer around, brother moved away with it. Anyways, im out of time and my other brother cant get the gripframe off his e-99 because of the way the ASA is setup on it (bought it like that) so i cant use that grip. I have a jt excellerator 5.0, if that would fit i can use that. Dont have anything else, no mechs or anything. Well...a tac-5 but i doubt that gripframe fits on the imagine.

after buying a 32* spring kit and trying various combos of valve/main spring, i decided to give up. The gun is for sale with all extras and stuff in my sig on my pbnation account. I simply dont have time to do anything with this gun and am not willing to pay any money to get it fixed elsewhere. Doesnt seem worth it.
how is the asa setup? if it is the foregrip blocking the screw you can just unscrew the drop forward or bottomline and then take of the foregrip. that should help access to the screw. i have alot of experience with e99's and if it is stock it shouldnt really be a big problem.