Impulse FAQ ~ Technical

Normally the Impulse will operate at about 140-180 psi. With upgrades this number can be dropped. Additionally with an LPR you can have one low pressure for the bolt and one higher pressure for the propulsion.

#2 What is the Dwell?

The Dwell is simply the amount of time that the gun valve remains open. The Dwell is controlled by the amount of air sent to the hammer through the solenoid valve.

#3 What should the Dwell be set at?

The Dwell setting of every IMPULSE is set from the factory, however it may need to be slightly adjusted to correspond with the guns desired inlet pressure or air source (CO2 or nitrogen/compressed air).

To set the Dwell for maximum efficiency you will need your Impulse, air (or CO2), some paint and a chrono. Set up your Imp. Adjust the operating pressure to 180psi. NOTE: Based on the upgrades installed in your Impulse you may need to adjust the operating pressure to something lower.

For the Green/Amber Light board: While firing over the chrono, carefully adjust the Dwell POT until you are firing about 280fps. The Dwell POT is very sensitive, so only make small adjustment. Once this process is complete, your Impulse should be running at maximum efficiency.

For the Blue Light (Cricket) board: While firing over the chrono, use a small allen key and press the dwell up or dwell down buttons until you are firing about 280fps. Make small adjustment and take 2-3 shots before adjusting again. Once this process is complete, your Impulse should be running at maximum efficiency.

When you replace any internal part, you should perform this process again.

#4 What is the maintenance on the Impulse?

The body of the gun should be cleaned off with a damp cloth. In the unlikely event of a ball break, the bolt can be removed and a squeegee can be run through the entire upper chamber to clean out the paint residue. DO NOT run the gun under water to clean out broken paint.

If you should ever lose or damage an o-ring or seal in your Impulse or your Impulse regulator you may purchase o-ring kits from Smart Parts. They are available in partial and complete kits for both the Impulse regulator and the gun.

Your Impulse will need to be disassembled and re-lubricated with a LIGHT coat of Dow Corning 33 grease after each day of play! The main parts that need greased are the bolt and the valve. Proper lubrication is vital to the performance of your Impulse. If it is not lubricated thoroughly it will not perform at its optimum level! This may also result in premature failure of the o-rings.

To lubricate the bolt you must remove the bolt location pin and slide the bolt from the rear of gun. Then using your finger work a small amount of grease onto the bolt. After this is done work the bolt head back and forth to distribute the grease throughout the assembly. When reinstalling the bolt location pin through the bolt for re-assembly, the bolt must be in the back position to allow the pin to fit into the hammer.

IMPORTANT: when reinstalling the bolt, be sure the air transport hole is facing down !!

To lubricate the hammer (sa2), first remove the bolt location pin (414) and bolt (sa1). Then using a 7/8” AF wrench, remove the hammer assembly (sa2) located in the rear of the gun below the bolt. With the hammer assembly removed, wipe off all old grease and replace with a generous coating to the o-rings and the hammer piston. Do not apply grease to the hammer itself! Work grease into the air passages of the hammer housing and cycle hammer back and forth to distribute the grease. After this is done replace the hammer and hammer housing followed by the bolt and bolt location pin.

To lubricate the valve, first remove the valve end cap (412) by simply unscrewing with a wrench. Next, remove the valve spring and sliding out the valve. Once removed, wipe off old grease and replace with a generous amount of Dow 33 grease.

#5 Where can I find instructions on how to clean the Max-Flow?

First, you should have received a Max-Flow Regulator manual when you purchased your Impulse. If not, you can do the following, call Smart Parts and ask for a new one (you might have to pay for it) or look here at the on-line version www.kamworld.net/paintball/MaxFlow.pdf.

#6 Where can I get Dow 33?

When you purchase your Impulse you should receive a very small tube of Dow 33. This will last you about 4-6 weeks if you play weekly and maintain your Impulse properly.

You can buy a tube from just about anywhere that sells Impulse or Shocker parts. A 2oz tube should cost you about $8.00 plus shipping. This works out to be $4.00 per oz. A tube this big should last you about 1 year, based on regular weekly maintenance to your Impulse.

If you want to save a couple of dollars, you can buy a 5.3oz tube from www.grainger.com for $12.72 plus shipping. This works out to be $2.40 per oz. Below is a link to the exact item on Grainger's web site http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/productdetail.jsp?xi=xi&ItemId=1611786976

#7 How many shots will I get from my tank?

These values are assuming you can get a full fill. If a CO2 tank is not chilled prior to filling it will not be filled completely (18oz in a 20oz tank). In addition most fields can not fill to a full 4500psi.

For a 20oz CO2 tank about 1000-1200 shots as long as the tank has an anti-siphon tube installed.
For a 68/3000 HPA tank about 800-900.
For a 45/4500 HPA tank about 800-900.
For a 68/4500 HPA tank about 1200-1300.
For a 90/4500 HPA tank about 1600-1800.

All of these numbers are based on assumption that your dwell is set correctly for your air source.

NOTE: If you are using an LPR you should get MORE shots per fill than what is stated above.

Extra info on HPA tanks

Steel tanks will not get as good a fill as carbon fiber or tuff skin. When air is forced into a tank it is compressed (duh) This causes the air molecules to get "excited" and heat up. They also then expand. All HPA tanks will get warm when filled, but a steel tank actually gets very hot to touch. Fiber wrapped tanks do not have this problem to the same degree as a steel tank.
If you fill a steel tank to 3000psi it will get hot. Once you let the tank sit and cool off, the pressure will drop to about 2400psi. A fiber tank will only drop to about 2800psi.
Fiber wrapped and tuff skin tanks have to be hydro'ed every 3 years, steel tanks every 5 years.
It is better to fill your compressed air tank when there is air in it. You will ALWAYS get a better fill. This is because the more air that is in your tank at room temperature the less air you are adding and having heat up and expand in your tank.
You should never switch from CO2 to HPA or vice versa in the same day. One gas is hot the other is cold and all it will do is eat up your seals and o-rings. Switching from one week to the next, not a problem.

#8 What kind of threads do Impulse Barrels have?

The production release Impulses take Impulse barrels. These barrels are threaded unique for the Impulse.

A pre-release Impulse also known as a Special Edition Impulse does not take Impulse barrels but takes cut down Shocker barrels. To make a Shocker barrel work on a pre-release Impulse you must cut off 0.420 inches from the threaded end.

#9 How do I use a compressed air or CO2 tank without an ON/Off?

The problem was that the old manifold had a long pin in it. The pin would open the pin valve in the HPA tank before the tank was sealed to the manifold. The results was a major leak of air.

A secondary problem was that if the air entered the gun too quickly there was the potential to "shock" the solenoid. That is why in step #2 you turn down the operating pressure

This is referred to as “The O-Ring Trick”.

Place an extra o-ring in the ASA before screwing in your HPA or CO2 tank.
Lower the output pressure of the Max-Flow by unscrewing the velocity cap about 5 turns. This should lower the output pressure on the Max-Flow to under 100psi.
Screw in your tank. This does not have to be done slowly. You will actually have greater success if you screw the tank in quickly.
While firing, slowly increase the output pressure on the Max-Flow.

The o-ring trick is not always needed. An Impulse with a vertical max-flow will have a standard ASA under the grip frame. This ASA will seal the tank before the pin in the ASA engages the pin valve on the tank. Smart Parts also redesigned the manifold, so on newer Impulses with a bottom mount Max-Flow your tank will also seal properly to the manifold.

Even if your tank seals to the manifold or ASA you should still turn down the operating pressure before screwing in your tank to avoid "shocking" the solenoid.

#10 Do I need an Anti-siphon tube in my CO2 Tank?

Yes. An Anti-siphon tube, if installed properly will keep the liquid CO2 out of your max-flow reg. This will increase efficiency (more shots per tank) and reduce venting of excess pressure as well as reduce the amount of wear on o-rings in the max-flow.

# 11 What is the Delrin Valve?

The Delrin valve comes standard on all new Impulses. It was an upgrade that was added to replace the existing stock Stainless Steel valve from the pre 3000's serial numbered Impulses. The Delrin version is lighter and therefore requires less air to move. It will also reduce some of the kick of the Impulse. Smart Parts will not replace your Delrin valve unless your stock valve is broken.

#12 Why does the first shot have such a low velocity?

After speaking with an Smart Parts technician on this issue he said 90% of the time the problem is a dry Hammer Rod. He also said it happens more often in new Impulses because the o-rings are still tight. Make sure you lube the Hammer Rod with plenty of Dow 33 to minimize this problem. It could also be a low battery. Try replacing the battery with a new Energizer or Duracell.

This has commonly been referred to as FSDO or First Shot Drop Off. There are many people trying different things to cure this. Most of the time the cure is to clean and properly lube the ram shaft and solenoid.

See FAQ #23 for more details on FSDO

#13 Where can I find instructions on cleaning the Solenoid?

Smart Parts has recently updated their web site. You can select Support from the left side menu and select Impulse for a list of support options.

#14 How does the Impulse work? Are there any computer animations available?

Now would I post the question if the answer was no? Here is a link to an animation of the Impulse in action.

#15 Are there any reviews of after market upgrade parts for the Impulse?

The links to the reviews have been moved to the top of this page. If you are all the way down here, you missed them.

#16 Can I convert a High Pressure Max-Flow tank to a Low Pressure tank using the stock Max-Flow Regulator?

First, you can not just change springs!. The Max-flow 4500 reg has a small piston to better handle the higher pressure differential.

But to answer the real question, YES. If you have a max-flow with the new style reg, you can simply switch regs, no problem.

If you have a Old style reg, it is almost as easy, the only change is that the old style manifold will have two teats on it. You have to unscrew the one closest to the front (it will be difficult as its red loctited in). Simply remove this and plug the hole with a 1/8 X 28 NPT plug. If you don't have one, just take the reg to a local plumbing supply or home improvement store and show them the hole and tell them you need a "1/8" pipe thread plug in the hex head style" they should be able to figure out what you want. Get Stainless Steel if possible, they will normally be less then a dollar.

Remember to use loctite on the thread (do not use thread tape!)

Before you air it up the first time, turn the pressure way down.

#17 How do I set the sensitivity on the Smart Parts Vision?

NOTE: This feature is for the Green/Amber light board. The Cricket board does not have adjustable eye sensativity.

Here is what it says, directly from the Vision user sheet:

NOTE: For the purpose of this set of instructions, CW = Clock Wise and CCW = Counter Clock Wise.

Make certain the air source is disconnected from the Impulse.
Place loader (hopper) and barrel on marker to avoid light entering the breech to ensure a proper reading.
Turn Impulse on; select middle position of the rear selector switch.
Retract bolt to ensure breech is clear.
Drop in paintball to be used. If using 2 toned paint, first drop in the darker, or violet colored shell towards "eye". This can be done by dropping in the paint, removing the barrel, spin ball to correct side and rethread the barrel. MAKE CERTAIN air is disconnected from marker.
Using a small flat head screw driver slowly, rotate the vision 'eye' pot CW until the pot reaches the limit and stops, Next rotate the pot CCW until the LED flashes amber. Continue until the LED stays solid amber. Next rotate the Impulse in all shooting positions, tilt sideways and rock back and forth. The Amber light should stay solid.
Rotate the paintball to expose the other shell color, if the ball is 2 toned, and repeat step 5. Use the most CCW setting needed to read 2 toned balls.
Vision is enabled Impulse is now ready to use.

And for those of you that do not know, with the Vision switch on the back of your Impulse, in the Left position the Vision system is ON and in the Right position the Vision system is OFF. As mentioned above the middle position is to programs the Vision eye's sensitivity.

NOTE: This is for the original Vision boards with POTs. The cricket Vision board is not adjustable.

#18 There is a leak inside my Impulse, what do I do?

First you need to identify where the leak is. Often it is with the solenoid, but it quite easy to solve. Most people do not know this but you can air up your Impulse with the trigger frame and solenoid tray removed. This is because air enters the body of the Impulse in one of three places, the air inlet on the back, the air inlet on the front or most often the air inlet under the body. Now a days most people will have the air enter via a gas-thru grip or a Vertical Max-Flow (this is the under the body inlet).

When you remove the two large screws that hold the trigger frame and solenoid tray you might need to also carefully unplug the solenoid from the board (non-Vision Imps only). Now that the gun is open like this it will often be very easy to identify exactly where the leak is. If you suspect it's the solenoid, try pushing it into the body. If the leak goes away, then you have found the problem. To fix it, remove the air and tighten the screws the hold the solenoid in place. It might be necessary to remove the solenoid and clean/lube the gasket before tightening the screws.

BTW, to fire the gun with the trigger frame off, just push the little white button on the solenoid. REMEMBER that the bolt will move when you do this so be careful not to have the gun situated so that the bolt pin is in a bad place (like your lap!!!).

#19 What is the Difference between the Different Solenoid Optimizers?

First, their purpose. The addition of a solenoid optimizer is to assist the Impulse in cycling without paint, i.e. dry firing. The various optimizers prevent the condition known as bolt stick by preventing the valve from pulling air away from the solenoid.

Now the Isolation modifications, or Solenoid Optimizers, come in two different flavors. One type is the flow restrictor design. What that means is that it does not separate the solenoid from the valve but it restrict the valve from "sucking" air away from the solenoid. The benefit of this design are that it is a drop in modification and does not require any tapping of holes so that they can be plugged. The other type of Isolation modification is the isolation design. The Isolation design separates the air flow and feeds the valve and solenoid separately.

There is a complete review of each of the Solenoid Optimizers. Return to the top of the page and follow the links on the left for more details.

NOTE: Smart Parts stopped drilling the air transfer hold that connects the solenoid air passage to the valve from under the body. Because of this change you can NOT use a VFF, HFV or AHF. Please make sure you check your Impulse body before ordering one of these parts.

Different Solenoid Optimizers:

Solenoid Airflow Maximizer
Style: Flow restrictor design
Relative Cost: Least expensive of all Solenoid Optimizers
Relative Performance: Top performer (along with the Tapeworm) in the restrictor style.
Description: This is a small part about the size of a pencil eraser that is installed internal to the air passage on the side of the Impulse. Once installed there are no noticeable indications outside the marker to allow an onlooker to see that it was installed. Once installed you will need to increase your operating pressure to achieve the same velocity.
Tapeworm
Style: Flow restrictor design
Relative Cost: Moderate expense.
Relative Performance: Top performer (along with the Solenoid Airflow Maximizer) in the restrictor style.
Description: This is an aluminum piece that replaces the plug screw in the air transfer passage in the front of the Impulse. It is easily identifiable by the small spike sticking out of the front by the valve cap. Available in colors. Internally there is a tube to direct the air flow toward the solenoid. Once installed you will need to increase your operating pressure to achieve the same velocity.
Eclipse Solenoid Optimizer
Style: Flow restrictor design
Relative Cost: Moderate expense.
Relative Performance: Poorest performer in the restrictor style.
Description: This is an aluminum piece that replaces the plug screw in the air transfer passage in the front of the Impulse. It is easily identifiable by the colored plug screw vs. the original ss screw. Internally there is a tube to direct the air flow toward the solenoid. This tube has a one-way valve and a filter. It is believed that the combination of these two cause the ESO to perform poorly. Once installed you will need to adjust your dwell and increase your operating pressure to achieve the same velocity.
VooDoo Full Flow (VFF)
Style: Isolation design
Relative Cost: Expensive
Relative Performance: Greatest performer of all Solenoid Optimizers, equal to the New DeSignz HFV.
Description: This is a replacement Vertical Adapter that has a separate air passage for the air going to the solenoid. Prior to installation you will need to tap (add threads) to an air transfer hole connecting the valve to the air passage that feeds the solenoid. Once tapped, you will then install a plug screw to block the air transfer hole. Once the VFF is installed you will need to adjust your operating pressure (often decreasing) to achieve the same velocity.
New DeSignz High Flow Vertical (HFV)
Style: Isolation design
Relative Cost: Expensive
Relative Performance: Greatest performer of all Solenoid Optimizers, equal to the VooDoo Full Flow (VFF)
Description: This is a replacement Vertical Adapter that has a separate air passage for the air going to the solenoid. Unlike the VooDoo Full Flow you do not need to tap (add threads) to an air transfer hole connecting the valve to the air passage that feeds the solenoid. Simply install the new plug screw provided and it will block the air transfer hole. Once the HFV is installed you will need to adjust your operating pressure (often decreasing) to achieve the same velocity.
Home Made ISO Mod

Style: Isolation design
Relative Cost: Inexpensive
Relative Performance: Greatest performer of all Solenoid Optimizers.
Description: This is a home made version of the VooDoo Full Flow. See Upgrade FAQ # 17 for details.
New DeSignz ISO Mod Kit
Style: Isolation design
Relative Cost: Expensive
Relative Performance: Greatest performer of all Solenoid Optimizers. This is a drop in kit to mimic the Home Made ISO Mod
Description: This is designed for new Impulse bodies that can not use VFF's or HFV's. The kit includes all the parts you need, including a replacement Vertical Adapter, LPR nipple and a small hose. Simply install the LPR nipple, replace your vertical adapter and connect the hose. Once this kit is installed you will need to adjust your operating pressure (often decreasing) to achieve the same velocity.
CVS Vertical Adapter from SPC
Style: Isolation design
Relative Cost: Expensive
Relative Performance: With a built in 1-way valve the performance is exceptional compared to the other ISO mods.
Description: The CVS Adapter separates the air flow for the bolt pressure (solenoid) and the operating pressure. It has a built in check valve and is the only Vertical Adapter that will allow you to put a gauge on the Low Pressure side once an LPR is installed.

#20 How can I connect an Angel AIR tank to an Impulse?

To use Angel AIR on an Impulse, first make sure that the PRV (Pressure Relief Valve) and Gauge are both on the marker, as in, connected to a Vertical Adapter or VooDoo Full Flow. Turn the output pressure on the AIR down all the way. Connect the AIR to the Impulse and SLOWLY raise the output pressure. Be aware that a small turn of the output pressure adjustment screw on the AIR can go a long way (1/2 turn = 100psi). Do not rely on the gauge on the AIR for an output pressure reading because it will display "Lo-P" as the output pressure until it is above 198psi.

NOTE: The original Angel AIRs did not function well at this low of a pressure. The AIR was updated to allow better performance at lower pressure. These upgraded AIRs can be identified by the "extra nipple" like where the output pressure adjustment screw is located.

#21 Do I need to have the PRV on my Impulse?

The purpose of the Pressure Relief Valve (PRV) is to vent excessive pressure if your max-flow (or other reg) goes over 220-230psi. This is to save the solenoid.

The PRV is like an insurance policy. Normally you do not need it, but if and when you do and it's not there you will be VERY unhappy.

Find a way to keep the PRV on your Impulse. Put it on a vertical adapter or VFF. If that is not an option put it in the air inlet port on the back of the Impulse.

#22 How do I know if my Impulse is Vision Ready?

If you have 2 ball detents there is a good chance that your Impulse is Vision ready. If you also have a small notch on the side of the solenoid tray (the side with the jewel) near the front you are almost guaranteed to have a Vision ready Impulse.

#23 How can I Fix my First Shot Drop off Problem (FSDO)?

Jack Wood has written a comprehensive method for finding what is causing First Shot Drop off and fixing it. Here is a copy of his Document.

Just wanted to give some input to the low first shot problem that a load of members seem to suffer from. After having no evidence of the problem on any one of my team guns for the last few months, this weekend we had 4 out of the 6 guns used in training developed the problem. Now I know there are a million different cures that fly around the forums, including cleaning lube off the back of the hammer, use a 009 o-ring on the ram, etc, etc. Now I build and maintain all the Banzais team guns (as player on Banzais and worker at Planet Eclipse, it makes sense!!!!!) and I obviously know the history of every single gun on the team. So during training I did a couple of experiments to isolate the problem down to one specific area or component. I felt it had to be one specific problem for all the guns to develop identical symptoms, simultaneously. The final test that gave me the conclusive evidence of the culprit (sounds like a who-dunit!!) was this:-

Chrono the gun with several shots, and note the highest and lowest shots. Now let the gun sit. Let it sit for the period of time that you know usually causes a low first shot. For some that may be a minute, for others it may be 5. Now you can switch the gun on and off if you want, but it is better to leave it gassed, obviously. Now, after that period, push on the back of the bolt, or the bolt pin, just far enough that it breaks any contact with the ram and bolt in the rear position, and then let it spring back into the rear, cocked, position. You don't want to push it all the way forward, or you will push a ball into the barrel, and another will fall in behind it when you let it go. Not Good! What you are doing here is breaking the "stiction" of the bolt, hammer, and ram system, and "simulated" a fired shot in those components. If you now fire the gun, straight after pushing the bolt, you will find one of two things. Either the next shot will be at full velocity, or not. If not, it will be lower than the lowest shot in the string before you let the gun sit. If you find that that shot was full velocity, it means you have a sticky bolt, hammer or ram. Clean them all and re-lube, and I always prefer Airlube to Dow33, but that's just me (less sticky).

However, if that shot is still low, like every one of my team guns was, then it is stickiness in the solenoid that is causing the low shot. After further testing it was definitely the solenoid that was causing the first shot low problem in every gun we tried. I took out the solenoid, cleaned the spool of ALL grease, cleaned the pilot ports in the middle section of the solenoid with strands of wire and wiped clean the plunger and spring. I then LIGHTLY greased the spool with Dow33 and re-assembled the solenoid and gun. After doing this to every gun, the problem was completely eradicated. We left all the guns for up to an hour and saw not even 5 foot drop in velocity for the first shot. For your interest we have a complete mix of stainless, delrin, titanium and aluminum hammers, bolts and shafts, and a mixture of LPR set-up guns and regular run Impulses. The problem and the cure was universal. No set-up seemed any more susceptible than any other.

So, I hope you all understand what I am saying.

Many thanks

Jack Wood

#24 How do I Adjust my LPR?

Instructions provided by FOM (Craig) at www.e-paintballoutlet.com with small edits by me.

Here's a short cut way to get an Impulse with an LPR up and running close to "perfect" settings.

Set your Impulses operating pressure to 150psi.
Set the LPR at its maximum output pressure setting. This will be 150psi. We don't really care about the LPR's actual pressure. We are trying to do this the simple way.
With the operating pressure at 150psi, adjust your dwell to get the gun to shoot about 300fps. This will give you a very good dwell setting to use with the LPR.
Now set the operating pressure up to 200psi.
Shoot over a chrono, adjust the LPR to get the velocity you want, lets say 290fps for an example.
There you are done!

To change your velocity, adjust the LPR. Leave your dwell and operating pressure set as is.
Now you can tweak all these settings to "fine tune" your Impulse but this gives you a great starting point that you can fall back to if all gets messed up.

NOTE: Some people prefer to use the technique above and then use the max-flow to adjust the operating pressure and therefore change the velocity. Neither way is wrong, it's all just personal preference.

#25 How do I remove my Hammer and/or Ram shaft?

I recently learned a GREAT trick for separating the hammer form the ram shaft. Instead of a hair dryer or a lighter, use boiling water. Just do the following:

Start some water boiling.
Remove all the o-rings from the hammer assembly.
Once the water is boiling, extend the ram forward so it is open. Put on an oven mitt or something like it to protect your hand.
Submerge just the hammer in the boiling water, not the entire hammer assembly.
Let the hammer sit in the water for about 1 minute, maybe a little longer.
Remove the hammer from the water and be careful because it's HOT.
When you feel that you have loosened the loc-tite, you will need to grip the hammer in a fashion that will not destroy it and use the 1/8" allen key to remove the ram shaft. The key here is DO NOT TRASH THE HAMMER, unless you have a new one to replace it. I usually wrap the hammer twice in an old leather belt and then pinch it in a vice.
Works every time!!!

#26 Smallies' Guide to fixing FSDO with an LPR

This guide to fixing First Shot Drop Off (FSDO) is for people who have solenoid related FSDO only. That is, their hammer assembly and solenoid are both properly lubed, however their board is just not supplying enough power to operate the solenoid properly at a low dwell setting. If yours aren't properly lubed, go read the guides to find out how to properly lube both of them.

Set your dwell to zero. Put your LPR at maximum pressure. Set operating pressure to 160psi.

Shoot your gun. If it has FSDO, raise the dwell 5 beeps. Wait 5 minutes. Shoot, if it has FSDO, raise 5 dwell beeps, wait 5 minutes. And keep doing this until FSDO goes away.

Once it goes away, lower the dwell 1 beep, wait 5 minutes, and shoot. Keep repeating this until FSDO comes back. Once it comes back, raise the dwell 1 beep. FSDO should be gone now.

Now, adjust your LPR so your gun shoots 280fps. Wait 5 minutes, shoot the gun. If you have FSDO, raise dwell a beep, and compensate by lowering your LPR until it shoots 280fps. Keep repeating this process until you have no FSDO and you're shooting 280fps.

If you find your gun is inconsistent, raise the LPR pressure a tiny bit, back off on your main operating pressure a tiny bit. Keep doing so until the gun is consistent & shoots 280fps. Your dwell should not be changed while doing this.

Now take the back cap off the back of your hammer assembly and using a Q-tip, clean all the lube out of the rear area of the ram. Trust me you'll never see FSDO again, and your gun will be properly lubed.

When you lube your gun, a big wad of the lube ends up in the rear of your hammer assembly and this causes massive FSDO.

#27 Smallies' Guide to fixing FSDO without an LPR

Take the back cap off your ram, clean out ALL lube you see. Move the hammer/ram forward and use a Q-tip to remove ALL lube out of the hole where the ram is... now put the cap back on. Do NOT re-lube your imp.

Cycle the ram 10-20 times with your finger (by pushing on the pin obviously), gas up your gun, shoot. If it has FSDO still, its solenoid related.

If FSDO is gone, your FSDO was hammer assembly related and is now gone.

If its still there, clean your solenoid. Then raise your dwell a few beeps (2-3 beeps), lower operating pressure until you shoot 280. Wait 5 minutes. Shoot. If its still there, raise dwell again, lower op. pressure, until u shoot 280. Wait 5 min, shoot. Repeat this process until FSDO is gone.

One other thing:

In the future, when you lube your pulse, lube the o-rings on the hammer assembly and then put a little lube into each of the holes on the hammer assembly.

Shoot the gun 50 times or so with air to cycle the lube through your gun.

Now take the back cap off the back of your hammer assembly and using a Q-tip, clean all the lube out of the rear area of the ram. Trust me you'll never see FSDO again, and your gun will be properly lubed.

When you lube your gun, a big wad of the lube ends up in the rear of your hammer assembly and this causes massive FSDO.

#28 Are Impulse feed tubes threads the same as any other?

Yes the feed tube threads on an Impulse are the same as a Shocker, both the new and old Shocker.

#29 What o-rings are used with the Impulse?

The updated Impulse manual contains o-ring information for all of the o-rings in the Valve Assembly and the Hammer Assembly as well as the Inline Max-flo (vertical) regulator. The problem is the "part number" they provide is confusing if you do not understand the type of information they are providing.

In the manual, next to each o-ring is a number listed as xx/yy. The xx value is the Standard American "AS568A" number. This is a number used to identify a specific o-ring size. Now the size of an o-ring consists of three measurements, the Inner Diameter (ID), the Outer diameter (OD) and the Cross Section (CS). In simple English, the Cross Section is the width. The yy value is the hardness. A Durometer is used to measure the hardness of various substances. Shore A is the numerical scale for measuring the hardness of rubber. Any of you skaters should be familiar with the durometer of skate wheels. This same value applies to o-rings, the higher the value the harder the rubber. The Shore A scale is from 35 (soft) to 90 (hard).

Now with all that said, below is the list of various Impulse o-rings that should allow you to buy replacement o-rings wherever available. Below the o-ring list is a table with a section of the AS568A values and measurements. The sizes identified below are highlighted.

Valve Assembly

Valve Body (Valve Seat) o-rings (18/70) (NOTE: There are two of these)
Delrin Valve o-ring (11/70)
Valve Seat Locator o-ring (10/70)

Hammer Assembly

Hammer (Cylinder) Cap o-ring (14/70)
Ram (piston) o-ring (10/70)
Hammer Assembly (Piston Cylinder) o-ring (9/70) (NOTE: this is the o-ring on the inside)
Hammer Assembly (Piston Cylinder o-rings (18/70) (NOTE: There are three of these)

NOTE: Originally Smart Parts used a 10/70 on the inside of the Piston Cylinder. This was found to be a source of FSDO and was changed out for a smaller o-ring. If you have an older Impulse and have FSDO, you might want to replace this o-ring next time you clean your Hammer Assembly.

Max-Flo Vertical Regulator

Low Pressure Piston o-ring (14/75) (NOTE: this is the o-ring on the outside)
Low Pressure Piston o-ring (3/90) (NOTE: this is the o-ring on the inside)
O-ring between Seat Cap and Seat Base (9/90)
O-ring outside the Seat Base (10/70)
Poppet Guide o-ring (13/70) (NOTE: this is the o-ring on the outside)
Poppet Guide o-ring (9/70) (NOTE: this is the o-ring on the inside)
O-ring between Vertical Nut and Vertical Reg Body (20/70)
o-ring that seals the Vertical Reg to the Vertical Adapter (15/70)

AS568B Nominal Size (in.) Actual Size (in.) Actual Size (mm)
Number ID OD CS ID CS ID CS
-001 1/32 3/32 1/32 .029±.004 .040±.003 0.74±0.10 1.02±0.08
-002 3/64 9/64 3/64 .042±.004 .050±.003 1.07±0.10 1.27±0.08
-003 1/16 3/16 1/16 .056±.004 .060±.003 1.42±0.10 1.52±0.08
-004 5/64 13/64 1/16 .070±.005 .070±.003 1.78±0.13 1.78±0.08
-005 3/32 7/32 1/16 .101±.005 .070±.003 2.57±0.13 1.78±0.08
-006 1/8 1/4 1/16 .114±.005 .070±.003 2.90±0.13 1.78±0.08
-007 5/32 9/32 1/16 .145±.005 .070±.003 3.68±0.13 1.78±0.08
-008 3/16 5/16 1/16 .176±.005 .070±.003 4.47±0.13 1.78±0.08
-009 7/32 11/32 1/16 .208±.005 .070±.003 5.28±0.13 1.78±0.08
-010 1/4 3/8 1/16 .239±.005 .070±.003 6.07±0.13 1.78±0.08
-011 5/16 7/16 1/16 .301±.005 .070±.003 7.65±0.13 1.78±0.08
-012 3/8 1/2 1/16 .364±.005 .070±.003 9.25±0.13 1.78±0.08
-013 7/16 9/16 1/16 .426±.005 .070±.003 10.82±0.13 1.78±0.08
-014 1/2 5/8 1/16 .489±.005 .070±.003 12.42±0.13 1.78±0.08
-015 9/16 11/16 1/16 .551±.007 .070±.003 14.00±0.18 1.78±0.08
-016 5/8 3/4 1/16 .614±.009 .070±.003 15.60±0.23 1.78±0.08
-017 11/16 13/16 1/16 .676±.009 .070±.003 17.17±0.23 1.78±0.08
-018 3/4 7/8 1/16 .739±.009 .070±.003 18.77±0.23 1.78±0.08
-019 13/16 15/16 1/16 .801±.009 .070±.003 20.35±0.23 1.78±0.08
-020 7/8 1 1/16 .864±.009 .070±.003 21.95±0.23 1.78±0.08

Impulse Quick Menu

Manuals & Instructions

Search the FAQ