About to give up on mechs

[javyn]

Hey all,

I've had a fasttech GP Paps clone for a few months now, and am about ready to give up on it as well as all mechs. Half the time I depress the switch, it doesn't fire, or it it does, it fires very weakly with little vapor. I have to unscrew and rescrew the switch, jack with the 510 connection on the top cap every 2 hits just to get a full hit. It's very frustrating. I had been chalking it up to a bad clone atty up until now, having received two new atomizers (Tobeco Plume and Magma) and get the same issue.

It's driving me nuts. I read that the Paps clone has crappy springs, so I bought some authentic Paps Vapourart springs, and that actually made the problem worse.

Contacts and tubes are clean, connections secure, this is driving me batty. I can't figure out why it does this.

Any ideas? I mean, I push this button down hard now, I know I'm making contact. But over 50% of the time, nothing! And when I do get a good hit, the very next button push is either a weak one, or a flat out no-fire situation.

 

[sparkky1]

Is the switch getting hot ?

 

[javyn]

Yes, often it does. But when I get the few and far between good hits, the switch stays cool. Only gets hot when I get the crappy small vapor hits.

And yeah, I've cleaned the heck out of this thing along with the contacts.

I am going to try to sand the contact points with some 800 grit sand paper and if that doesn't work, I guess shop for a box mod.

 

[sparkky1]

You could have corrosion on the threads too, make sure your pins are tight, The original spring as far as I've heard is not a good fit for the clone, you could PM Bad Ninja here on ECF he's got the hook up for the switch fix.
Other than that ya regulated, hit the button vape every time.

 

[vapero]

Hey all,

I've had a fasttech GP Paps clone for a few months now, and am about ready to give up on it as well as all mechs. Half the time I depress the switch, it doesn't fire, or it it does, it fires very weakly with little vapor. I have to unscrew and rescrew the switch, jack with the 510 connection on the top cap every 2 hits just to get a full hit. It's very frustrating. I had been chalking it up to a bad clone atty up until now, having received two new atomizers (Tobeco Plume and Magma) and get the same issue.

It's driving me nuts. I read that the Paps clone has crappy springs, so I bought some authentic Paps Vapourart springs, and that actually made the problem worse.

Contacts and tubes are clean, connections secure, this is driving me batty. I can't figure out why it does this.

Any ideas? I mean, I push this button down hard now, I know I'm making contact. But over 50% of the time, nothing! And when I do get a good hit, the very next button push is either a weak one, or a flat out no-fire situation.

One of my best mechs has beed the brass paps from fasttech, yours is the brass??
try disassembling it and giving it a nice clean, after that assemble and with some pliers tight it a but more so it wont unscrew with use (the unscrewing of the nut does do what you describe. after that use some fine sand paper and polish just a bit the top of the nut and screw, that should help a lot.

don't give up on mech if you had just one to try, there are great cheap mechs out there mechs.

I love my 4nine and the nemesis from fasttech and still waiting for my smpl to arrive , if you use 18650 then the smpl is supposed to be a great mech

 

[javyn]

Thanks! I will PM Bad Ninja, and I believe I am making headway. I cut a ring of paper and put it under the nut. Seems to be hitting fine, but I still plan on sanding both contact points.

I also got an authentic SMPL mod from my uncle, and that thing has its own set of problems, from me not being able to find the tool to take apart the switch (normal snap ring plier does not work), to my atomizers having their 510 pins screwing back into the threads when I adjust the switch. *sigh.

 

[bullet08]

clean all the contacts with alcohol swab. rub it hard. also, make sure all the adjustments are tight. some of the pins will come loose after awhile. i had one of my mod failing to fire, found out the atty was not sitted properly on the top cap. all the contact must be cleaned after while or they will build resistance and button and other things will get hot. bad sign. doesn't get any easier than mech mod.

 

[javyn]

Okay, I followed the instruction on the FT discussion for this Brass Paps on fixing the "wonky" or "wobbly" switch issue. My switch never wobbled, but I did the fix anyway, cutting a small ring of somewhat thick paper and inserting it under the nut. Hits like a CHAMP now. I still need to sand the nut and both contact points upper and lower tho I think. This "fix" made my switch considerably harder to hit, but that's fine if it makes it work.

 

[javyn]

One of my best mechs has beed the brass paps from fasttech, yours is the brass??

It is! At least I was smart enough to go for the 20x1 threaded one.

 

[Kprthevapr]

Bad Ninja will be home after 5 Cali time I will definitely let him know to check out this thread

 

[javyn]

Thanks I PM'ed him already

 

[javyn]

I also noticed, when screwed down the nut is lower than the connector part. Is the nut and connector supposed to be flush, to where the nut touches the battery as well?

edit: heheheheh....nut.

 

[Bad Ninja]

I also noticed, when screwed down the nut is lower than the connector part. Is the nut and connector supposed to be flush, to where the nut touches the battery as well?

edit: heheheheh....nut.

It shouldnt make a difference.
Here's what I did to mine:

Switch:
Cleaned everything!!
I added a small aluminum washer made from a soda can under the nut.
Replaced spring with copper spring from auto parts store. I'm not sure which size, I had to cut it down. Not a lot of room in there to work. Cutting the spring will help with getting the desired pressure needed to fire the mod.
This should Make the throw extremely short and should fire anywhere you press the button.

Also had issues with with the contact on the top cap.
Be sure the atty is making a solid contact with the center pin or you'll have inconsistent hits and issues.

The shim/washer under the switch should solve most of the misfire problems

 

[javyn]

Thanks. Not gonna do the washer thing with the can. Made some washers out of paper and threw the authentic brass spring in there. Working better than it ever has now. Two paper rings. Three rings made it autofire when I screwed in the switch lol. Thanks Ninja. The magma is hitting harder at 0.6 like this than my plume hit at 0.2 without the washers.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Keep an eye on the center pin. It's short and doesn't reach up high enough to work with attys that have super short 510 connections
Most of the newer RBAs and RDAs have longer connections and positive contacts.

Feel free to hit me up if you have any issues.
I'm happy to help out.

(Also, they have the other sized tubes on FT for next to nothing.)

 

[javyn]

Thanks man. Unfortunately all my atties seem to not be very adjustable as far as 510 pins go. Which is a shame, keeps me from using my authentic SMPL mod that was given to me as a gift. Just b/c the description online says it is adjustable doesn't mean it is. FWIW I don't think my 510 connector on the paps mod was the problem anyway, since I had this issue with my Heron hybrid atomizer as well.

 

[Chelonian]

What is the switch problem on the Paps?
I dont have the clone, but I assume its 1:1, so whats up?
My GP mods are some of my favs, so if there is an issue I would like to know.


Redacted

 

[javyn]

No-fires when I hit the switch a lot of the time, and really weak hits most of the time it does fire. Sticking the paper washers under the nut worked, for a while, then it's back to no-fires. I had to put so many washers under there to get it to hit decently it's autofiring when I screw in the switch now LOL.

edit: Please do not take this as a critique or suggestion of the quality of the authentic mod. I'm sure the authentic is great and wouldn't mind having one heheh.

 

[Chelonian]

No-fires when I hit the switch a lot of the time, and really weak hits most of the time it does fire. Sticking the paper washers under the nut worked, for a while, then it's back to no-fires. I had to put so many washers under there to get it to hit decently it's autofiring when I screw in the switch now LOL.

edit: Please do not take this as a critique or suggestion of the quality of the authentic mod. I'm sure the authentic is great and wouldn't mind having one heheh.

Not taking it that way at all, man

I am not one of those authentic guys who look down on clones. If a clone is 1:1 it will share the same characteristics as the authentic, problems and all - with differences only being in the fit and finish as well as materials used. Unfortunately, there are a lot of authentics out there that are no better, and sometimes worse, than a good clone.

My questions was meant just as it was asked - I wanted to know, lol....

In this case, however, I don't seem to have the problem described.

Do you have calipers?

If you do, we could compare dimensions. Mebbe it's something simple, like the width of a part out of tolerance, and a quick trip to a Hobby Lobby would solve the problem for you.

The good thing, as others have said, is that you have a good hook up in the way of help with Bad Ninja.

 

[Bad Ninja]

Sounds like the paper washers may have gotten compressed.
That's another reason I used the aluminum can shim.
I cut the washer with scissors and popped a hole in it with a hammer and nail.
Really easy and took about 5 minutes.
Be sure to use gloves! Thin aluminum can cut you!

****after taking my GP clone apart, I see where I "might" have sanded the lower delrin insulator.
Check the switch and be sure the contact extends above the delrin when fired.