Protank II gurgling (any way to fix?)

[Mark Anthony]

I had this same problem, as well as a bunch of leaking. I was one sad boy, since day one with Protank 2 made me think it was amazing (big clouds of delicious vapor). I want it to work. I'm fairly new to this e-cig world, btw.
I read some lengthy threads under the clearomizer sub-forum. It got complicated fast, with multiple prescriptions of the problem, and many possible solutions.
One thing I did figure out. I had left my vamo with the protank 2 in my car for a couple hours (winter cold in Minnesota), then brought it in. Apparently temperature fluctuations (contraction expansion) cause both gurgling and leaking. I cleaned the tank and atomizer and tried again. The jury is still out, but I'm hopeful this is the fix.
Others said that the tank need to be topped off so its nearly full, as couch_terr-hero said above.
Apparently it could also be that the e-juice I'm using isn't viscous enough, in which case it was suggested that the atomizer can be re-wicked -- either by adding a third piece of wick above the others (at least one person suggested a strand of cotton from a cotton ball), or replacing with a thicker wick. I haven't done any of this wick-related stuff yet, but it looks pretty easy.
I am gathering that this close focus on details is, or at least can be, part of the e-cig world. Yikes.
I'm also gathering that q-tips will be my new best friend.
I am hoping to resolve this. I really liked my initial experience with the PT2, and want to stay with it. I've used three or four other kinds of tanks, all plastic, and I really like the idea of pyrex, and love the flavor of the vapor with this tank.
Any other suggestions are welcome! Thanks in advance. I'm figuring out that there's lots of smart and helpful people on this forum...

Also pipe cleaners work better for running through the drip tip and through the center shaft. I have a bunch cut up into 3 inch lengths in my vapers toolbox.

 

[edyle]

I keep my tank upside down.

And flip it briefly to wet the coil.



When you suck on the mouthpiece, the vacuum pressure tends to suck eliquid from the tank through the wick. A tight draw causes too much liquid to come through; once some liquid floods the space on top of the battery, the air holes are now blocked leading to gurgling and a tighter draw! The tighter draw compounds the problem.

So I keep mine upside down; if any eliq has flooded the center it tends to drain down the mouthpiece, not block the airholes. Since I use 0 to low nic and high VG the taste is sweet, but if you use high nic, it's probably not a good idea.

 

[Springbrook]

Hello, Well, I think I figured out the problem with my gurgling leaking Protank 2. When I held it upside down against the light and rotated it (if that makes sense) the bottom base was not seated straight or firmly. I could see light through one side, while the other side was tight. It seems that the base hadn't been machined properly. Hence the glass wasn't sealed firmly against the bottom o-ring. Hence the gurgles and leaks.
BTW I also have been using a mini Protank 2 without any issues whatsoever, and have loved it, but it's dedicated to a plastic cracking e-juice (vermillion river black licorice) that needs a glass tank.
I took a chance and brought it back to E-cig crib where I bought it 4 or 5 days ago (two and a half blocks from my house, very convenient a nice walk in the snow) and they very generously allowed me to exchange it for a Mini PT2 (which I preferred over another full size PT2). I wasn't expecting them to let me return it, but they did anyway. Great help, and they get my loyalty (since house rules are all sales final). Very cool. My guy Jamie told me that most people have loved the PT2. I'm totally open to that, and maybe open to trying one again (given the awesome initial clouds and flavor, before the nightmare began ha ha). But for now I am very pleased to have a second Mini PT2.
Of course that doesn't diminish the fact that the machining was wrong, and the fact that many on this site have had the same problems with gurgles, and some with leaks as well. That's on Kanger, it seems to me, and not on me or the shop where I purchased it.
Maybe I'll try again with the PT2 down the road a bit. Seems like I've gotten the bug: more tanks, more juice, more experimenting. Probably I'll drift into rebuilding in the not too distant future.
Thanks so much for the helpful comments, I feel like I have learned a wheelbarrow full of helpful info in just a short week or two, stuff I wouldn't have learned had I not had the problems. So that's a silver lined cloud right? Case closed.