OK, I'm in a bind..
New ithaka arrived the other day, as well as some XC116. I immediately cleaned the new ithaka and spent the next hour or so getting the Vochu-mod/naughtyfun installed. I then made a "lazy-S" wick with the XC, (an inch or so), with a simple horizontal coil. From that point forward, it leaked everywhere. Out the airhole in particular. Gurgling and "wet draw". Empirical testing indicated that with
juice closed, only the trapped juice would leak. Emptied and sealed with water, it could sit in any attitude - vertical, inverted, horizontal - without a leak. Once you open the juice valve, the leak would immediately begin again.
Now, the OTHER ithafun was examined - and opening it finally shredded the extant butterfly-wick. This had been working absolutely wonderful for about 2 weeks. So, I threaded some XC here as well: another lazy-S. All the problems of the new Ithafun were now repeated in the older RH Ithafun that had been working well.
OK, back to the new Ithafun: rigged a very small, tight verticoil (just like in my 91%), and added cotton, (again, like the 91%). The gurgle is more muted, but still there. The leak is far, far less - but periodically I'll get spew from the airslot.
Originally, my theory was that the XC was wicking too fast from the tank, and condensation was overflowing. However, now it seems more like there is something allowing excess fluid flow.
I'm going to continue with the verticoiled Ithafun today, (it seems it's the Tobeco product, but it's lovely), and see if it's simply the valve is ultrasensitive - but
I would love to hear from those that have already run into this issue. I've already vaselined ALL orings, and now I am just confused.
addendum:
I've been running around an hour or so, and I've had only one drop out the airslot since posting above. Same verticoil/cotton in Ithafun#2. The RH Ithafun with open valves has been sitting on the counter, full of water, and not dripped a bit since the post. Even drawing on it has not started the leak. I find this all positive, by darned mysterious.
another addendum
Been several more hours with the tobeco-based Ithafun. No more leaks have occured, and the flavor has finally emerged. Makes me think the o-rings are finally working, and the cotton has 'broken in'. The RH ithafun sits on the kitchen sink, inverted, without a leak as well. I'll flip it rightside up and leave it overnight, refilling it tomorrow with the juice I made tonight. (Real Cig+ Hangsen turkish; Parliment+Westen)
Next Day:
I am going to guess that the orings finally decided to work, because both Ithafuns are now happily vaping and leak-free. Periodically, I still get a drop or so out the airflow overnight - with the valve closed - which I must presume is from condensation or excess fluid somewhere in the airflow system. And, in filling the RH Ithafun, (with juice valve closed), it did pee at least 2 ml as I was screwing down the cap. (I presume there was a way for pressure to reach the airhole, even with the chimney screwed shut).
Conclusion:
Ithafun#2 (tobeco) started to gurgle. With the juice-valve closed, I managed to blow the entire 4ml into a towel. Further examination showed that the autofeeds were never sealed, no matter the extra Orings and plastic tube. I got irked and mixed some epoxy-putty, filling both and reassembling. This held water for hours, and I refilled it with juice and vaped w/o any further ado.
Watch your coil-diameter, if you use a verticoil: I had used a 1mm ball-driver, and with cotton, this sealed so well that the draw was incredibly tight. I yanked the wick and coil, used a premade NR of 1.2ohm and a 2mm balldriver, rewound cotton on it, and it's drawing fine again.
Apparently, the wisps of cotton become airtight once wetted, so no extra airflow will come up, around and outside the cotton shrouding the outside of the coil.