WW Lightning firing valve not sealing

[scottthewaterwarrior]

For those who haven't heard, I've been going mad the last few days trying to fix as many guns as I can before Soakemore. I have come across one that I can't figure out how to fix. I know what is wrong, but I don't even know how it could be happening!

I took apart my Water Warriors lightning originally to fix a problem with the pump (it was very stuck). Turned out that the rubber plunger had actully partly melted so was now misformed. The pump cap had come off so it had fallen partway out of the tube. After much lubrication, I got the pump back into the tube and working smoothly. And now for the problem at hand...

When I tested the gun, a small stream would still come out of the nozzle even when I let go of the trigger. I thought this might be due to the valve not closing all the way (like my Vindicator) so I took the gun apart again and lubed it. The problem persisted. I disassembled everything and then took the valve/nozzle assembly out entirely. The valve is closing fine, but water still leaks out some how. I tried blowing air into just the valve when closed, it still leaked out, so it is definitely the valve causing the problem.
At this rate I just want advice, any ideas?

Worst come to worse, my cousin has two broken Lightnings (that is actually where I got this one), I might be able to combine them to get at least one that works.

[Andrew]

The Lightning uses a ball valve doesn't it?

If it's only a small stream of water it does sound like it isn't closing Is it closing all the way. If you can, test it while disassembled and see if manually rotating the valve's lever arm closes it. Could also be a worn out spring or a damaged seal around the ball (or something stuck inside the ball valve preventing it from closing).

[scottthewaterwarrior]

Yes, it uses a ball valve. I have disassembled the entire thing already, the valve closes fine. I even took out the vavle from the rest of the gun and looked into it, closing is not the problem, water is still getting through even when it is all the way closed.

[soakinader]

That is just way too weird. Is the valve cracked at all anywhere? Chances are the ball valve seal is damaged. And there isn't anything you can do about that, most likely.

[Andrew]

If the ball valve is closing all the way and isn't being held open a bit by any foreign objects then yeah, it sounds like either the ball itself is damaged and water is leaking through it somehow, or the seal is damaged.