Modding the Orca

For questions, articles, and discussions regarding water blaster modifications.
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DX
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Post by DX » Sat Mar 17, 2007 11:31 pm

Well, I attempted to mod mine. In the end, I wasn't able to do anything drastic. Pictures will be available tomorrow.

First thing, there are a lot of deep screws, which are annoying to get out. The strap has a better hook thing than Hasbro's, which is good. The pump cap is weak and easily pried off. When you get the gun open, the two casing halves actually don't come fully apart due to the electronic cords of the gauge. Of course they could have put that stuff all on one side, but based on past gun configurations, it appears that BBT hates modders with a burning passion. Anyway, one thing you notice is that there aren't two pcs. It looks like it, but they are attached to each other and share a single connection. That connection *just happens* to be *just ever so slightly* too large for a pc-swap. Instead of a plastic connector part, the connection is part of the pc. I had really wanted to turn my gun into a 10K/Orca. There are also 34 screws in the pc. Getting it open is a pain in the ass, and I don't wonder why. I didn't have the guts to attempt a spring mod, so I gave up on power modding and moved on to the nozzles. I quickly turned the fan blast into something larger than all the rest, though I have not tested its x rating yet. Those four weird orange plastic stripe thingers don't do anything, so I took them off. Other than those items, nothing else was going to work.

Oh snap.
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

WaterWolf
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Post by WaterWolf » Sun Mar 18, 2007 7:14 am

Did you manage to fix that ugly squealing?
The Maple-Mountain-Marines.

Terrifying, but oddly refreshing.
-B.D.

SilentGuy
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Post by SilentGuy » Sun Mar 18, 2007 10:04 am

Perhaps you could sandpaper down the PC connection...just a though, don't count on it being strong enough.

Maybe you could cut the piece off and use epoxy with PVC or something... :laugh:

Big Bee
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Post by Big Bee » Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:41 pm

Buzz Bee does not "hate" modders. We discourage modifications for both safety and insurance reasons, especially with pressurized blasters. The diaphram builds pressure up to 60 psi, thus the total pulling force on the joint, when fully pressurized, is in excess of 400 lbs. Each screw can reliably maintain 15lbs of force before there is shear in the plastic. There are 3 more screws than the minimum requirement for safety and reliability. This is a production issue, not a planned method to discourage you.

DX
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Post by DX » Tue Mar 20, 2007 8:37 am

Well that is at least a little more comfort. I'm obviously still kinda disappointed at newer guns being unmoddable with things other than nozzles and colors.
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

mr. dude
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Post by mr. dude » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:39 pm

At least you could open it. I tried opening my Lightning and failed very miserably, I assume the Tigershark I'm after will be the same.

bb1
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Post by bb1 » Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:11 pm

Another mod, is it the squealing in the cap? Or not? If it is just the hole in the cap that is easy enough to fix (drill...)

SilentGuy
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Post by SilentGuy » Thu Apr 05, 2007 6:26 pm

No, I think they were just trying to open the guns to look for something to mod. However, due to liability, the manufacturer makes the water guns difficult to open.

EDIT: If you're interested in mods, I'd advise reading the articles at sscentral.org.




Edited By SilentGuy on 1175815652

DX
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Post by DX » Thu Apr 05, 2007 7:44 pm

Getting the soaker open was the easy part. There was simply nothing to power mod. I could have tried a spring mod, but the only one ever attempted failed, so I decided against that.
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

bb1
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Post by bb1 » Thu Apr 05, 2007 9:21 pm

Spring mod?

Crashdummy
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Post by Crashdummy » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:15 pm

Yeah, the idea was that the spring would add more resistance to the PCs. In theory it would add more pressure, but it hasn't been done before, atleast to my knowledge.

DX
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Post by DX » Thu Apr 05, 2007 11:04 pm

Blaze attempted one and it broke his Blazer, hence why the spring mod hasn't exactly caught on. You might be able to get away with a weaker spring, but the resulting lower power would probably not be worth the effort.
marauder wrote:You have to explain things in terms that kids will understand, like videogames^ That's how I got Sam to stop using piston pumpers

SilentGuy
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Post by SilentGuy » Fri Apr 06, 2007 9:14 am

Plus you'd really lose the CPS. The rubber sheet mod looks more promising though, and I might try doing that, as the gun feels a bit underpowered.

I'm considering ways to improve or change the nozzle selector. After some eyeballing, it looks like the CPS 4100 and the Orca have similarly-sized selectors. If I can get a broken-beyond-repair CPS gun and the perfect screwdriver head, I could try using my insane drill in reverse to remove the screws. Those screws are on tight :angry:. Then I'd try replacing the Orca selector.

Sometime, I might persuade my dad to get some endcap nozzles lathed. If they work well for my homemade(s), I could try adding a valve and a male adapter to the Orca...although that's something I've been meaning to do for the CPS 4100. After all, the 4100 has a hole in the bottom after I had to cut out the red cap...

mr. dude
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Post by mr. dude » Fri Apr 06, 2007 1:20 pm

I got my Lightning open, and tried to open the PC, but some of the screws were eroded so I couldn't perform a power mod. I might get a new soaker to try again.

Crashdummy
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Post by Crashdummy » Fri Apr 06, 2007 8:51 pm

If you do the sheet mod make sure you notch the new rubber line the original, or else it won't stay put. I used a regular sheet in my blazer and it came off. :goofy: I was going to notch the sheet, but I broke my blazer, so I stopped modding it. I might pick up a tigershark though.

SilentGuy
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Post by SilentGuy » Sun Apr 08, 2007 12:39 pm

Hmm, I'll have to open up the gun to see the notches you're referring to. Thanks for the information!

By the way, what happened to your Blazer? Is it repairable?

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