Taking apart a mechbox for the first time
 

There is no gun doc in my province, or anywhere near me.

I feel that it's best to start learning how to fix my own gun problems now, when I have time to learn and fix them, rather than when the season starts and I waste months trying to get back online.

As such, I'm thinking about opening my mechbox to see how it all works. I've already taken the gun apart into its basic pieces: stock, upper body, lower body, outer barrel, inner barrel, motor, grip. I haven't taken the mechbox out of the lower body though.

Basically, what I'm looking for is a nuts and bolts (pardon the pun) guide to what I should / should not do, tips and tricks, useful hints, etc.

Nothing is too small to mention here, whether it's what location in the house is best to do it in, what kind of lighting I should use, or tools I will need, or perhaps tools that will be super useful but I might not think of getting.

Thanks in advance!

Try looking up mechbox.com. They have step-by-step videos.

If it's a V2 there is a hole in the rear of the spring guide area. If a V3 there isn't. If another type............ maybe, maybe not.

Undo the screws and place a long allen key or screwdriver into the rear of the spring guide (if no hole use a small slotted screwdriver to pry open the box a bit to get one in there).

Put pressure on the cylinder with a couple fingers, place your thumbs on the bottom where the motor goes in and hold onto that screwdriver in the spring guide. Use your thumbs to gain purchase on both sides of the hole the motor goes in, and gently separate the halves there, and while still holding the spring guide and cylinder, lift the mechbox shell enough to pull the spring guide out the back. Then the shell will come off easily. Note where all bushings, shims go, then start poking around learning how the various parts work together and what they do.

Is the mechbox likely to explode springs when I open it?

Only the piston spring, that's why I said to put a screwdriver or something with a shaft into the spring guide to control the main spring, once you get that and the guide out, it'll open up easy. Your trigger might pop out due to the spring, but it won't fly across the room. The tappet plate spring won't fly out either.

One thing to keep mind of is the selector plate spring, not that it's gonna fly off, but it has a tendancy of either falling out or springing off, but for the most part that spring sits kinda tight on the plate's nipple. If you ever do lose it, replace with a Bic lighter flint spring cut to the same length.

Oh, and if you have a V2 mechbox that uses the little motor adjust disk, use instant glue to keep it on. I worked on a guy's gun the other day to install a Trigger Master, tried cycling the gun to see the rate of fire currently (becauase that is adjustable with the TM unit), but the gun wouldn't turn over at all. Took the grip plate off, pulled the motor out, the disk was sitting on the side of the motor. Glued it in place. Dropped the gun off to the guy, he asked if I was able to figure out why the gun had seized up. Then I knew, the disk popped off when he last assembled it, and had dropped the set screw all the way down, causing the motor shaft to be pinned in place.

hrm, I do have a V2 mechbox and I did find that disk when I took the motor out the other day, but I had no idea what it was, so I took it out; it was just stuck to the side of the motor.

It should go on the bottom, right?

Yes, the the disk goes on the bottom of the motor.

Yup once you get all the wiring on the connectors and the motor is all springy and bouncy and sitting well. Slap that round disk on the bottom of the motor and get that grip place on and aligned quick. Theres nothing more I hate than when I get it all said up and that stupid plate falls off to the side, then you have to dig out or take the motor out to get it and spend another 2 or 3 minutes getting the motor to align and be springy again. GRRR warble!

I used to use a daub of grease to hold the disk in place, works ok, but gluing it there is best.

Here's some begginer tips,

Open the mechbox inside a large ziplock bag, incase things do explode, you won't have to spend hours looking for the parts.

Before you open the mechbox, take a small pair of needle nose pliers, and pull back the anti-reversal latch, That'll relieve alot of tension inside the gearbox, and reduce the chances of a "KABOOM"

go to www.mechbox.com and watch a bunch of videos of people upgrading their gun.... And learn this .gif

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...5434875755.gif

Better .GIF:

http://www.mechbox.com/site/mechbox/...box-works.html

Videos found on google that show how to disassemble a V2 mechbox

Video 1

Video 2

Also a good idea to take pictures of where all the components are when you're doing the disassembly. Especially for the little things like the cutoff lever, trigger return springs etc... the little things.

They are great for learning..

They show how to take apart most AEGs and most gearbox versions.

When i opened my mechbox for the first time the spring guide shot across the room, and theres still a dent in my wall.

That diagram of the mechbox is pretty cool... Too bad it doesn't show the cut-off lever and how semi-auto works.