Here's my upgrade. Any little extra tidbits I may have missed, please mention!

[firemachine69]

Now I'm only looking to make my AEG (stock ICS MP5-A4), into something along the lines of 300ish fps.

I've got my PDI 120 spring
A bag of Systema shims (if required)

Stock bushings are copper on an ICS: They should be sufficient for my upgrade, or so I've been led to believe.

Now, I've considered a piston/head, to have something less prone to wear. Any ideas?

[tgrillo]

Install a new tappet plate, and maybe consider a new piston/piston head.

[vatek]

Stock bushings are copper? That's news to me... all the research I've done indicates they're plastic.

300ish? just use a 100% spring...Stock springs usually hit 280-320fps

and for 300fps, you dont need anything else...no need for the shims since you have stock gears and are not replacing them. Keep it stock, even if you go with the PDI 120%, thats still nothing.

A new piston may help, but for 300fps, you could just get a TM one to replace the ICS one...though with a low power gun like that, there is no need. A silicone piston head may prolong life...but stock, no need.

maby you mean 400fps...cause you should be shooting 300fps anyways.

[Mantelope]

Don't replace the piston in an ICS MP5... it's led to countless problems on the ICS I've worked on.

[firemachine69]

I was looking for 320fps, nearly positive I'll get about that speed (not sure why I mentioned 300ish). I have the spring, I have the online guide, now I just need an evening without distractions. Sadly, those seem to be lacking.

[Kid]

Sure those bushings are copper...?

I am almost positive they had plastic bushings. Unless you have the Airsoft Elite version, or ICS just released a new one.

If it was infact an Airsoft Elite version, it would already shoot 330fps.

---------------

Also, it's always best to use ICS bushings. Others don't fit. They need ALOT of banging, and that isn't good.

[concept_8]

My ics had plastic bushings, also if you're only going for 320 you're probably already shooting about that since the stock springs are a little higher fps than tm's.

Id' chrony it n see if you're not shooting that stock and save yourself the work.

agreed. you dont really even need to get new bushings if its stock.

unless your doing any actual upgrading here, dont even bother.

[CDN_Stalker]

Originally Posted by Droc

and for 300fps, you dont need anything else...no need for the shims since you have stock gears and are not replacing them.

Metal bushings are the minimum reliability upgrade one can do. I just installed Guarder metal bushings into a virgin V2 M733 mechbox a couple hours ago, found the spur gear too tight and the sector & bevel gears to have about 0.5mm of lateral movement. That was stock gears and shims. 30mins later I had it purring nice with reshimming. Installed a Prometheus 110SP spring, reassembled with the new G&P Crane stock, was shooting 3/4" groups with iron sights at 30ft and 0.25g BBs.

Anyways, whenver the gears, mechbox or bushings change, it's best to make sure very little lateral play, no hang ups between gears and/or mechbox, and spin freely when the mechbox is closed (no cylinder, spring, piston, etc.) with screws, but still feels like under a small resistance. Flick the sector gear, watch it turn another 1.5 -2 times, then stop is the way I do it. Flick it and it stops as soon as you let go, something is too tight. Flick it and watch it spin 3-4 times, something is too loose. Push on both sides of the gear axles to see which ones are good and which ones have side to side movement.

[firemachine69]

1. Interesting change in Avatar.

2. Roger on all the little stuff. I'm not too worried about time consumption to get it right, I'm not going to any game for a long little while.