Crown MK2 Power wheel loosening when turning

[madeintheuk]

Recieved this gun brand new a few weeks ago, and finally got it out to play with it a bit.
I noticed the power wheel was loose. No biggie, I’ll just tighten it. Well, every time I turn it, it loosens up again. Are these supposed to have loctite on them? Or am I missing something?
I’m totally new to the crown platform, so excuse me if I should newb.

I also noticed when cocking the rifle, the lever feels like it grinds/pops when I pull it all the way back. This is past seer engagement and after it continues to move. If I cock it back a little less until it just about engages the seer, it doesn’t do it.

P.s. I haven’t shot the rifle yet, I was in the middle of scoping and checking it out. Any help is appreciated thanks!

 

[keith1]

send it back for repair it has a three warranty

 

[madeintheuk]

send it back for repair it has a three warranty

Right, so I can be without a gun for another few weeks to repair something that may just need some sort of tweak. I’m no newbie to pcp, just the crown.

welcom to the forum btw, congrats on your first post!

 

[bfloyd1095]

I would start with this...
Carefully remove the power wheel, Make sure to NOT lose the 2 small ball bearings. Ususally one will stick to the power wheel and the other in the detents in the gun...
If both of the ball bearings are present, then add a little silicone grease to each ball and reinstall the power wheel.. The balls should be located at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock when reinstalled.

I am hoping that Both balls are where they are supposed to be if not this might be part of the problem..

There are several Very good vids on youtube on the Crown assembly and dis-assembly you might want to take a gander at as well.

If all the above is ok, then i would strongly advise watching the above-mentioned vids to make sure the hammer spring and power wheel are timed as they should be. This May be a contributing factor in your grinding.
I would also spray the hell out the action with Ballistol to clean and lube it sufficiently .

The Crown Does have a distinct feel to it at the end of the cocking stroke, but it should Never feel crunchy

Hope this helps!

 

[qball]

Yes, sadly it’s kinda “normal”, just put tiny bit of good grease under the bolt head and don’t tighten the bolt much then it’s fine. Better yet is to get the upgraded power wheel from @Mrshosted which does have an positive impact on gun’s consistency especially if shoot high power which chews up the stock power wheel quick.

 

[Bigragu]

@madeintheuk - I would seriously take a look at the cocking linkages and anything it’s attached to that moves with that whole cocking system and possibly polish up some parts. Even look at the hammer to see if it has any signs of scraping.
Hopefully just some light polishing and a thin coat of moly gets things cocking smoother again.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a crown in my hands but with these FX block type systems they pretty much all work the same.

Off subject to the cocking problem, put it in your list of must do’s to replace the delrin piston in the factory reg with the new brass piston. The crowns and the. Impacts share the same regulators and switching to the brass piston on my impact was night and day difference

 

[Bigragu]

Yes, sadly it’s kinda “normal”, just put tiny bit of good grease under the bolt head and don’t tighten the bolt much then it’s fine. Better test get the upgraded power wheel from @Mrshosted which does have an possible impact on gun’s consistency especially if shoot high power which chews up the stock power wheel quick.

I know this is not the best advice I can give on the loosening of the screw on the PW, but along with QBALL’s advice just make it a point to make any power wheel adjustments in the clockwise rotation.

Sometimes we need to handle certain quirks in not only our hobby guns but all things mechanical, in special ways that’s custom only to that device.

 

[madeintheuk]

I know this is not the best advice I can give on the loosening of the screw on the PW, but along with QBALL’s advice just make it a point to make any power wheel adjustments in the clockwise rotation.

Sometimes we need to handle certain quirks in not only our hobby guns but all things mechanical, in special ways that’s custom only to that device.

I was going to do that, but found that when turning clockwise, it tightened the screw, and then bound up once the screw was tight.

I contacted the seller, and he offered to refund me for it. Stand up guy for sure!
I’m not really pleased with the build quality of this gun anyway.

 

[madeintheuk]

@madeintheuk - I would seriously take a look at the cocking linkages and anything it’s attached to that moves with that whole cocking system and possibly polish up some parts. Even look at the hammer to see if it has any signs of scraping.
Hopefully just some light polishing and a thin coat of moly gets things cocking smoother again.

It’s been awhile since I’ve had a crown in my hands but with these FX block type systems they pretty much all work the same.

Off subject to the cocking problem, put it in your list of must do’s to replace the delrin piston in the factory reg with the new brass piston. The crowns and the. Impacts share the same regulators and switching to the brass piston on my impact was night and day difference

Honestly Augie, while your advice is solid, I shouldn’t have to do any of this to a brand new rifle. Especially a high end one. FX quality has gone down since owning my first wildcat. That gun was super solid feeling. This wasn’t at all. Even my dreamline felt better than this crown.

 

[Bigragu]

Andy, pm or text me pics of your gun- left, right, too and bottom. Also a close up of the power wheel and the cocking arm with the cocking handle halfway open

 

[qball]

I was going to do that, but found that when turning clockwise, it tightened the screw, and then bound up once the screw was tight.

I contacted the seller, and he offered to refund me for it. Stand up guy for sure!
I’m not really pleased with the build quality of this gun anyway.

A tiny drop of grease under the bolt head and tiny bit of weak Loctite would fix that problems. It’s a fantastic gun minus couple of very minor things like the wheel, it happens to all fx guns with power wheel and fix is known. So not sure what you mean by build quality go down, the solid feeling or being heavier is a not a indicator of quality unless you buy guns by the oz. FX works very hard on reducing weight of their guns with aluminums and results are well known and appreciated by many.

Have you even shot the gun yet? Accuracy is the true indicator of quality of a gun.

 

[madeintheuk]

A tiny drop of grease under the bolt head and tiny bit of weak Loctite would fix that problems. It’s a fantastic gun minus couple of very minor things like the wheel, it happens to all fx guns with power wheel and fix is known. So not sure what you mean by build quality go down, the solid feeling or being heavier is a not a indicator of quality unless you buy guns by the oz. FX works very hard on reducing weight of their guns with aluminums and results are well known and appreciated by many.

Have you even shot the gun yet? Accuracy is the true indicator of quality of a gun.

I have not shot it yet, and by no means do I think that weight has any indication of quality. Solid feeling to me is not in weight, it’s in workmanship. The power wheel having ‘known’ issues is just one of them. I’ve owned many FX rifles, and none have them have disappointed me. This is my first ‘new’ one, and to say I’m not impressed is anyone understatement.

 

[qball]

I have not shot it yet, and by no means do I think that weight has any indication of quality. Solid feeling to me is not in weight, it’s in workmanship. The power wheel having ‘known’ issues is just one of them. I’ve owned many FX rifles, and none have them have disappointed me. This is my first ‘new’ one, and to say I’m not impressed is anyone understatement.

The same power wheel with the “known issue” is on ALL FX guns besides the impact and since you had many FX guns I’m just curious on what you mean by poor quality. Obviously you have your reasons but just wondering if it’s that gun, build quality is same across all FX guns as they all use the same CC machines, same people , same tools, same screw & bolts and share many parts. It is completely plausible that someone missed that drop of loctite on that gun.

I owned 6 FX guns and worked on more than I can count by now. Because FX produces all major parts in house the consistency of their quality is impressive to say the least! Sure there are minor human assembly errors here and there but quality and consistency of the components are simply second to non.

Which makes me curious on what you mean by build quality problems, not saying it’s impossible but interested in seeing what is wrong. That loose screw needing loctite is completely possible but screws backing out is a common problem for all products use screws/fasteners because they all eventually will back out.

 

[madeintheuk]

The same power wheel with the “known issue” is on ALL FX guns besides the impact and since you had many FX guns I’m just curious on what you mean by poor quality. Obviously you have your reasons but just wondering if it’s that gun, build quality is same across all FX guns as they all use the same CC machines, same people , same tools, same screw & bolts and share many parts. It is completely plausible that someone missed that drop of loctite on that gun.

I owned 6 FX guns and worked on more than I can count by now. Because FX produces all major parts in house the consistency of their quality is impressive to say the least! Sure there are minor human assembly errors here and there but quality and consistency of the components are simply second to non.

Which makes me curious on what you mean by build quality problems, not saying it’s impossible but interested in seeing what is wrong. That loose screw needing loctite is completely possible but screws backing out is a common problem for all products use screws/fasteners because they all eventually will back out.

Look, I’m not a badger of any brand, and never have been, but when I make a post on some issues I’m having and how I feel quality control has gone down on a brand (which others have also stated), I’m not looking for every FX owner to blindly stick up for the brand without knowledge of this particular gun or problem. I reached out to FX. and their fix was an oring! I have had ZERO issues with my other FX power wheels, so why is this one any different? It’s quality control that has changed. Screwing a power wheel in at the factory, and TESTING it before shipping is a simple process. They’ve been low staffed, and upped production as well as making numerous new versions and rifles in the mean time, and they had to cut man hours somewhere. I guess it’s the quality control that suffered.
Qball, I respect you as s forum member and your input on here many times, but this is just one of those times where we won’t agree. Sorry if I have offended you personally.

The choice in what to do next is mine. FX has offered to send in the rifle for warranty repair, and the seller has offered to refund my money. The choice is now up fo me.
Thanks everyone.

 

[qball]

Look, I’m not a badger of any brand, and never have been, but when I make a post on some issues I’m having and how I feel quality control has gone down on a brand (which others have also stated), I’m not looking for every FX owner to blindly stick up for the brand without knowledge of this particular gun or problem. I reached out to FX. and their fix was an oring! I have had ZERO issues with my other FX power wheels, so why is this one any different? It’s quality control that has changed. Screwing a power wheel in at the factory, and TESTING it before shipping is a simple process. They’ve been low staffed, and upped production as well as making numerous new versions and rifles in the mean time, and they had to cut man hours somewhere. I guess it’s the quality control that suffered.
Qball, I respect you as s forum member and your input on here many times, but this is just one of those times where we won’t agree. Sorry if I have offended you personally.

The choice in what to do next is mine. FX has offered to send in the rifle for warranty repair, and the seller has offered to refund my money. The choice is now up fo me.
Thanks everyone.

LOL! What’s there to be offended? Like I said I’m just curious on what you mean by build quality. Sure, forgetting a drop of loctite is a quality issue and how important you place on that detail is up to you. To you it’s a major issue then we can agree to disagree, I just want to know if there are other build quality issues or this is it.

I don’t “blindly” stand up for any brand, I just wanted to see if there are other build quality issues besides the wheel. No one can be perfect all the time if there is any sort of human manual process like put in a screw. It’s your money so do what you feel is right for you.

 

[madeintheuk]

LOL! What’s there to be offended? Like I said I’m just curious on what you mean by build quality. Sure, forgetting a drop of loctite is a quality issue and how important you place on that detail is up to you. To you it’s a major issue then we can agree to disagree, I just want to know if there are other build quality issues or this is it.

I don’t “blindly” stand up for any brand, I just wanted to see if there are other build quality issues besides the wheel. No one can be perfect all the time if there is any sort of human manual process like put in a screw. It’s your money so do what you feel is right for you.

Yes, like I posted, the cocking cycle is very gritty and clunky towards the end. FX said to take the gun apart and clean out debris from machining. Again, a $1600 plus gun with what you would consider small issues are big in my book. Not because they’re hard to repair, but because they shouldn’t happen on a gun in that price range. Have I seen other manufacturers with similar issues? Absolutely, but it doesn’t mKe it ok.

 

[qball]

Yes, like I posted, the cocking cycle is very gritty and clunky towards the end. FX said to take the gun apart and clean out debris from machining. Again, a $1600 plus gun with what you would consider small issues are big in my book. Not because they’re hard to repair, but because they shouldn’t happen on a gun in that price range. Have I seen other manufacturers with similar issues? Absolutely, but it doesn’t mKe it ok.

Ah, I missed the gritty cocking part some how. Had to go check my crowns and I think I get what you are saying, it is not as smooth as other FX guns with grittiness at the very end when the sheer locks in the hammer. I have taken apart the hammer and trigger multiple times so it is not caused by dirt, at lowest power it's not very noticeable but definitely noticeable with hammer maxed out. I attributed it to hammer spring being maxed out but it is still a little gritty at lowest setting too. Never paid much attention to is but after you mentioned it I do notice it now. I Remember there is a YouTube video of a UK guy showing how to polish the hammer and trigger engagement to get it to be smooth. Think I'll just live with it but obviously if you can't live with it then return it. Hopefully FX will fix the design so it's as smooth as the Dreamline or Impact.

 

[madeintheuk]

Ah, I missed the gritty cocking part some how. Had to go check my crowns and I think I get what you are saying, it is not as smooth as other FX guns with grittiness at the very end when the sheer locks in the hammer. I have taken apart the hammer and trigger multiple times so it is not caused by dirt, at lowest power it's not very noticeable but definitely noticeable with hammer maxed out. I attributed it to hammer spring being maxed out but it is still a little gritty at lowest setting too. Never paid much attention to is but after you mentioned it I do notice it now. I Remember there is a YouTube video of a UK guy showing how to polish the hammer and trigger engagement to get it to be smooth. Think I'll just live with it but obviously if you can't live with it then return it. Hopefully FX will fix the design so it's as smooth as the Dreamline or Impact.

I checked with a friend of mine, and his has a similar thing. Both ours are currently low power, but its more like an overcocking problem. If I cock to the point of seer engagement (handle at 90 degrees to rifle), it’s very smooth. If I over extend it past that point, that’s where that grittiness is.

to update, I fixed the power wheel with a piece of oring under the screw. Now it stays put, and I feel more comfortable than loctite.

now to get high scope rings so I can clear the mag aNed actually scope it

 

[merpo]

Yes, like I posted, the cocking cycle is very gritty and clunky towards the end. FX said to take the gun apart and clean out debris from machining. Again, a $1600 plus gun with what you would consider small issues are big in my book. Not because they’re hard to repair, but because they shouldn’t happen on a gun in that price range. Have I seen other manufacturers with similar issues? Absolutely, but it doesn’t mKe it ok.

Totally agree on this with you. Paid 1800€ for it, I love the GRS stock but that’s pretty much it. The cocking cycle towards the end was the very first thing that made me worried if it’s normal or something with my specific piece.

 

[madeintheuk]

Hopefully it smooths out over time.