Help!! Gun problems!

[Chopper]

I've got a Finishline II conventional gravity feed.
My spray is sputtering all over the place. The only time it doesn't do it is when I cut the air adjuster all the way down. It is atomizing ok, but there's big drops flying all over the place off the tip.
I think either there's something jamming up the fluid flow, or the needle isn't seating right.

The book doesn't tell me how to remove the fluid tip or needle to clean them. Can anyone tell me how to do this??

Thank you!!
Chop

 

[rex]

I don't know that gun but the fluid flow is probably fine.First check that the cup vent isn't plugged causing it to be 'pressurized' when you put the lid on.If that isn't it check to see if the aircap holes next to the tip hole aren't plugged,the little ones usuallt but it could be the larger ones in the cap horns.As a last resort make sure the packing nuts are tight-I doubt this cause usually it just sputters but atomizes about right.

 

[Motornoggin]

Sounds like the needle packings aren't tight. I have a couple old guns that I have to replace the packings on fairly often.

 

[Chopper]

Rex and Motornoggin--
I think it was one of the air holes in the cap plugged. I cleaned and cleaned and finally got everything going. It still has a right hand spray pattern to it, but it seems to be doing alot better. This is a brand new gun, I've only shot 2 small jobs with it. I think the problem came from not cleaning it good enough last time I shot my clear. (I'm a real newbie...)
Thanks for your quick responses!!

Chop

 

[rex]

If I'm going to put my gun up for a while I put some thinner in the cup and throw my cap in there to soak,if you got a little careless in the cleaning the thinner will keep the stuff soft.Every time I clean my gun and won't use it immediately I blow a few ozs of thinner thru it and trigger it on and off to blow out the cap holes(the thinner doesn't run thru the cap holes though).If you have a hooked pattern it's usuallt the aircap and if you turn the aircap 180 it'll reverse,if it stays the same you either have a bugger on the fluid tip or your needle could be bent.If you didn't pull the needle out and it sprayed fine before I doubt that's a problem.If you get to the point you have to poke something thru the tip or aircap holes be very careful,you don't want to scratch or enlarge them or it's junk.

 

[Chopper]

Rex-
The method you suggested is exactly how I figured out what was going on..
I turned the air cap and noticed that the problem rotated with the cap.
That little episode freaked me out. I thought I had trashed my brand new gun after 2 jobs...

Chop

 

[rex]

I remember the feeling.Here's a few more if the pattern doesn't flip:

The tip or needle as the last post

The vent is plugged and when you put the top on it pressurizes-sucks if you didn't do a test pattern!

The needle packing is known to loosen on some guns and causes the gun to sputter.

There's a few more but at least you know these.