Pump-up air rifle not pumping up? Try the 'Alcohol Flush'.

/ nwairguns
So you have a Benjamin or Sheridan or Crosman or Daisy pump-up air rifle, but it doesn't pump up anymore. You can have it rebuilt to factory specs, or rebuild it yourself if you buy a seal kit and valve tool. But for a short-term fix, at little cost and with no special tools, you might start with the alcohol flush.
I heard about the alcohol flush on various airgun forums, and thought I'd try it myself to see if it works. There is probably several ways to do it, it is not a formalized process. This video shows the way that I did it.
And here are a couple of alternate methods set forth in a comment here and by a member of the GTA airgun forum;
Method 1; My method is to squirt, pump 2X, fire, repeat until all the seals hold air and there's no more dirt coming out of the muzzle. No need to soak overnight. Alcohol hardens and dries out the rubber seals so get some oil in the valve as soon as possible after you flush it out with alcohol.
Method 2;
1. Remove the butt stock so alcohol/oil doesn’t soil it.
2. Open the pump arm/lever.
3. Position the gun’s muzzle up & place a tablespoon or two into the tube above the pump cup &
close the pump arm/lever.
4. Place gun (muzzle up) into a bucket (I use a 5-gal plastic paint bucket) & leave in this position overnight.
5. Open the pump arm/lever & drain alcohol into the bucket.
6. Cycle the pump arm/lever 4 or 5 times & shoot into a white rag. Do this about 3 times then add
about ½ a tablespoon of secret sauce or pneumatic gun oil above the pump cup? Keep cycling the
gun & shooting it into the white rag until the discharge is whistle clean or your arm falls off,
whichever comes first. If the discharge is still dirty, then repeat the flush. In addition, make sure no
more residues are released onto the white rag, or it will affect pellet flight.
7. Run a few patches through the barrel to clean & dry & you’re done.
8. Be sure to cycle the gun twice before putting it away. This will insure all of your gun’s internals are
protected.
9. Repeat the entire process if no change is detected.

[@davidmcmullin8454]

Made my day. I haven't picked up my 397P in years. After the alcohol flush I'm back in business....THANK YOU!!!!

[@l.j.3533]

While doing some maintenance on my Benjamin Sheridan C9A .50 Cal. rifle, I ended up having some gun oil creep into the air pump chamber. I had zero pumping power. I found this video and gave it a try, and IT WORKED! I added the rubbing alcohol into the chamber and pump cup, let it sit over night, and the next morning all was good again. Got my beloved air rifle back in working order. Actually has more pressure then it originally had. Thank you for this video!

[@almoy3748]

I bought a Benjamin model 342 air rifle in the 1970s. I haven't used it for over 30 years. Tried to pump it up but it did not hold any pressure whatsoever. I read about your 'Alcohol Flush' and decided to give it a shot(pun intended) last night. I pumped it up this morning and it fired like a champ. Great advice with greater results. Thanks a million!

[@charlesleak7499]

Thank you, Thank you. I have a Crosman 130 pump pistol that I got about 65 years ago. It would not pump up so I got a O ring kit. I installed the kit the best that could but no joy! To ship it off and have it repaired would probably cost about the same as a new gun, so me being a cheap skate it has set in a closet for many years. I came across this video and thought "why not"......well it is back to plinking tin cans!!!! It sure gave me a lot fun times as a young teen....now it will give me more fun as an old guy! THANKS AGAIN Ray

[@boflarity]

I watched your video several weeks ago all excited that I might be able to avoid tearing down my 60+ year old Benjamin 312. The last time I shot it was about 20 years ago, before it was flooded under 13 feet of water from Katrina in 2005. I tried for several days with little or no effect on the ability to pump, so, I put it in the corner and saved it for a later project. It's about 6 weeks later, and I decided to order a kit for it. So, naturally, I picked up the gun and went to pump. It was solid--I mean solid --at 4 pumps !!. So glad I have a can of pellets with it. I'm going to postpone a rebuild, cleanup the gun and re-finish the stock. I'm already telling my grandkids about my 1960's adventures with this gun and look forward to target practice. Awesome video--thanks!!

[@BobSheard]

I tried this on my "one pumper" Sheridan and it worked. Be patient, keep trying and you may be rewarded. Thanks for such a well-made, instructive video.

[@petermoore5377]

I watched your video and decided to try fixing my dad's 40 year old Benjamin Franklin model 342. Unbelievable, it came to life after 2 nights of soaking. Can't wait to find some pellets and test it out. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@everettlacerda]

I had a Crosman 760 and a Crosman 788,both over 40 years old and headed for the trash heap. Repair kits were not worth the time and expense. The alcohol wash revived both of them in just one session! Thank you very much.

[@whathahk]

Man I'm ecstatic! My wife's dad had a 317 he had as a kid and stowed away in a hidden cabinet, when I discovered it, it didn't pump up! So I tried your flush! 3 times and man does it shoot great! Like a new gun, no leaks, no problems!!! I really didn't want to take it apart to repair it! Thank you so much for this video! It's a cool classic gun I wanted as a kid! Thank you so much, again!

[@275Vet-RLTW]

Big key after you get it pumping be sure to keep a couple pumps in it all the time to retain pressure

[@onPoint00]

@@275Vet-RLTW does this really work?

[@275Vet-RLTW]

@@onPoint00 yeah it really does

[@No2gunBan]

Someone gave my dad a Benjamin Sheridan 397 P that wasn't pumping up. I watched your video and that night I took it apart and reason for that was to check other parts and clean. But I just poured alcohol in small hole and behind cup and let it sit overnight and lo n behold this worked. Appreciate your time making the video.

[@homeagent]

I did this to my old 2100, Powermaster66 & 392. All were still pumping but they perform WAY better now.! Much Increased power with less pumps. Very glad I found your video!

[@johncortese8406]

Thank you for the great tip. I have an old Crosman Powermaster 66 that stopped working recently. I did the alcohol flush as you suggested and left it overnight. I tried it a little while ago and it's working great! Thank you again for the great tip. It's greatly appreciated! All the very best..... John C.

[@herefordciderapplesapples7740]

Blimey! I'm amazed, I bought a 2200 on an online auction, blind, it didn't pump. I was looking at diagrams and seal kits to repair it. I was a bit underwhelmed with the gun when I picked it up as it felt like a toy gun I had 50 years ago firing caps at my little brother. I used a few squirts of 99% hand sanitizer from our COVID stash. I'm pretty sure this little plinker has more power than my Air arms S410 classic. Very impressed with this video that has revitalised an old American plinker (maybe not restricted for UK market)

[@dray4490]

I have a 55+ year old model 310, which I used as a kid, that quit pumping. I tried the alcohol flush and it didn't work immediately. I left it overnight and it's not only pumping up but holding air. Thank you for this great video.

[@mrscary3721]

My Crosman 66 Powermaster had no compression when I tried to pump air in. I was going to buy a M4-177 for about $55 here in So Cal in the morning and just trash the 66. But came across your video and decided to give this a shot. I only had 70% Isopropyl Alcohol on hand. And wasn't seeing any positive results after standing it in the corner over night. Tried it again using Dot 4 brake fluid. After standing in the corner overnight again. Dry firing a few times had good results. BB tests were also good. After standing in the corner for 2 nights. I think it pumps up and fires better than new. Fantastic video. Thank you!

[@walterbank2728]

I did just what you did, and my 397 is pumping, pumping, pumping.....and holding pressure!!!! Thank you!

[@bradchun5461]

John, I saw your video on the alcohol flush and was quite skeptical at first, but decided to give it a try with 70% alcohol on my Benjamin 317 and it didn't work so I decided to follow directions and use 91% alcohol. I did it like you, above and below the pump cup, then set it in the corner, upright and pumped it several times in the morning and lo and behold I got pressure again! Thanks a lot for sharing! I'm going to try it on my Crosman 664SB Pumpmaster next and see what happens. Brad

[@desertdog01]

Teflon is better.

[@ffas23]

I am so happy I found this video last night. Earlier this week I took my Crosman 140 off of my gun rack to dust the Rifles on the Gun Rack. For the heck of it I tried to pump it up and it would not hold air. Took a extra Syringe I had around that I had left over from filling printer ink cartridges for my printer unused and poured some Rubbing Alcohol in a extra pill bottle I had around like you did and inserted it where you told us on the video to do. Did it a few times. It didn't do anything for me last night as it seemed to be leaking air from around the piston area. I thought there was no hope for it and that maybe I needed to rebuild the piston. Add more Alcohol, stood it up and walked away. Well this early afternoon I went and checked the 140 Rifle again and I could tell a big difference on the first pump. Pumped it just 2 times and tried it and it shot some air out of the barrel into a rag. Just ordered some Pelgun oil for it last night I should have on Monday. Can you suggest to me or do you have another video you can send me a link to on how to oil this 140 Rifle properly? I forgot to mention earlier that I purchased a seal kit of just O-Rings for this 140 Crosman Rifle maybe 5-6 years ago and resealed this Rifle back then and only shot it maybe 10 times to test it out afterwards. Got tired of pumping it up each time I wanted to shoot it. Didn't mind as a kid back in or around 1960 when my grandfather purchased this Rifle for me but at the time in my mid 60's then I just didn't feel like it anymore and put it back on my gun rack where it collected dust until the other day. I am 71 years old now. All and all this Rifle is in great shape. No rust. Blueing on the metal still in pretty nice shape. Wood Stock is nice also but with a few small chips. Thanks for making this video is all I want to tell you. You helped me revive my old 140 Crosman at least for the time being. I just want to Oil it with the Crosman Peloil when I receive it. Don't remember if I got any Crosman oil with the Rifle when I purchased it new. I believe back then I was using 3 and 1 oil on a rag just to wipe my Rifles down with and really nothing else maybe some WD40 also at times on a rag to wipe them down with.

[@varmintsniper2551]

Holy smokes I just grabbed my old Sears .22 1400 off the wall, where it has been sitting for decades and had it shooting in minutes. Thanks for the tip. I’ll try it on an old 822 tomorrow.

[@Jon.Carlsen]

The inlet check valve is still not sealing as you pointed out. I've been alcohol flushing pump pneumatics for years. If it's going to work it works pretty quick. My method is to squirt, pump 2X, fire, repeat until all the seals hold air and there's no more dirt coming out of the muzzle. No need to soak overnight. Alcohol hardens and dries out the rubber seals so get some oil in the valve as soon as possible after you flush it out with alcohol. If flushing doesn't work then it needs a reseal job which is no big deal. Routine oil lubrication over the life of the gun flushes the valve out with every shot.

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Good stuff, Jon, very helpful, thanks!

[@peteralexben]

always store a sheridan with 2 or 3 pumps inside ,and the models with half cock use that to

[@dennispfeifer7788]

@@NorthWestAirgun Mr. Northwest, I've whatched many of your videos and they are excellent...the 312 cut out video was highly excellent to see how it all works...I received a repair kit with the tool for the Benjmin 312 and have taken the gun apart, cleaned it up nicely...However, I'm not sure how to get the pump cup off...do you just pull on the cup and stretch the rubber...? BTW. What about those felt wipers, do you ever replace them...? They appear to be in the tube just to keep everything in alignment during pumping. The man question is how does the pump cup come off? Thanks, Dennis. I know it's a stupid question, but...lol BTW. I've cleaned all the black off this gun and have the brass shining like new money, last step was 0000 steel wool...it looks like a mirror now and will spray it with automotive clear coat...that should protect the metal...We will see...refinished the stock with tung oil...about 5 coats....it's looks good too. Now, just to get it back together...I could not have done this without your videos. Thanks again.

[@dennispfeifer7788]

Mr. Northwest...never mind I just saw your 3100 review from February 22, 2022 and you just popped that rubber cup off there....that's all I needed to know...no need to respond...I know you are very busy...Thanks, Dennis

[@NorthWestAirgun]

@@dennispfeifer7788 If you are just having trouble digging out the old pump cup material you can burn it out with a torch, like at the 7:25 minute mark here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/mWXCcmZ5nJucbtE Just do it safely, outdoors, with no combustibles nearby. But some pump cups are cast in place and not replaceable, take a look here; kzbin.info/www/bejne/mYScnqOQmJaFh7s In that case, you have to replace the pump cup holder so you can use the new pump cup. Take a picture of what you’ve got and email it to whoever you got the kit from. They should have the right pump cup holder for you. Cool that you are refinishing that rifle, a lot of the old stocks were pretty nice wood and refinishing brings it out.

[@donaldd.293]

Took your advice and my Benjamin 397pa immediately started pumping up. I lack patience so as soon as I seen the difference I did like you said and it works like new. Thanks

[@davidanderson6234]

Thanks for this great tip. Got my old Sheridan Blue Streak shooting again. Since trapping didn't work, now I can get the rabbit destroying my garden. Some say it won't last, but I just need a couple days.

[@kenx9995]

I was cleaning out an old closet and ran across my father-in-law's old Benjamin 310 air rifle. There's no serial numbers or even a caliber marked on it anywhere, so I'm guessing pre 60's model. It hadn't been shot in decades and wasn't pumping up any air. I had been considering sending it out somewhere to get it repaired but ran across your channel and wanted to try your idea first. It took three nights of soaking but it's working again. A BIG thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. Will be checking out your other videos here.

[@righteousredneck777]

Well,my dad's Benjamin is now fixed AND in under 10 minutes. I injected the alcohol and then just a touch of synthetic oil,gave er a few pumps and instant pressure building again. Running good and it's sat in the same spot for many years. Firing good. Thanks for this tip!!

[@marvinhammond420]

THANK YOU! JUST TRIED THIS YESTERDAY ON MY DAISY 856 AND TODAY IT PUMPED UP AND FIRED. SO I PUT MORE IN AND WILL TRY IT AGAIN TOMORROW!

[@thetruthserum2816]

Wow, that worked like a charm, only took a few hours to soak with 91% ISO... Saved me the hassle and time of a valve job.

[@daves2873]

I have a Blue Streak that I bought in the early 70's. It quit pumping about 10 years ago so it got tucked away in a closet. I came across your video and thought I would give it a try. First time it brought the pump back to life but the check valve wasn't holding. I tried it again and let it soak for a few hours and the check valve started to seat. The gun now shoots great and holds pressure. Thanks for the lesson!

[@andrewsyrotick1520]

Is it still holding air? I bought my blue streak used about 1968. Yesterday I took it out of the closet and it’s not even trying to suck air. This really works? Thanks ☮️

[@andrewsyrotick1520]

Is it still holding air??

[@mccurdydl]

My Sheridan Silver Streak air rifle that that I've had since about 1970 was on the floor in our house when it flooded in 2017. I wiped it down and put it in the gun case and forgot about it. I tried to pump it up the other day, and nothing. I was watching the NorthWestAirgun video on rebuilding my gun when I saw a comment directing me to this video of their's on Alcohol Flush. Day one, no change at all. Second try I injected more alcohol and the following day the gun pumped up perfectly with no leak-off. Two more days later and it is still working the same. Thank you guys!!!

[@russw3926]

Thanks for posting this tip and very good teaching style. I was given a crosmen 66 from the late 80’s by the serial # that didn’t pump. DOES NOW & holds air. Put some silicone oil in after several dry shots to remove the alcohol. Shoots great.

[@j3dwin]

This worked like a charm! I found my 30-year-old Benjamin no longer had any compression. I followed this tip and it was like new. I let it sit overnight and drained out the rust-colored alcohol. I shot it a few times without a pellet to clear the rest. Thank you NorthWestAirgun!

[@BAMBAM1723Ñ]

THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR KNOWLEDGE. I DID THE FLUSH ONE TIME AND NOW IT WORKS PERFECTLY...

[@gk.spinoza]

Thankyou very much for this Excellent advice!!! I just did the alcohol flush over 3 days and saw little bits of string come out the barrel when dry firing and adding more 99% isopropyl alcohol into the air intake each day , and this morning my Benjamin 317(no serial #- made 1940-56) held air, and I chronographed it shooting 5.4 grain Crosman lead free "fast flight" pellets at nearly 700 fps, so I'd say that the alcohol flush was a success :)

[@BigMerkGee]

Make sure you put some 3-in-1 oil or brake fluid in the same hole to lubricate the seals. Alcohol alone will dry the seals out causing them to dry out and turn brittle.

[@robhaney8568]

Amazing!!! I have a Crosman Powermaster 760 I bought in 1980 (I was 23), pulled it out of storage ... no pressure at all. I was looking at rebuild kits/instructions and found your vid. I did this flush twice and let it sit for 3 days ... Bought some new Pell Oil, put 3 drops on the oil ring and TAH DAH !!! It's working perfectly. This was my varmint gun on every camping trip I ever went on (remote tent camping was my main recreation until 8 yrs ago). Thank you for helping me bring her back to life! Now, I'll watch for those pesky pocket gophers when they poke their little heads up.

[@charley124]

I have one I used in the winter to dispatch fox's in my trap 14 years ago it was 10 below when I pumped it and after that it quit pumping air.. was going to just put it in the garbage can this week when I read this and all the comments about alcahol and break fluid so I went to my shed and opened the pump handle up and seen some small lettering that said use air compressor oil only. I put a drop in the oil hole and one on the push ring and one in the open chamber. I started with 1 pump then fired it with no pellet then 2 pumps and fired it then three and fired it ( air only ) and let it sit for 30 minutes then 5 pumps with a pellet then 8 ( that is max ) with a pellet and sweet I got my gun back - shot 5 pellets at 8 pumps and worked like it did when I first bought it , man sweet I almost sent it to its grave. - thanks for making this and the reviews help save my gun,

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Glad you didnt trash it, and that you got yours working again. Makes me shudder to think how many went to the dump that could have been saved instead.

[@patrickhogan9411]

Just tried this on my 1975 Benjamin 342 and on my 1995 Benjamin 397PA. They're both working much better now. Thanks.

[@markmeador1137]

My Sheridan has a leather seal on the pump, alcohol won’t hurt it. I have never done this because I always store it it with one pump of pressure. Mine is over 50 years old. I sent it in for rebuild about 1975. Still shoots great to this day. My Benjamin has leather seals on the pump also. I have had the pump seal get hard on it. I’m going to pull it out of storage and try alcohol.

[@RagingRaven108]

My air gun I've shot and lubricated for years stopped working out of no where. It wouldn't pump any air at all, I put denatured alcohol into the system and pumped it to spread it around. After sitting for about 30 minutes it was back to life! It could probably use another soak and sit for a little longer. But im very thankful for this tip, I can't believe it worked. Now I have my favorite bb gun back and ready to roll! Will probably have to replace the cup soon. But im just glad it works again

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Very cool, Mr Wham. Some people follow up with a few drops of compressor or tool oil or ATF, just to lube things up a little. Glad this worked out for you.

[@miraq9550]

I didn’t believe it, but tried it and it worked! Just need to let it soak for a couple of days! Thanks!

[@abelincoln3261]

I like many other ole yeah ole not old LOL 66 years here.. had one of the greatest ... and Mr. NorthWestAirGun is holding one right now... The Great Benjamin .ss Cal pellet riffle. I remember when I got mine at 12 years old. If I remember correctly my dad and I picked it up at White's Auto But it may have been at Sears... for under 30 bucks. .. anyway... It to this day was the best 22 cal pellet riffle i ever had or shoot... I don't know what ever happened to it... I have other air riffles now... a77s and 22s but they just don't hold a candle to the Ben Bronze Brass Master... Anyhow I have a fairly late model Crossman that won't pump.. pumped great last year .. but not today so here I go... I'll be back to let y'all know how the alcohol flush works out. Fingers crossed. BTW I'm looking to purchase a vintage Ben now.. looking on Ebay as I speak... I want the one with the rounded wood pump arm like the one I had..

[@__Dallas]

Thank you! Just revived a first run 140 Crossman using this method!

[@WJJ3rd]

I bought an old Blue Streak that had been sitting in a shed for years, through frigid MN winters and humid summers. It would not pump up when I got it. I did the alcohol flush and the gun pumped up fine and held air for days. I sold the gun to a buddy 7 years ago and it’s still pumping and holding air fine.

[@yulianto180]

How many % concentrate alcohol my friend ? Thanks you very much

[@rickwood5005]

Just wondering where I can purchase a compression seal kit for my Blue Streak. Thanks ahead of time. Appreciate your videos

[@edwardvines396]

@@rickwood5005 www.bakerairguns.com/ Also buy the valve tool. The bolt stop tool is availabl

[@edwardvines396]

@@rickwood5005 or you can use a 1/8" nut driver to remove the bolt stop. Watch the videos first to determine if you want to attempt it.

[@jaynicks3607]

I used spray silicone to rejuvenate the seal and it worked very well.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

"no, we're not gonna drink the alcohol" said with a perfectly straight face... you're good

[@davevasbinder8617]

Your help saved my Crosman 140, shoots like almost new thanks so much

[@anthonyestrada9460]

Hey i just did that and it worked thank you so much I haven't shot it in like 25 yrs maybe longer your the man

[@BlvlWmpower]

my 2100 still works 20+ years later, just lost some fps and I didn't even clean it lol.

[@peterbaugh51]

The flush works. I flush on a regular basis now. Only a few drops is needed. Put a drop of oil on the cup at the same time. I get max pressure, max fps, and the gun holds full charge for days. Evidently manufacturers do not want you to know how to keep your air gun working for many years. $$$$.

[@bobcat1]

Yes alcohol will clean the inside of the bore but Alcohol swells and destroys the rubber o-rings. You get compression because the o-rings are swelling but in short time dry out and become brittle and break apart. The correct fluid to use is brake fluid. Brake fluid cleans and preserves the rubber o-rings which make up your piston pump.

[@MegaTheRatman]

Automatic Transmission Sealant (Stop Leak) works well too and will not destroy the O-rings.

[@tonyprovo7816]

Brake Fluid is going to strip paint and maybe melt plastic. Use with caution. It can damage more then just the gun. I have no experience with the trans-stop leak, but it should be safer.

[@peterbaugh51]

The seals will be fine if you also oil the cup. Over time oil and dirt fouls the check valve, gun leaks air. Flushing cleans out the compression chamber and allows fresh clean oil back in. Seals stay good. Use only air gun oil.

[@poolshoesandrandomscrews1156]

Thank you so much, you just saved me the look up, I’m a auto tech and I was thinking of trans fluid but brake fluid is definitely the correct answer.

[@brendanlantz8631]

Brake fluid is highly caustic. Rubbing alcohol is an extremely mild solvent. As long as you're not leaving the alcohol in and letting it evaporate before reapplying lubricant it should be harmless

[@jamesvaldez2379]

Thanks for the tip. I have a old crosman riffle about 23 years old I found in the storage attic dusty. I was gonna throw it away and came across this video, tried the flush and wow, it worked and shooting hard like it did before.

[@chulopapi2300]

I did just like you directed and it brought my Benjamin 392 back from the dead❗❗ Bought it at a pawn shop for $40 13 years ago when I was stationed in Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas! I let mine sit for a week. The previous owner or owners never did any maintenance on it other than oil the living daylights out of it. It didn't help either that I didn't know how to do any good maintenance on it myself. Ever since collecting 1377's, 1322's, crosman '130'.22, 2100's, 2200(needs seals or o-rings/a little bit worried about taking it apart/ looks like someone tried before), a daisy 880(needs seals or o-rings),312(when the trigger is pulled, a little bit of air shoots back at your face or eyes 👀), and a 392, I've been trying to learn from KZbin videos and teaching myself how to take apart these airguns. Thanks for your video, I'd never would've figured it out since I haven't seen another video out there with this information. Again thank you ❗ Flushed out a lot of gunky oil, and bits of grit. Put a drop of peli-gun oil where needed and it's doing great ❗❗Now all I need is to find a video on the 2200,😁❗❗❗

[@SpYucaipaSoCal]

My lever safety Sheridan was stiff to pump. I oiled it as instructed and she’s pumps like new again. Thanks

[@terjegrov2013]

Interessant. I ll try it right away on my daisy powerline. Greetings from Norway!

[@johnndavis7647]

I did this with a 1322 that wouldn't pump up. . I poured in about a teaspoon of 91% alcohol and i shook it up and let the gun soak overnight. The next day i shook out all of the alcohol i could. Then i put some silicone oil in the pumping mechanism and a little in the Chamber . I pumped it a few times and it started holding air. I put more silicone in the mechanism every few days and it got better and better. Then i tried it in an old Crossman 140 thst wouldn't pump up. This gun pumps up but it's very weak. I think this one is going to get new seals So i am 1 for 2. That's not so bad for guns other people had given up on. Thanks for the video.

[@Jesse195592]

Thank you for sharing your trick brought back 788 crosman

[@iviui2d3i2]

Having worked as a mechanic for 20 years, when there were times a car had a slightly leaky fuel injector(or fuel rail) we would fill the car up with the worst/cheapest gasoline at whatever year it happened to be (used to always be ARCO gas but not sure anymore). And fill it with the highest octane rating (92 here in California) because it has such a high alcohol/ethanol percentage to achieve the octane rating on the shitty gas. This often fixed these smaller leaks because alcohol causes rubber to *swell* not because it was "cleaning out debris" so I'm a bit confused on your reasoning as to why the alcohol flush works. I do believe it works, and I plan on trying it myself on my benjamin 312. Perhaps both of our reasons are correct.

[@davidg8032]

I too was contemplating the alcohol, rubber reaction as soon as I started watching this video.

[@curtfrankly]

Figured this out a while back. can work and has in over oiling.

[@christophercartheuser4451]

C9 1992. To your point, all kinds of crud came out. Had to do it 3x before it was clear. It pumps up. Don't know how long it will last, but wow that thing was dirty. Never loan your guns to your friends.

[@chulopapi2300]

Or to nephew's ❗❗

[@johnmckenna8989]

...When the alcohol evaporates it will dry the seals, so after the flush it's best to put Pellgun oil (or something similar) on the pump cup and into the compression tube as in regular maintenance....This will bring new life to the seals if they are not damaged in any way just by age.....Lubed up before any long time storage will also be a big benefit.........

[@joecane699]

You sure did teach me something about that alcohol thank you 👍🙏👌

[@NotSoDumb]

Tried it on my model 137 pistol, works like new. Thankyou.

[@bertradmacher2623]

I never thought of that i tried transmission oil that didn't work, ill try it and let you it works

[@tonybranton]

The 312 likely has a leather piston seal and a nylon check valve. Neats foot oil is the proper piston lubricant. Mac1 secret Sauce available from Mac1 airguns in California is the proper lube for all rubber sealed guns.

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Agree on neetsfoot oil, or silicone oil, is best for leather seals. And maybe the earliest 312’s have a leather seal for the pump cup, but the vast majority are synthetic. So in that case, yes, secret sauce from Mac-1 is best.

[@mikefaass9204]

Very detailed video, thanks for doing that. I have a Benjamin 317 Air Rifle that belonged to my dad and it won't hold pressure anymore. I will try the alcohol flush this weekend. Would denatured alcohol work? Also if this doesn't work, can you reccomend a good relable source to buy repair parts? I found the original parts manual and don't think it will be of use since it was printed in the 60"s . Thanks for any advice, would like to restore this rifle. Mike

[@1090MultiStrada]

I have a 1999 Crosman/Sheridan C9A. Looks great. Pumps and shoots. Check valve seems OK because the arm does not lift on its own once it is pumped up, BUT it does not hold air for more than an hour. Where could the air be going if the check valve is OK?

[@NorthWestAirgun]

air probably sneaking out the barrel. If you can't live with it not holding air, you'll need to rebuild. That valve is different than the valves I show in my other Sheridan/Benjamin videos, no special valve tool needed and different seals.

[@elkinvigilant9880]

Thank you for that information. I'm going to apply it to my 392 air rifle.

[@GrowOhighO]

I tried it on my Crosman 20 cal c9a and the air still come out the barrel . thanks great video.

[@goldandsilverminingintheci8942]

Seems to have worked for me! Just tried it with my Sheridan 5mm. Thanks.

[@chrisforrend]

Crossman. Had goo gone sitting infront of me while watching. Worked immediately

[@ponz924]

I hope you're still here. I have a 1377 that I purchased during the early 90s. I never maintained it. It recently stopped pumping so I dripped some silicone oil where I could and it's now pumping again. At 14:19 into your video: Mine, regardless of how many pumps, the pump handle will sag all the way back down. It will even sag down if I apply VERY little pumping pressure. Do I have more than a cup issue? Thanks you.

[@BayramKurtulush]

I tried it today. It works magically.

[@ryanfredrickson832]

Just bought a crossman 1377 that's not pumping, gonna try this.

[@velie]

The alcohol swells the rings so they seal the air better. This, I would imagine, is a temporary fix. Looks like it's time to replace the o-rings?

[@mariochesser7849]

Hi there, I have a Daisy 990 that used pump up just fine, until I took the part in front of the cylinder pump apart. I didn't sounds the same and seems a little weak in power on the pump side. The CO2 works great after new seals. My thoughts is that I put the check valve in wrong.

[@mikec5006]

I assume it should be oiled after the flush. ?

[@randomcuriosities8441]

I'll be trying that tonight on my Crosman 66 powermaster.

[@randomcuriosities8441]

It worked! Overnight soaking alcohol. Before it would not make any pressure. None just a floppy pumper. Now works great!

[@NorthWestAirgun]

@@randomcuriosities8441 I'm happy for you!!

[@Triple6Andy]

Great video!! Got my old daisy working within hours !

[@danpaul2989]

"Pumper that will not hold air" A drop of two of Pellgunoil on the pump cup will also do the trick, sometimes.

[@chrishenicke2052]

Got an old Sheridan that I need worked on. Cant find anyone in Texas! Would you be willing to look at it? I would love to get it to work again. Thanks

[@FlyingV344]

whats the main reason these pumpguns dont pump anymore after a while? dirt?

[@billbrick54]

I may be confusing precautions with spring-powered guns, but I thought oil or alcohol in the combustion chamber could ignite from compression like a diesel engine. Another possibly spring related precaution is not dry firing (no pellet) an air gun due to excessive speed/impact of the piston. Even if these do not apply to pump up guns, it might be adding a footnote not to try the alcohol flush on a spring gun.

[@NorthWestAirgun]

I've thought about that too, like burning ethenol. Temperature, due to rapid compression, plays a large part in dieseling, Pump up your air rifle quicky and you may be able to feel a bit of heat at the base of the pump tube. But, pressure and temperature in pump up airguns is generally pretty modest. Spring guns can have a massive spike in both, hence dieseling, and precharged guns use higher pressures too. It is not necessary to use alcohol, perhaps compressor oil or some other agent would work to flush out the system.

[@unitedstatesirie7431]

​@@NorthWestAirgun is it ok if I use Everclear 190 Proof alchohol to flush my Crosman 1322 pump airgun pistol ?

[@NorthWestAirgun]

@@unitedstatesirie7431 Geez, I dunno, seems like a waste of Everclear to me. I'd stick to 70 or 90% alcohol or another oil.

[@maverickpapostolou9158]

Thank you for the information! I want to ask you if for the pumpers is OK to dry fire

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Dry firing won't hurt anything.

[@aishainman]

Bought this for my grandson with the understanding that it's to be used properly...

[@joshuajames3384]

Haha, I know absolutely nothing about pellet/bb guns- I know nothing about any guns as I live in Canada and my parents wouldn’t allow; nor did we live in the right setting for anything more than a cap gun! ANYWAYS.. I now live on some acreage and my 10 year old asked for a pellet gun for his birthday. I bought an airmaster 77 off of my coworker. When I got home and tested it out, it wouldn’t pump even a whisper of air into the damn thing. I watched your video and decided I better try this alcohol flush before buying something new- but seeing that I don’t have any alcohol of that kind on hand; I simply blew into the pellet loading chamber (I’m probably butchering the terminology) and holy cow sh¡t it works!

[@jonathanbrooks1110]

I’ve heard of laying on hands as a cure, but never blowing into pellet loading chamber thingy. I’ll try that first next time. Cool you got it working.

[@LowkeyAirgunner]

Interesting technique! Looking at the video and comments it seems like it is working well

[@annieadams932]

I used silicone spray without knowing about the video and had similar results. It only stays strong for several months. I still want to change the rings.

[@stephengilstrap6154]

I have a junky barra 1886. I poured it in the little air gap and it worked great!

[@airgunballistics1779]

I have the same gun and it wont pump .. I wonder if we could replace a peice? Or just oil it every time its shot..

[@dscinaz]

It's pretty hard to argue with the success you and others have had with the alcohol, but I'd be concerned because of the water that makes up any alcohol that is less than 100%, and that is virtually every type sold. If I remember correctly alcohol has a great affinity for water, and if it's not already there, any strong product probably absorbs alcohol from the air unless there's none to be had. If I tried it, I'd make sure the barrel isn't closed at the receiver end and work it hard the next day to remove as much of the alcohol as I could to avoid rust. On the positive side, most guns have lots of oil residue in them. FWIW, I recently bought a Crosman that absolutely had no indication that the there was a pump seal in it. I oiled it liberally (I only use synthetic motor oil), and the pump cup did respond and would pump up. With frequent use, it remains usable, but in time, it shrinks back to the point it will not hold the pump lever closed. Time for a replacement. Doug

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Well, the Benjamins and Sheridans are brass, so rust is less of an issue, although some other rifles are not. But your point is a good one. Others have commented that they follow the alcohol with some kind of oil, like your non-detergent synthetic oil. Seems like a good idea to me. Wish I had included it in the video. Thanks for bringing this to peoples attention.

[@moonolyth]

Gona give it a try, although, min stoped pumping becouse I was dry shooting I believe. Supposed to top off at 7 pumps. Ill check in later and let you all know. I also hear MarvellMysteri oil helps with O rings..may ad that later.

[@robertofloresrodriguez3467]

Si yo le puse un poco de thiner y en 20 minutos que estuve bombiando funciono de nuevo gracias por el tips me evite una reparacion

[@desertdog01]

What do you think of pure Teflon as an Air Gun lubricant.Cheers fr Monterey, cal...

[@von40me]

Thanks that works really good, then I put light oil a day later.

[@MilledSteel]

Wouldn’t it just be better to keep pumping with Pellgun oil? I did that over a couple days to fix a 760 that stopped working.

[@thefrogking481]

I'm going to do this on my silver streak. Hopefully it works?

[@eduk4387]

Will it work with whisky ?

[@275Vet-RLTW]

This process worked for mine about 2 years ago. Flushed out a ton of old gummy oil over a few days then keeping one or two pumps in the gun at all times kept it holding pressure and good to go for the two years. One day it was back to no pressure... Put in a couple ccs of alcohol and immediately went back to pumping fine so maybe it was some old goop that broke loose again and got caught up somewhere. Note: I never had and still don't have the issue with the pump rising from a back leak in the piston seal. Highly recommend this process to fix or even maintain a classic ridiculously accurate gun.

[@ForgivenbyHim]

I have a Benjamin 317 that needs to be worked on. I'm in the Southern California and Austin Tx area a lot. Do you have any recommendations?

[@georgemitchell9244]

I under head space on a rifle what are you referring to in an air gun? Could not be the same thing.

[@oscarzambrano6539]

I put alcohol in my Sheridan and the pump is extremely hard to close. How do I get alcohol out. I don’t see anything drain when I tilt it forward.

[@Onlybhstrpes]

Can you do the same thing with break-barrels

[@NorthWestAirgun]

Naw, different powerplant.

[@charlesleak7499]

The alcohol worked fine but now the gun is blowing air around my transfer port. I have some 1/4 inch tubing, so I want to cut a small piece and replace the transfer port. Can I remove the barrel without removing the trigger assembly?

[@jpbrooks1981]

which rifle?

[@charlesleak7499]

@@jpbrooks1981 Crosman 130 pistol

[@NorthWestAirgun]

@@charlesleak7499 Sorry, Imissed that. And I've never had a Cros 130, so can't say. Maybe someone will chime in, or you could try asking at the GTA forum; www.gatewaytoairguns.org/GTA/

[@oscarzambrano6539]

I tried the alcohol flush and when I went to lose pump, it will not close. Extremely hard to put in close position. A day later I still can’t close pump. Do you know what cause that?