Credits/Resources: ZDSPB.com, PBNation shocker community, Shockerrepair.com (
http://shockerrepair.com/ShockerRepair/Home.html), GOG - formerly Smart Parts(
http://www.gogpaintball.com/)
Note: Read SFT and NXT shocker manuals before reading this thread if you're unfamiliar with shockers. They include important safety info and FAQ/Troubleshooting info. It will also be much less confusing with the terminology in this thread
NXT MANUAL: http://www.zdspb.com/media/manuals/s...nxt_manual.pdf
SFT MANUAL: http://www.zdspb.com/media/manuals/s...sft_manual.pdf
Tools:
https://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=1043428
This is a simple guide to help you build a shocker, one of my personal favorite paintball guns of all time. If maintained, it can be a reliable and awesome gun. You can find an
extensive history of the shocker here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...roduction.html
What kind of shocker are you going to build?
Do your research on both SFT and NXT shockers and decide whats in your budget. Weigh the pros and cons of each, you can compare general characteristics here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/shockernxt/faq.html
What is the purpose of the build?
Decide why you're building a shocker and stick to it by developing a theme. Whether it be an ultralight shocker, specific color scheme, design or special features you want to incorporate, other purpose (ie build a cheap shooter for a friend, loaner gun, extra spare parts laying around and want to build a gun for cheap, etc), all stock, or Private Label (PL) shocker... any reason to build a shocker is a good one
Depending on the deals you find, you can build one for cheaper than you could buy a whole one already assembled! What's the fun in just buying one?
Some common and cool mods are: SFT to NXT conversion--milling for NXT eyes and tapped to accept an NXT vertical adapter, SHEGO -shocker/ego hybrid that uses an Ego frame, board, and eyes with a shocker bolt system and either an impulse, shocker, or ego solenoid.
If you have access to a lathe and/or mill, you can truly create something 1 of 1. Here's a few resources for that:
Here's the "Shego" guide:
https://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=1937487
Here's an interesting "Shimmy" build:
https://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=3727958
Here's the "Shuxe" thread:
https://www.pbnation.com/showthread.p...724&highlight=
Start gathering parts with your theme in mind. I recommend starting with essentials and small stuff first such as o-rings, lube (sleek or dow33, lurker lube), screws and pins, solenoid, wiring harness, solenoid inserts, and solenoid manifold; all shockers will need these parts regardless, everything else in interchangeable for the most part. O-ring chart can be found here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/misc/resources/orings.html. Once you've got these small key pieces, look for the other parts you'll need that fit your design scheme. Here is the sticky for shocker upgrades:
https://www.pbnation.com/showthread.php?t=936933
Inspect all parts and screws once you've received them. Shockers are used guns with used parts so make sure none of the screws are stripped, all grub screws in the body are there, etc. There's nothing worse than a stripped screw thread holding up or killing a project. Stripped threads can be repaired, but it's still a speedbump on the way to laning fools. More info about stripped threads can be found at the bottom of this page:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/misc/resources/spthreads.html
Once all desired parts acquired, start assembly. Some advice i can offer is
DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN ANY SCREW WHILE ASSEMBLING A SHOCKER and
USE STOCK/CORRECT SIZE SCREWS. One of the advantages of the NXT is that it uses screws that strip less easily, refer to the previous chart links.
**There are many ways of assembling the shocker, this is just my routine!**
1. Start with the body. Put on feedneck, screw in solenoid inserts, install and loctite body screws, install solenoid manifold, screw on solenoid, plug in eyes and install detents/eye cover. Check grub screws are present and loctited in. Check to make sure the solenoid manifold threads, vertical adapter threads, and frame screw threads are not stripped.
Using the correct size screws help avoid stripping threads. Make sure solenoid inserts are the right depth (2-3 threads deep) and you have them in the right places! Long insert on the left, short insert on the right. Make sure the feedneck threads are clean, and be sure to always twist to the right when taking off the hopper so the feedneck doesn't come loose. If the project is getting annodized, if desired, preserve the serial # located on the underside of the body. SFT and NXT shockers use different threads in the barrel and feedneck (some Private Label shockers use Autococker barrel threads). Here's a great page that helps with the body details:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...y_inserts.html
Solenoid + solenoid manifold + eyes notes/instructions:
Solenoid manifold: Install the solenoid manifold on the body first, then the solenoid, then plug in the eyes, followed by putting on the eye cover/detents. Use only stock manifold screws, do not over tighten! Diagram here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho..._solenoid.html. **Manifold uses 3 different size o-rings!!!**
Solenoids:It is attached to the solenoid manifold with two long screws, refer to the diagrams. The eye ribbon (metal part facing up) plugs into the upperboard as well as the wiring harness (connects the upperboard on the solenoid to the lower board in the grip frame).There are two types of solenoids shockers use: Humphrey (white solenoids) have upperboards that can detach, and Parker solenoids which have upperboards that are soldered in. Inspect the upperboard for bent prongs, on/ off button damage/need for repair etc. You can test if it turns on by connecting lower board to upperboard on noid with wiring harness and 9V battery.
After the manifold is installed, screw on the solenoid, install the eyes and plug into the solenoid. Also plug in the wiring harness (board connector wires) into the upperboard.
Eyes: SFT shockers use a single eye ribbon (reflective eye, info here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...pperboard.html) and NXT shockers use a double eye ribbon (thus the reason for an eye cover on each side as opposed to the SFT which has just one eye cover. Breakbeam eyes are more reliable in my personal experiences). SFT's reflective eye ribbon has a hard time reading dark paint occasionally. Milling an SFT to accept NXT eyes is a great modification since you have the smaller, lighter profile of the SFT but with NXT eye technology
A few pointers on the eyes, the metal side always faces up when plugging into the upperboard, make sure you have NXT eyes in the right spots, diagram here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...pperboard.html. SFT shockers stock have just an eye cover for one side and one short detent (opposite eye side) and one long detent (eye side). NXT shockers have an integrated detent/eye cover system that's visually a little more appealing.
2. Assemble vertical adapter (VA) onto the body and screw in HPR (before or after the frame, depending on fitting locations on the HPR). Make sure on the VA the pin is present along with the o-ring on top AND screw washer is used with the hardware (SFT only, NXT VA uses just the screw without a washer). The vertical adapter is what connects the air source (HPR) to the body of the shocker, you screw your HPR (high pressure regulator) into it, diagram here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...s_body_va.html. I prefer my shockers with 0-300 PSI gauges on the vertical adapter instead of just using a grub screw. You need to monitor the pressure going into the gun at all times. Ideal shocker operating pressure is 180-220 PSI. You can use high pressure tanks. More info here on air source:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...ottomline.html
(NXT va is different from SFT in that there is a second screwhole tapped into the NXT body. NXT va also does not use a pin or washer, just an oring and screw)
3. Assemble bolt system: Consists of bolt, can, sleeve, and guide. Apply fresh o-rings, lube, and install into the back of the shocker carefully. If forced, you can push the bolt guide into the threads in the back of the body causing damage, or damage one of the fresh o-rings you just put on. Bolt diagram here:
http://www.zdspb.com/tech/mguide/sho...gassembly.html. You can push the bolt assembly back out of the shocker with a wooden dowel or even the bolt guide to replace o-rings and maintain the bolt system.