# Graco gun tip leaks at tip area?



## FussyBob (Aug 13, 2011)

I'm normally a exterior painter with roller and brush, but decided to try airless painting. Bought Graco X7 Magnum to start out and then upgrade later. The system came with the GS2 gun and 515 tip. I wanted to also try it with oil based fence staining so I decided to get some 513 and 313 tips. I looked on Ebay and found that Prosource Supply had the tips (non-Graco) and guards that I was looking for and purchased them.


Today was the first time I had to test out the system, used water for testing. Everything went perfect with the Graco equipment (no leaks) and am very pleased that I can handled this with ease. I switched over the Prosource tip and Prosource guard and water drips out very fast at the tip end areas (not the orifice), put another Prosource tip and guard on the same thing leaking. Put the Prosource tip in the Graco shield and still some dripping. I can't believe that the Prosource tips would be that bad to leak like this.

My question is am I spending too much time on the dripping because I'm using water as a test and that with a higher viscosity latex this will not happen? 


Thanks,

Bob P.


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## mustangmike3789 (Jun 11, 2011)

did you replace the gasket.


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## FussyBob (Aug 13, 2011)

mustangmike3789 said:


> did you replace the gasket.


 
The tip metal and fiber (probably rubber) gasket in the guard, yes.


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## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

So it works fine with the graco guard and tip but leaks with the other one? Sometimes you might need to add two gaskets as the part that screws on to the gun has more threads or is longer

Pat


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## FussyBob (Aug 13, 2011)

PatsPainting said:


> So it works fine with the graco guard and tip but leaks with the other one? Sometimes you might need to add two gaskets as the part that screws on to the gun has more threads or is longer
> 
> Pat


 
I will try two gaskets tomorrow. The nut that screw on to the gun doesn't bottom out against the gun so it should be compressing the gasket properly. 

I just got my micrometer out and both tips are identical in diameter, 0.437 in., so now why should these Prosource tips leak in the Graco OEM guard and the Graco tip doesn't leak? Both are measured identical diameters dimension wise.


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## PatsPainting (Mar 4, 2010)

I'm guessing its not the tip, gotta be a gasket or something not seating right. 

Pat


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## c65jones (Mar 27, 2011)

Typically this is a gasket problem. Shouldn't have anything to do with the fact you are just running water.


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## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

I've had the same thing happen with Graco tip housings also. Take it off the gun, clean *all* the paint off the male threads on the gun and the female on the housing. Do the same with the tip-seating gasket. I eventually just went with the yellow Graco poly/plastic (?) gaskets and it took care of the majority of problems. Note: If you have any paint leakage at all, you really need to clean the threads as described above - any paint left in any areas that form a seal will just cause new leaks.


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## FussyBob (Aug 13, 2011)

Solved the problem.

1. It really bothered me why the 2 Prosource tips in the OEM Graco guard housing leaked, even though they were the same exact dimensions. Tried 2 washers and that didn't work. So with nothing to lose, I buffed the tip barrels with extremely fine emery cloth.....BINGO no leaks!

2. I then put the two pollished tips in the Prosource housings and they still leaked but not as badly as before polishing. So then I tried the following seal sandwich - metal seal, very thin O-ring, normal gasket and again BINGO, no leaks. It was enough to add just the right amount of additional seal pressure.

I got a reply back from ProSource and they stated that water is not easy to seal and that latex paint would have more than likely sealed better, this could be true, but I plan on using water based stains so even though the stain has higher viscosity is still could have leaked and made a big chore out of painting.


I did learn my leason here, just buy OEM Graco tips and assessories when you are using a Graco gun.

I'm really liking airless spraying after all this problem solving and didn't even run any paint throught the sprayer yet!


Thanks to all the posters for their suggestions and help.



Bob P.


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## TJ Paint (Jun 18, 2009)

Yeah just ue the graco tips. Problem solved


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## scott65 (Jul 11, 2011)

I usually rub a little vaseline or white grease in the threads and on the washers - helps to keep off surface rust and adds a little sealing like pipe dope does on pipe fittings. Works for me!


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## FussyBob (Aug 13, 2011)

scott65 said:


> I usually rub a little vaseline or white grease in the threads and on the washers - helps to keep off surface rust and adds a little sealing like pipe dope does on pipe fittings. Works for me!


 
This was leaking between the metal seal and the tip barrel.


Bob P.


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## scott65 (Jul 11, 2011)

Oh!! I've never experienced a leak there, sounds like a chinese made part problem. sorry I couldn't help.


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## Masterpiece (Feb 26, 2008)

Interesting....fwiw, long ago I had a leaking gun that kept leaking where the tip inserts in the housing. New gun and new housing/tip. It ended up that I needed to use a crescent wrench to initially get the housing tight enough. After that, had tightening was enough to keep it from leaking....


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## Aaron_Jack (10 mo ago)

FussyBob said:


> Solved the problem.
> 
> 1. It really bothered me why the 2 Prosource tips in the OEM Graco guard housing leaked, even though they were the same exact dimensions. Tried 2 washers and that didn't work. So with nothing to lose, I buffed the tip barrels with extremely fine emery cloth.....BINGO no leaks!
> 
> ...


I know this is a long shot, as this post is 10 years old, but what is a “very thin O-ring”? Where did you get it? I am having the same issue with a Graco 310 tip and the guard on an Avanti airless sprayer.


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## Aaron_Jack (10 mo ago)

Aaron_Jack said:


> I know this is a long shot, as this post is 10 years old, but what is a “very thin O-ring”? Where did you get it? I am having the same issue with a Graco 310 tip and the guard on an Avanti airless sprayer.


The guard is Graco as well


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## Aaron_Jack (10 mo ago)

Aaron_Jack said:


> I know this is a long shot, as this post is 10 years old, but what is a “very thin O-ring”? Where did you get it? I am having the same issue with a Graco 310 tip and the guard on an Avanti airless sprayer.


Also, when you say you buffed the tip barrels, what are those?


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