Skip to main content

Modifications FAQ

Last updated on 2008-05-27

Colossus

K-mod

Pressure Relief Valve Disabling

XPS

Can a paintball gun be modified into a water gun?

No.

Can I modify a Super Soaker into a Nerf gun?

Yes, Super Soakers can be modified into Nerf guns. Some water guns modify better than others. We do not recommend modifying CPS water guns into Nerf guns because they perform much better as water guns. CPS water guns take too many pumps to perform well, and more pumps does not translate into more pressure, rather, more total air volume. Air pressure water guns are best to modify because they take less pumps, are less expensive, are smaller, and perform about the same.

Can this gun be attached and used on a bipod?

No one has made a bipod attachment from what I can tell. You can attach your water gun to a tripod however by epoxying on a 1/4 inch nut with an American tripod. With a German tripod, you will need a 3/8 inch nut. Check the size of your tripod thread. Post at forums if you need help.

Could I drill holes in the front of the Vaporizer to get extra nozzles?

No. There is only one nozzle on the Vaporizer. That nozzle can be enlarged, but only to a certain extent because the tube feeding it is of low diameter.

Does enlarging the vent hole of a spherical CPS gun's bladder casing do anything?

Some have suggested enlargement of this hole to increase total water output of the bladder. Some have suggested sealing off all holes to make the bladder pressurize the air around it. No study has been done to determine whether either approach is beneficial.

Has anyone added an aiming device to a soaker?

Aiming devices have been added before. Some people have added simple sights, while others have experimented with scopes. However, aiming devices are not very useful due to the limited range of water guns, the very curved trajectory, and the fact that water guns can shoot for a duration, allowing adjustments in the aim to be made during the shot.

How can I add a nozzle selector?

Adding nozzle selectors to water guns without them is a popular modification. We have a guide on our website.

How can I add a pressure gauge to my stock blaster?

While adding a pressure gauge might be possible on some guns, it undoubtedly is more work than it is worth. Some guns, such as the CPS series, have relatively constant pressure also and a pressure gauge would not be very useful.

How can I add straps?

A lot of stores (sporting goods stores especially) carry straps that can be added to anything. Buy a strap, maybe some rope, and find a way to attach the strap. Not every water gun has good spots for a strap, but most do. Attaching hooks might make attaching a strap easier. That would require modifying the case, so be careful to not damage the internals of the water gun.

How can I build a shoulder rest for a gun?

The procedure will vary from gun to gun and you'll have to improvise. Post at our forums if you'd like to try to make a shoulder rest.

How can I change an air pressure gun to CPS?

Modifications to upgrade air pressure water guns to CPS may not be worth the effort.

The XPS modification, can create a CPS like effect, but it breaks easily and is a poor replacement for a CPS water gun. Consequently, it is not on our website.

Replacing air pressure chambers with CPS bladders may be a more viable option, however, air pressure water guns are very limited in total water flow because of the small internal diameter of the pipes. Upgrading most air pressure water guns to perform like a CPS one would be impossible for that reason. However, low water output CPS water guns can still be very useful, so modifying an air pressure water gun into a CPS one may not be such a bad idea after all.

How can I do a shotgun mod or nozzle drilling?

Read our Misc. nozzle modifications article.

How can I get to the bladder of a CPS blaster?

Once you get your water gun open, there is a case holding the CPS bladder. In spherical and Hydro Power CPS water guns, this case can be opened with screws. In cylindrical water guns, this case can be opened by cutting through it, being careful to not damage the CPS bladder.

Also check out our Colossus guide.

How can I improve the capacity of my small gun?

Small guns are small for a reason. Improving their capacity defeats their purpose. Buy or build a larger water gun if you want higher capacity.

How can I improve the performance of a diaphragm CPS gun?

There's not that much that can be done. Nozzle drilling is a possibility. In terms of a power modification however, there are a few options worth considering.

How can I modify my stock gun to use a ball valve/do a trigger valve replacement?

While most would consider replacing the firing valve to be a repair, some may choose to do it as a modification. We have a guide to replacing firing valves in our repairs section.

How can I perform a spring mod?

Read our spring mod guide.

How can I remove the bipod of a Monster XL?

You have to unscrew the screws on the side. There may be caps preventing access to those screws however. Read our guide to opening water guns for help.

How do I paint my guns?

Read our guide to painting water guns.

How do I turn a Super Soaker into a flamethrower?

You don't. The subject of flamethrowers is not allowed at Super Soaker Central. Water beats fire anyway.

How far should I go down for nozzle drilling?

Drill slowly in and check your progress as you are going down. Sometimes you can see where you should stop from the outside of the nozzle. You should only drill what you know is safe to drill out.

A multi-nozzle modification can add more nozzles without worrying about how far to drill down, if you would like a different approach.

I drilled my nozzle out and the output increased but the range decreased. What happened?

Increasing water output by increasing nozzle diameter decreases stream speed. While a larger stream is more resistant to drag, if the speed is decreased enough, range will decrease. There is an ideal nozzle orifice diameter for each water gun at each pressure that is neither too large nor small. Calculating this diameter will result in optimal range.

Is this modification permanent?

Most modifications are permanent. Some modifications, like Colossus and the K-mod, are not permanent and can be reversed easily. If the modification changes anything by cutting or drilling from the water gun, it's permanent. Some modifications, such as nozzle drilling can be said to be semi-permanent. For example, a nozzle that was drilled too large can be filled in and drilled again if the size was unsatisfactory. If you are reluctant to do a modification because you might not like how the water gun performs afterward, do not perform the modification unless you're simply experimenting and the water gun is unimportant.

What are modifications?

Modifications are a very popular topic here at SSCentral. Modifications, simply put, are changes to your gun. These changes can do things like increase range or output, make your gun carry more water or make your gun function better. You can see all of our modifications in the Modifications section. We have the largest mods section of any water gun website.

What diameter would maximize laminar flow during nozzle drilling?

You have to do testing to figure out which nozzle has the best range. Try one nozzle, then try another, repeat.

What does removing the pressure relief valve do?

The pressure relief valve is a safety valve. When pressure builds up to too high a level, it will release some of that pressure back into the water reservoir. The valve is designed to engage when the pressure chamber is full. This safety valve prevents the water gun from breaking due to excessively high pressure.

However, some modifications such as the K-mod or Colossus may require this valve to be removed and filled in. Increasing the pressure to increase performance can result in this valve being engaged even when the pressure chamber is not full. Removing it therefore allows higher pressures to be used.

Removal of the pressure relief valve also is a power modification in air pressure water guns.

What is reinforcement?

Reinforcement is coating the internals in epoxy or plumber's epoxy to increase their strength.

What modifications can I do for this soaker?

The question should not be which modifications can be done, rather, which modifications would be recommended. Not every water gun needs to be modified and not every modification is recommended. Often people want to upgrade very bad water guns expecting very good performance. A good rule is that "you can't upgrade a tricycle to perform like a monster truck."

If your check the review of the gun in question, we list potentially good modifications. Evaluate your needs against possible modifications. You may decide that the increase in water output from a modification would not be worth the decrease in shot time or possibly range. You may decide that you like your water gun as is.

Modifications that can be done to all water guns

Spherical CPS modifications

Examples of spherical CPS water guns include the CPS 1000, CPS 1500, CPS 1200, CPS 1700, CPS 2100, and CPS 1-3-5, among similar others.

Cylindrical CPS modifications

Examples of cylindrical CPS water guns include the CPS 2000, CPS 2500, CPS 3000, CPS 3200, CPS 4100, Monster, Monster X, and Monster XL, among similar others.

Hydro Power

High end Water Warriors brand water guns use the Hydro Power system. Examples include the Orca, Lightning, and Blazer, among others.

Separate chamber air pressure

Separate chamber air pressure water guns include any non-CPS water gun that pumps water. Examples include the Max-D 6000, XP 310, XP 150, and similar water guns.

Pressurize reservoir

Will removing the screens or straws improve range or do anything? What do the screens and straws do?

The screens and straws exist to make the water stream more laminar by straightening out the stream. More laminar streams shoot farther. However, the screens also slow down the water flow, which can reduce water output and range. Removing screens and straws therefore may increase or decrease performance. It is generally best to leave these screens and straws alone.

There are a few exceptions however. The screens on the Flash Flood and Arctic Blast only serve to prevent foreign material from entering the pressure chamber. Removing these screens allows the riot blasts on these blasters to perform much better and also gives room to attach PVC/fittings to, though some work is usually needed to get fittings to work. However, the screens may be helpful for performance if a smaller nozzle is attached onto the large nozzle.

Would removing the pressure gauge on my soaker improve its performance?

No.

Colossus

Can I use balloons for a Colossus?

Spherical balloons of any kind do not work for a Colossus. However, cylinderical crafting balloons have been tried with some success. The balloon used must be relatively of the same shape as the pressure chamber.

How can I perform a Colossus modification?

Read our Colossus guide.

How many layers should I put on in a Colossus?

How many layers you should use depends on the power up you want and other factors. Read the Colossus guide for more information.

How should I slip the bike tubes on in a Colossus?

Read our guide to the Colossus modification to answer all three of these questions.

What does Colossus do?

Colossus layers bike tubes over the CPS bladder in cylindrical PC (pressure chamber) water guns such as the CPS 2500 and CPS 4100. This increases the thickness of the rubber bladder, increasing pressure and therefore improving performance.

Would doing a Colossus on a Splashzooka improve range?

Perhaps. However, the Splashzooka is designed to operate off water main pressure which is typically no higher than 60 PSI. Adding layers of bike tubes may make the gun impossible to fill. Experimenting to find the maximum number of layers that could be added is possible because Colossus is a reversible modification.

K-mod

Can I use inner tubes on the K-mod?

Not if you want the K-mod to work well.

How many balloons should I use for a K-mod?

Read our guide to the K-mod for recommended amounts of balloons for individual water guns.

I did a K-mod and can't shoot my gun or the gun broke. What should I do?

Check out our water gun repairs section to help solve your problem. It is most likely that the trigger valve is simply shut stiffly due to the pressure.

What does a K-mod do?

The K-mod layers balloons over the CPS bladder in spherical PC (pressure chamber) water guns such as the CPS 2100 and CPS 1500. This increases the thickness of the rubber bladder, increasing pressure and therefore improving performance. For blasters with cylinderical PC's, the Colossus is used to do the same thing.

What is the maximum number of pumps I can do with K-mod of this many balloons?

Read our guide to the K-mod for a recommended number of pumps for individual water guns.

When K-modding, how can I close the case over the bladder?

Read our guide to the K-mod to learn how to close the case.

Which guns can be K-modded?

Spherical CPS water guns can be K-modded. This list includes the CPS 1000, CPS 1500, CPS 1200, CPS 1700, CPS 2100, and CPS 1-3-5.

Would a K-modded soaker hurt someone?

K-modded water guns are no more dangerous than other water guns.

Would a light K-mod without removing the relief valve improve range?

Yes, light K-mods can improve range substantially.

Pressure Relief Valve Disabling

Can I remove the relief valve in diaphragm CPS guns?

Yes.

Can the relief valve be made to open at a higher pressure?

Not unless you replace the valve with a pressure relief valve from another water gun or for non-soaker purposes.

How do you check valve freeze? Where is the pressure relief valve? Where should I cut while removing the pressure relief valve?

Check valve freezing is pressure relief valve disabling. However, check valve freezing is an incorrect and misleading moniker.

See our article on pressure relief valve disabling for instructions on performing the modification.

Is it called the check valve or pressure-release valve or pressure-relief valve?

The pressure relief/release valve is a type of check valve that only allows flow at a certain pressure level. However, it should be refered to as the PRV and not as any other check valve since they serve different purposes.

XPS

Can I XPS a pressurized reservoir gun?

No.

Do the internals need to be reinforced with an XPS mod?

No.

How effective is the XPS mod?

The XPS modification does allow water guns to fire when upside down, but it is fairly useless in terms of creating constant pressure. As long as you want decent pressure, the majority of that pressure will come from compressed air. The XPS modification will simply take up space in an attempt to change the water gun’s entire pressure system. It is more useful to buy or build another water gun or to replace your water gun’s pressure chamber entirely.

One considerable problem with the XPS mod is being unable to pump air into the system seperated by the ballons. The point of the modification is to allow firing at any angle but in order for that to be the case, no extra air may be pumped in. Without pumping in extra air, pressure becomes much less constant.

What guns can I do the XPS mod to?

You may XPS modify any separate-chamber, air pressure water gun.

< http://www.sscentral.org/mods/faq.html >