Spy-Madator Conversion

Good day all! Here is a super simple way to turn your Spyder into a true electro-pneumatic marker. I am not the originator of this modification. This conversion is also known as a Spimmy. But I have not yet seen a complete write up on how to do this. It is hard to say whom the credit should go to. It may be Mr. Bob Long himself since the current marker that he makes is basically a spin off the Spyder. Or, maybe some Spyder enthusiast that made a really quick article for others to copy. To whomever it was thank you for giving to the Spyder community!

Bob Long used to make a replacement body for the Spyder series. It was great for those Spyder users that wanted a vertical feed where Kingman did not offer at the time. This was based on the older, fatty striker body internals. They are also blocky looking with limited anodizing. Basically all black or black with some color splash anodizing. But still a great looking marker for that different look. I have built a few from scratch for my clients when I had my custom shop. However, the bodies are not commonly found, as Bob Long no longer makes them. You may be able to find a store that sells them. More than likely, it is a back stock item. I have heard of somebody asking Mr. Long to make one, and he obliged in making one.

• Why Convert
• The Parts
• Prefabrication
• Installation of parts
• Testing

Why Convert

Why convert? Great question. This article will assist you in turning your Spyder (mechanical or electro frame) into a TRUE electro-pneumatic marker. That is, it will operate just like the Intimidator or an Angel. I am in no way saying that it is identical to an Angel in all operation. Just the general operation of what an 'electro-pneumatic' (now known as EP) has to fire and reload a paintball. There will be no springs to re-cock the bolt like the bolt on The One Kit, the EM1 and Primal. To me, they are like the WEGA of the HD-TV's. They simulate an EP, but not fully. Come to think of it, after this conversion, the only spring you will use is the stock valve spring. Everything else is operated by a solenoid. The best part? The ONLY modification you do is drilling one hole and adding the eyeholes. No other tapping, sanding, or anything else is needed to complete this basic conversion. The bulk of this conversion is putting the parts together.

An EP has less recoil because you are using air to push the ram forward and back. The ram is basically a striker in a standard Spyder. With springs, you have that resistance of the springs that can add extra bounce to the operation. With air and the lower operating pressure, you will see a huge difference. To operate the ram, it is basically around 60-80psi. I am not very good with kinetic energy, but I am sure the differences between the two setups are noticeable.

Overall, you will also be operating at a lower pressure. Not just for the ram. A separate regulator, that I will get into later, supplies the ram. With a standard Spyder, you need extra air to re-cock the marker against a spring tension. A paintball really doesn't need a huge amount of psi to be propelled to the proper velocity. Plus, since you are replacing the springs with an air operation, there is more reliability. No more fusing with finding out what spring combos work best.

Lastly, most all Intimidator parts will fit your Spyder. So that increases your parts selection greatly. Like the WAS board or other aftermarket boards that are not capped. Yet, use Spyder threaded barrels. There is some Intimidator parts under the name Alias that will not work. Those of the Classic and GZ Intimidators will fit.

I suggest that you please take your time and read the article carefully. It is an easy modification. However, this IS expensive. You can spend around $250 for all of the parts. But I suggest that you not make a Spy-mator using stock parts. If you are serious in a well performing EP, spend the extra cash to get the quality parts. This project will still have a substantial price tag of a high performance Intimidator. However, you control what you want and can take advantage of paintball technology that comes out periodically. Bottom line, consider spending around $400 for this conversion. Like all my articles on my site, I will try to explain everything, step-by-step.

You can also view this article like my customized AutoCocker articles that I did. You could essentially spend less on parts and build an Intimidator from the ground up that is comparable to the higher price tag Timmys on the market, and pay half the price. All you need is your Spyder body. No need to spend extra for new barrels.

The Parts

There are quite a few parts that you will need for this conversion. Here is a complete listing of Spyder parts that you will be using...

• Slim striker body Spyder
• Bolt (could use an Intimidator bolt)
• Valve spring
• Valve screw
• Spyder barrel

The slim striker body is needed to have a snug fit of the ram sleeve (explained later). It is also good to use one of the newer bodies with the top-cocking slot. The old Millenium bodies that Bob Long used to produce will not work as these are for fatty strikers, unless you wish to make a custom sleeve.

You will also be able to use the stock Spyder bolt, or any aftermarket bolt. Lastly, you will use the compact body valve spring and the valve body screw.

All of the other internals (valve body, striker, striker buffer, main spring, velocity adjuster, and main spring guide) are not used. If you spent the extra cash on one of the Spyder aftermarket boards, sorry. You will not be able to use them in this conversion. You need a whole new board to operate the solenoid fully.

However, I did test the aftermarket ESP boards on the solenoid and it did operate it. My only concern is the placement of the hosing for the ram and the placement of the solenoid. One could mill out the ESP for mounting the solenoid. Though the hoses would be exposed and break with a hit by a paintball.

On another note, Mr. xyz made this conversion using the ESP frame AND routed the air lines through the grip. More on that by following this link.

What I am planning on using for the body is the Spyder Fenix with the new ACS bolt.

Here is a complete listing of Intimidator parts that you will need. I will try to explain what parts one should be mindful to with performance.

• Ram sleeve
• Ram
• Ram cap
• Low pressure regulator
• Pneumatic hosing
• Hosing barbs
• Bolt pin
• Poppit
• Cup seal
• 12-point wiring harness (for eyes and LCD; pictured on left)
• 14-point wiring harness (pictured on the right)
• Solenoid
• Electronic board
• Gripframe* with trigger
• Aftermarket trigger
• LCD (optional)
• Misc screws
• Eyes (optional)
• Eye covers
• Gauge - Minimum reading of 300psi

* You could modify an ESP frame to allow for the Intimidator solenoid to fit. It is, however, easier to use an Intimidator frame. These Intimidator frames will fit the existing frame holes on your Spyder body. Update: Mr. xyz has done the Spydamator conversion using the ESP frame. Follow this link to go directly to it.

As mentioned, if you are going to do this mod, I do suggest using high performance parts if possible. You can use stock parts. But then you will have a stock shooting Intimidator. Which is fine if you are satisfied with it. You could always upgrade at a later date. You really cannot do this conversion piece by piece like you can with Low Pressure Spyder. It should be done all at one time. The biggest part with this conversion is really putting it together.

There are a few parts that are not special and do not really lend to high performance. These items are the barbs (make sure it is Intimidator barbs), the ram sleeve, pneumatic hosing (basically slightly larger AutoCocker hosing), the trigger frame (choose one for looks that appeal to you). Solenoids are pretty much all the same. Cup seal and poppits are pretty much all the same along with a gauge. The gauge is for on the LPR. You want a desired pressure of around 75psi to properly operate the ram. Too much and you may need to purchase a new solenoid. So find a gauge that will show at least that much.

Also, a special note. When searching for parts, the Alias Intimidator parts will not fit. These parts are slightly different design.

Bolt pins come in all shapes and sizes as you can tell by the picture link above. Also, the ram cap comes in a variety of shapes. I have chosen the ram cap on the bottom. This is made by Hyper and allows a quick exhaust of air.

The grip frame that I had chosen came with a trigger. But, as the picture link above for aftermarket triggers, these too come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The one on the left is that of a stock Intimidator trigger. The one on the right (which I will be using) comes with a ball bearing to reduce friction when pulling the trigger. Another feature that this trigger has that one can get in kit form is a magnetic trigger return. No need for a spring. And, this is adjustable as well. You can get either the trigger or the magnetic kit from Critical Paintball.

Another decision is the board. There are many to choose from. All are relatively the same. You can get a program for your computer to hook up to the Chaos Entropy board. I decided to go with the Bob Long Frenzy board.

The poppit and valve pin is all one unit for this project. Technically, they are 3 pieces being the pin, cup seal, and a poppit. The one I am using is a poppit and cup seal all in one attached to a valve pin. This came in a kit that also included the ram sleeve and ram cap.

For the other items, look around on the various web sites that have an Intimidator forum. They will most likely have some sort of buzz on the latest and greatest parts like QEV adapters. Or a new ram. Maybe a new LPR that just entered the market newer than that of this writting in 2006.

If you are not going to use eyes, then the 12-point wiring harness is not needed nor the wiring for the eyes themselves. However to take advantage of the full capabilities of aftermarket Intimidator boards, I would suggest using the eyes.

Also a consideration, an LCD on this project is technically not needed. Let alone some of the aftermarket boards do not support it (like the WAS). If this is your desire not to have one, don't worry about buying this. But it is nice to have one and makes programming the boards easier. Some boards will display max ROF, game timer, shot counter, battery display, and other info. The LCD will use the 12-point harness. If you want an LCD, but do not want eyes, then you will need the 12-point harness. If both the eyes and LCD not going to be used, then the 12-point harness is not needed.

For ease of maintenance, a top cocking setup is best. The bolt pin essentially will pass through the bolt and into the ram, connecting the two. Otherwise, you will need to fiddle with the bolt pin that is standard with Spyders. This would mean that when you remove the bolt, you will also need to remove the ram sleeve. Have your airsmith or local metal shop mill a cocking slot into the body.

Don't forget lubricant. Since this is an EP, I suggest something that is friendlier to the electronics. DOW 55 is recommended from the Intimidator manual. You will do just as well with DOW 33 or white lithium grease. Like the oil, this should be added to the o-rings only. Those of the bolt and the ram o-rings. If the bolt doesn't have any o-rings, you can add to the body, but add sparingly. Also, don't forget the valve pin. Lubrication should be done the day prior to play. Do not use oil as this could gum up the electronic solenoid.

When looking for an LPR, make sure it is not just the shell. While I was looking, I found that some of what looked like an LPR was just a LPC. Or, was the body of an LPR with no internals. You needed to transfer stock LPR internals to this shell for your LPR.

An inline regulator is also needed. An LP regulator is fine. Intimidator parts are high flowing unlike Spyder parts. The torpedo regulator comes stock with most all Intimidators. That would be a good choice. If it is good enough for them, then it should be good enough for your project. I have also had good success with the Check It Powerstaion regulator and WGP Ergo regulator.

One other item to consider. You could use CO2 when finished with this conversion. So long that you take extra care with keeping the liquid CO2 out. If you are planning on using CO2, make sure that you have a properly installed anti-siphon tube. Though, I do strongly suggest using HPA/N2. This will keep the solenoid in good condition.

Now, I have asked questions, researched on the internet, and cruised Ebay for parts. I compared prices on many web retail stores. Here are the places that I have found parts for great deals.

Paintball Gateway: I got the 12-pt and 14-pt harness and Frenzy board. Total spent = $170.00

Ebay: LPR, ram, ram sleeve, valve pin and poppet (all new items). Total spent = $100.00.

Paintball Ace: The LCD frame. Total spent = $35.00

Sak World Paintball: Complete Clamshell grip frame. Total spent = $140.00.

Paintball Kingdom: The remaining items. Total spent = $150.00.

I already have a regulator that I will be using. So I am not counting that. If you go with a Bob Long, the average price seems to be around $60.00. Then there is the cost for an air line with fittings and a drop forward. Add another $60.00 for those items. Not needed, but I did splurge on magnetic trigger return kit from Critical Paintball for $20.00.

Another very good option is to find yourself a broken down Intimidator that someone is selling for cheap. This is a very good way of getting all of your parts.

Prefabrication

Very minimal modification needs to be done in this project. To be exact, only one hole is needed to be drilled. You will need a drill with a 5/16" drill bit. You will also need a pair of needle nose pliers, flathead and philips head screw driver and an assortment of allen wrenches. Either teflon tape or blue thread lock, also.

The statement above is one thing that you will hear some say about this conversion. However, depending on the marker you have, you may need to do a lot more than the one hole. For instance, and depending on what you want to do, you will need a slot for the top-cocking pin. And, if you are wanting to utilize eyes. I will explain why a little later in this section.

Remove everything from your Spyder. Including the pin that goes across the lower tube that keeps the striker from hitting the valve body. Hit this pin from the smooth side into the body. Not the star/pointed side. After everything is removed, wash the body out with soap and water. This should get any dirt, paint and oil residue out. Let dry for a few hours. If it is really dirty, use some rubbing alcohol to clean. But make sure that you rinse it out with warm water. Alcohol residue could damage the o-rings on the ram sleeve.

Hold the body upside down so that you can see the slot where the sear would stick through. Pick up the ram sleeve with the slot away from you. Also, the hole that is between the o-rings should line-up with the hole where the valve screw in the body is screwed into. This is the orientation that the sleeve will be inserted into. But not yet!

You will want to align the larger hole on the sleeve with hole that is used for securing the valve body in a normal Spyder setup. Notice the very next smaller hole on the sleeve. This should be a threaded hole. This is where the one barb will screw into. Comparing where this hole is and where it will be when inserted in the bottom tube. This will be about half way between the exhaust port and the valve screw hole. There is no hole. Mark this spot on the Spyder body. The picture below shows the approximate location of this hole that needs drilled.

Drill a hole in this location of the orange dot on the picture above. This hole should be large enough to allow the barb to be screwed into the RAM sleeve with a pair of long nose pliers. When I was a kid, I was an avid remote control car freak. I still had the tools. One tool that I have is a cross wrench from another hobby and fits perfectly into the hole and will not strip the soft corners of the brass barb. If the hole is not big enough with the tool that you are using, then you will need to make the proper adjustments. When inserting the ram sleeve, I found it best to insert it from the front. There are fewer edges to cut into the o-rings that are on the sleeve.

As mentioned in the parts section, it would make maintenance a lot easier if you use a Spyder body with a top-cocking slot. Either that, or have your local airsmith or metal shop mill one in for you. You could do it yourself. But I have seen one too many sad jobs with do it yourselfers and not having the right tools.

With the Fenix that I am using, there is already a top cocking slot. However, I will not be able to use a top cocking pin for the Intimidator. The stock cocking pin on the ACS is about an inch from where it should be. The pin should pass through the bolt and into the ram sleeve slot. I will need to extend this slot to the correct location.

Those that do not have a slot, consider getting one milled by a metal shop. Or, simply use a dremel or hack saw and cut off the back portion of the top tube. By doing this, it will make maintenance of the marker easier. Otherwise, the steps needed to remove the bolt for thorough cleaning of the bolt area is to remove the barbs, and then the ram sleeve. Easier said than done. Especially if you thread locked the barbs into the ram.

Another consideration that may involve more drilling would be the eyes. Using you are adding the eyes, then I suggest you follow this link to the installation and drilling of the eyes. You will need to make this mod when wanting to use the eyes. Also take note of the size of the eyes that are for the Intimidator. The sensors are slightly larger than those of the T-board and XSF for the Spyder.

After all of the drilling is done, make sure there are no sharp burrs inside of the body. File and sand as needed. Rewash and wipe the inside of the body to remove any metal filings.

That is the extent of the modifications to the body that is needed for this conversion.

Installation

Here is the easy part. It is just like reassembling your marker after a large and complete overhaul. You can refer to the Intimidator Manual for maintenance and assembly.

Grease all of the o-rings with the Dow 55. Use sparingly. Like oil, too much could cause the moving parts to not move well. If the bolt that you are using doesn't have o-rings, then you could add a very light film on the bolt body. But not needed. Especially if the bolt is delrin material.

To install the sleeve, I suggest using either a rubber mallet or a block of wood and a hammer. But don't use it yet. Try to insert the sleeve by twisting it while you add pressure from the front of the marker. You have o-rings here, so be careful not to tear them. Secure with your valve screw. Make sure that the threaded holes for the barbs are visible for installation.

With the ram in place and secured, screw in the barbs. It depends on what you want to do. You can add very small amount of blue lock tite to the threads and screw them into the ram. This is a little permanent than plumber's tape. But it is a lot easier to apply on such small threads. Adding a small amount should be easier for you to remove for maintenance.

You can also attach a barb to the LPR as well. Secure that with blue lock tite. You should allow the lock tite to set for a few hours.

Apply some lubricant to the valve pin and insert that as you would with a Spyder. Next, the valve spring installation, and then the LPR. Secure the LPR to the body with a screw.

Before the trigger frame is added it may be a good idea to attach the various hosing to the barbs. Not bad idea to secure the solenoid to the trigger frame and attach the frame to the body. This will give you an idea how long the hoses need to be.

Attach the solenoid to the grip in the vertical position. Set the grip that has the solenoid attached against the body where it would attach. Lay the hose out like it would be connected. Then add about a finger and a half width to the length of the hose. This ensures that the hose is not stretched or would be bent in such a way that it cuts airflow. Do the same to the ram sleeve barbs. See below for the routing of the air lines.

On the solenoid, there are three ports. One is on the bottom while the others are on the opposite side. These two are marked 'A' and 'B'.

When attaching the solenoid, it will mount vertically with the side with the two ports should be facing the rear of the marker.

Add the hose to the LPR barb. It may be hard to attach the hose to this barb. I find it easier to heat the end of the hose with a hair dryer before slipping it onto the barb.

The routing of the air line is as follows. The route from the LPR goes into the solenoid with the one port of the solenoid that is alone. The front of the ram will connect to the 'B' port of the solenoid. The back part of the ram will connect to the 'A' port of the solenoid.

To make is easier to work on the marker, detach the solenoid.

Next, I believe I will add the trigger internals. The solenoid is already setup with the air lines attached. So all we need to do is screw it in when the clamshell is attached. I have found that the solenoid is attached by only one screw.

The clamshell comes in two halves. The thicker portion is what the internals attach to (LCD, board, trigger, etc...). I wanted to see just how good the trigger was that I purchased from Critical Paintball. It is not a typical trigger design. Plus, it has a magnetic return.

One has to log onto their website and watch a video on the installation of the trigger kit. The video lasts just short of five-and-a-half minutes. The trigger is self explanatory for installation. Just attach it with the trigger screw. Before I do, I will install the magnet.

The kit comes with some super glue, a setscrew with a magnet attached, and another magnet. On the magnet that is attached to the setscrew has a red mark on it. On the magnet that is separate, that has a red mark on one end, and a blue or green 'X' on the other. The red ends are attracted to each other.

For the trigger to operate correctly, the magnets need to repel. The ends of the magnets with the red mark need to face each other. To handle the tiny magnet, the video suggests using something like an allen wrench. Since the allen wrench is steel and is megnetic, the magnet will attach to it.

With the green or blue 'X' showing, add a small drop of super glue. Then, where the trigger spring would normally go, attach the magnet.

Use a slightly larger allen wrench to pull and hold the magnet against the wall. Hold this here for an hour until the glue sets.

This design of trigger accompanied with the magnet is insane! With the trigger curving out, this allows the contact with your finger faster than that of the straight or concave designs.

Trigger adjustment is the following. The bottom setscrew stops the back slack of the trigger pull. The middle extends out to cut down on the front slack. And the now top setscrew adjusts the magnetic sensitivity. I can activate the switch by tapping the trigger on the side about 45degree angle. Much faster than my Turtle Cocker. Also, I believe the ball bearing plays a huge part as well.

When the glue has dried, I now run the wires from the LCD membrane. I also attach the LCD to the frame and connect the 12-point harness. The harness attaches to the board along with the connection of the 14-point harness. Attach the on/off switch to the frame. The board is then attached to the frame with the harness connectors facing away.

I will attach the thicker half of the frame. The holes for the clamshell line up with the threaded holes of the Spyder body. Secure with a washer and screw at each hole. The kit also comes with the trigger guard that you need to secure to the frame. This is done in two places. Also, the screw for the trigger is screwed.

The other half of the clamshell can now be attached. Don't forget to add connect the membrane wire to the harness when you add the other half of the clamshell. Add a battery. Secure the clamshell half with screws.

Insert the ram into the ram sleeve. There are a few different rams available. If you have one with a black rubber bumper, this should be pointing towards the back of the marker. Generally, this is the thicker portion of the ram. Screw on the ram cap.

Add the bolt. You will need to point the marker in an upward position to bring the ram in the rearward position. When the bolt pin is inserted, the pin will go through the bolt and into the ram sleeve, into the ram connecting the two together.

Notice the bolt pin. On the very end is a flat portion. This flat portion will fit right into the ram groove. Since I am using a Spyder bolt, I need to secure the pin in place with a setscrew. If you are using an Intimidator bolt, it will have a ball bearing and spring configuration to secure the pin.

Use teflon tape and wrap it on the threads of the gauge. Screw on the gauge into the side of the LPR. This gauge will measure the psi coming out of the LPR into the solenoid. Not the markers overall operating pressure. Before airing up the marker, reduce the LPR. When you finally do add air, adjust the output of the LPR to right around 75psi.

Finally, screw on your inline regulator, air line, and drop forward. Add some rubber grips or DYE Stickies to finish it off. That is it! You now have a completed Spy-Madator.

ESP Intimidator

This is not mine but is that of Mr. Carlos Aari Lotfipour who beat me to this modification. With his permission, I added his conversion using the standard Kingman ESP frame. The list is the same, minus the trigger frame and trigger. He used the Frenzy board.

To start off with, remove all of the internals of the frame, trigger, electronic board and solenoid. You then will need to mill/cut the internal skeleton to allow for everything to fit.

The routing of the hosing is easy. Just need to do some dremeling. You could feed the air lines on the outside. But would not look very clean. The below pictures shows the usage of a 90* air barb.

Using a dremel, you can then cut grooves for the air line. You will need a groove from the VA into the frame. Also one to place an air line to feed the rear portion of the ram.

From what I can tell, all of the internals are "packed" inside of the ESP frame. Not screwed and secured. One thing to be cautious of, do not crimp the air line. This would either restrict or cut off the air flow to the ram.

The picture below is the top view showing the bolt and bolt pin with the slot

As of right now, that is all of the info that I have received from Mr. Lotfipour. As soon as I get more, I will add it.

Testing

Well, with some unforeseen problems, the Spydamator is finally put together. I went to my local scuba shop and got a pull tank to do some testing.

Sorry gang, no videos. Eats too much band width than what I can afford. Plus, do not really have the proper equipment to do take the video and post it. All I can do is write down my thoughts.

The performance of the marker was astounding! I have shot a 2k2 Intimidator and a Lasoya. Between these two and the Spydamator, I really could not tell the difference in performance. Just the overall physical appearance.

I do believe that the Critical Paintball magnetic trigger modification certainly played a part in excelling the Spydamator. Right up there with the ESP magnetic modification for the E-Spyders. Also, the many extra parameters that the Frenzy boards have over the ESP boards. T-board and XSF boards included.

Why say that a mere modified Spyder performing the same as an Intimidator? Simply because, the shell (body) is that of a Spyder. The rest of the internals is that on an Intimidator. The Frenzy board that I am using is what Bob Long puts into his current (at the time of this writing) line of Intimidators. So, really, this is an Intimidator in sheep's clothing.

As a final thought on this conversion, if you have the funds for the upgraded parts, go for it! It is really worth it and worth your time. Unless you will be happy with stock parts, Which will still be better than a Spyder. Yes, you heard me, better than a Spyder. Not saying that Spyders are not good. If I thought that, then you more than likely would not be reading this article on my Spyder Pages.

Any marker can be made tournament quality, with a few essential upgrades. Not going to go into what upgrades. What really makes a marker good over another is how it performs and how it feels in your hands. If a Spyder feels good in your hands, then that is a good start. If you are not comfortable with your equipment, then you will not do well in the game. If the performance is not reliable, then this will also fail you in the game.

As mentioned earlier, there are many areas one can find the parts needed for this conversion. Search Ebay for great deals. Also, the various internet forums usually have a sales thread. You may be able to find your parts there. Who knows, maybe you can find a slightly used or broken Intimidator for real cheap price. If so, get that and transfer the parts. Maybe start with stock parts and upgrade from there as you see fit. That is perfectly acceptable.

Hope you enjoyed this article as much as I had fun doing it. Hopefully it has encouraged you to do this conversion as well. Have fun and play safe!