Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting and easy fixes

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Bostitch roofing nailer not firing?  Bostitch roofing nailer not feeding? Bostitch nail gun leaking air? Bostitch brad nailer won t shoot? Or perhaps your Bostitch roofing nailer keeps jamming?

Well, this post is all about Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting and we will help you resolve the issue.

We tackle all the typical Bostitch nailer problems and their fixes-some of the fixes are really simple to implement.

Let’s dive in.

Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting- individual problems and solutions

Bostitch roofing nailer problems

We start with bostitch roofing nailer repair..

Air leaks from the Trigger valve housing

  • O-ring cut/cracked- Replace O-ring.

Trigger valve stem leaking air

  • Seals/O-ring cut or cracked- Replace entire trigger valve assembly.

Frame/nose leaking air

  • Loose nose screws -Tighten then recheck
  • O-ring or Gasket cut or cracked- Replace gasket or O-ring.
  • Bumper worn/cracked- Replace bumper.

Frame/cap leaking air

  • Damaged gasket/seal- replace seal or gasket.
  • Head valve bumper cracked/worn- Replace bumper.
  • Loose cap screws- try to tighten then test.

Bostitch roofing nailer not firing-Failure to cycle (fire)

  • Air supply restricted- inspect and repair/tweak air compressor settings.
  • Tool is dry, lacks lubrication- Apply BOSTITCH Air Tool Lubricant to all vital parts.
  • Worn head valve O rings- replace the O rings.
  • The cylinder cap spring is broken- Replace the component.
  • Head valve is stuck in cap- Disassemble/Inspect/Lubricate.
  • Last throw of the dice- dismantle and re-assemble it the correct way!.

 

Lack of power, Bostitch roofing nailer slow to cycle

  • Tool is dry, lacks lubrication- oil it with recommended lubricant.
  • Seals/O-ring cut or cracked- Replace o rings/seals.
  • The cylinder cap spring is broken- Replace.
  • Exhaust blocked- Examine bumper, the head valve spring, and muffler.
  • Trigger assembly leaks/worn- Replace trigger assembly.
  • Dirt/tar buildup on driver- Take apart nose/driver and clean.
  • Cylinder sleeve is not seated properly on bottom bumper- Disassemble and correct.
  • Head valve dry as a bone- disassemble and lubricate.
  • Air pressure sluggish- check air compressor.

 

Skipping nails; bostitch roofing nailer not feeding/ intermittent feed

Here are the possible causes and specific fixes if your bostitch roofing nailer wont feed nails:

  • Worn bumper-replace.
  • Tar/debris in driver channel- Disassemble then clean tool’s nose and driver.
  • Air restriction/inadequate airflow through the quick disconnect socket& plug- Replace the quick disconnect fittings.
  • Worn piston O-ring- Replace O-ring. Also check driver.
  • Tool is dry, lacks lubrication- oil it with recommended lubricant.
  • Low air pressure- Inspect the air supply system.
  • Magazine nose screws loose- Tighten all screws.
  • Wrong Fasteners – feed compatible nails.
  • Head cap gasket leaking- Tighten screws or replace gasket.
  • Trigger valve O-ring worn/cut- replace O-ring.
  • Chipped/Broken driver- Replace driver (also check piston O-ring).
  • Dry/dirty magazine- Clean/lubricate using official Bostitch lubricant.
  • Worn magazine- replace magazine.

Bostitch roofing nailer keeps jamming

  • Driver channel worn- replace nose. Also check door.
  • Wrong fasteners- load recommended nails.
  • Loose magazine or nose screws- Tighten all screws.
  • Broken/chipped driver- Replace driver.

Specific to Bostitch COIL roofing NAILER:

Nailer Skipping fasteners, intermittent feeding

  • Feed piston dry- put a few drops of Lubricant in the hole in the feed piston cover.
  • Feed piston O-rings worn/cracked- Replace Orings, check bumper plus the spring. Lubricate assembly.
  • Pawl binding issues- check that Pawl and the spring (on door) work freely.
  • Canister post improperly set- Set the correct canister post to match length of fasteners being used.
  • Broken weld wires (in nail coil)- .Remove coil of fasteners and load another coil.

Bostitch floor nailer jammed -Fasteners keep jamming in the tool/canister

  • Wrong fasteners for the model- load recommended nails.
  • Broken weld wires (in nail coil)- .Remove current coil of fasteners and load another coil.

Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting -Bostitch brad nailer problems

Now, most of the troubleshooting steps we have highlighted for the Bostitch roofing nailer apply here too so start by trying the various suggestions depending on the problem.

For example, here is what to do if your Bostitch brad nailer leaking air:

If air leaks from the trigger valve housing, replace O-ring as it may be cracked/cut.

You may also want to check if the seals are cut/cracked if air is leaking from the trigger valve stem.

As earlier mentioned, you should replace the entire trigger valve assembly to get rid of the leak in this case.

And so on and so forth.

What if your Bostitch brad nailer won t work at all?

Well, some of the culprits may be:

  • Dirt- clean the tool.
  • Insufficient lubrication- add lubricant.
  • Wrong fasteners- Replace the nails.
  • Incorrect pressure settings- adjust accordingly.
  • Nail jam- check and clear.
  • Something is wrongly setup- inspect the tool and correct as necessary (diassemble if needed)

 

Bostitch finish nailer problems including Bostitch cordless finish nailer problems

You should follow the hacks we listed for the Bostitch roofing nailer for hiccups such as your Bostitch finish nailer not shooting nails.

In fact, for the most part, the various Bostitch finish, brad, framing, and roofing nailer are repaired in the same manner.

Bostitch framing nailer repair

Follow the instructions from the Bostitch framing nailer troubleshooting section if your framing nailer including the popular Bostitch F28WW is giving you problems.

That said, there are a couple of problems that are unique to Bostitch framing nailers.

We look at them below plus their troubleshooting:

Fastener misses the metal connector hole- applies to F21PL and F33PT models

  • Broken/chipped guide-Replace guide.
  • Missing/Broken 158457 torsion spring- Replace torsion spring (please grease before installation).
  • Broken Pendulum- Replace pendulum along with the torsion spring.
  • Broken158455 pin- Replace pin coupled with the torsion spring.

Bostitch framing nailer won’t retract

Misplaced check band (the rubber band you find around the outer side of the tool’s cylinder)- replace.

  • Cracked lower bumper- replace.
  • Loose/Worn piston oRing- tighten or replace.
  • Worn/damaged cylinder seal (on the head valve)- replace.

 

Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting- other specific issues

Bostitch sx1838 wont fire

  • Air supply issues- examine and tweak air compressor settings.
  • Tool lacks lubrication- oil all moving parts.
  • Worn head valve O rings- replace.
  • Cylinder cap spring is broken- Replace.
  • Head valve is stuck in cap- Take apart/Inspect/oil.

Bostitch sb1664fn jammed

  • Driver channel worn- replace nose.
  • Incorrect fasteners- feed compatible nails.
  • Loose magazine/nose screws- Tighten everything.
  • Broken/chipped driver- Replace.

 

Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting- general tips

The best way to keep your Bostitch nailer in the best possible condition and working smoothly is to make sure you clean and oil it (but for the oil-less units) regularly (as per the recommendations in the tool’s documentation).

Your manual has the instructions applicable to your particular model (you can download a copy from Bostitch’s website if you can’t locate your original copy)

That said, O-rings are a common headache and a complete rebuild solves tons of the basic problems.

If you choose to take that route, be sure to use the official Bostitch Rebuid Kit recommended for your unit- here is a great example for roofing nailers.

 

 

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2 thoughts on “Bostitch nail gun troubleshooting and easy fixes”

  1. new bostich sx1838 stapler. nose tip will not retract with staples on slide (magazine) slid or even empty. if i leave slide out and not fully in the nose tip will then depress.

    Reply

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