Russian 91% gurgling issue

Don't get me wrong here, I'm pretty happy so far with the Russian 91%. I get good vapor production and great taste. However, I have this niggling, persistent problem.

I've been working on this thing for over a week now and have done several coil builds and changed cotton wicks many times. It seems that no matter what I do I keep getting the gurgling.

I am using this on the Provari mini at 4.2 volts or thereabouts, depending on the coil ohms. I have tried 1.8 ohm / 1.3 ohm and various other levels in between.
I have tried it following both PBursado and Rip Trippers videos. I think I have the process worked out correctly.

Even after cleaning it out, using the 'turn it upside down and blow down the drip tip' method, after a couple puffs I am back to gurgling......

This morning I even changed the o-ring in the top cap but that didn't help either.

Am I wrong to expect a smooth, gurgle free vaping experience - or is this part of the joy of RBAs?

Here are some pictures of my latest build this morning, which still has the same problem. Is there anything obvious I am doing wrong here?

 

Ha ha .......well I think you hit the proverbial on the noggin. I reduced my cotton to about half what I had previously and now I don't have the gurgle but I have about half the vapor.



There's got to be a middle ground here somewhere.........

What is worrying is that when I remove the drip tip there is obviously juice collecting in there.
I think there is something else amiss here.

 

Looks like you have the cotton touching on the top build deck there before going down to the lower deck. This might transfer juice from the wick to the top deck and then in to the airflow, causing the gurgling. Just a thought. I may be seeing it wrong as well.

 

OK. Thanks for the suggestion.

New build - new coil 1.4 ohms. Cotton moved out a bit so as not touching top deck. Amount of cotton, somewhere between try 1 and try 2. Cotton moves freely with just a little resistance through the coil.

Will try this one for a few hours and see what happens.

 

It sounds like you are doing something wrong.

Instead of blowing down the drip tip, I'd be blowing in the other direction.

Fill the tank from the top with your thumb over the air hole... screw on the top cap with the thread biting a bit... turn it upside down and let your thumb off the air hole then screw the top cap tight...

Then push the fire button while blowing THROUGH the air hole..... as you do this there might be a little gurgling and then there should be a constant plume of vapor coming out of the drip tip and then you are good to go.

 

Indeed!

Well after a few hours of happy vaping, I'm pleased to advise that the new build seems to have solved the gurgling issue.



The only problem, of course, is that now I don't know whether it was too much cotton (thanks V), the cotton on the deck (thanks PB) - the new coil or the reverse blowing up the air hole thingy.......(nice party trick fruit!!)

Either way, thanks for the continued advice all.

Let's see if I can replicate this in the next wick change.......

Now the main issue is the juice consumption...... Wow, do these things suck some juice! That's the pri$e you pay for a good hit and excellent flavor.

"R - B - A - all - the - way -"

Persistence is the key, V!