I have opended my Aztek airbrush a couple of times, to clean the plunger when it gets struck. And it still works 
You got that right! And look at all that plastic in there! Maybe one or two bits of metal. And none of them machined. There’s an “H” shaped plastic part - linkage from the trigger to air flow - that broke. I fixed it with a piece of metal, wire, and a lot of CA, but it broke again in a couple of months. Into the bin!!
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That’s the thing! It’s necessary to open the thing to properly clean it…and by doing so you nullify the warranty. If by “plunger” you mean a small metal pin (I forget if it controls the air flow, or the paint) you will get a build-up of paint, and Future (if you airbrush it) and it will cause a gap at the base. Eventually you’ll get blow-back and the handle will fill with paint! 
For it’s price I find it a terribly designed piece of equipment.
Guess I’m just lucky. Except when I accidently broke mine(see above) I haven’t had any issues.
I have the metal body A778 with tons of accessories and nozzles and the Model Master plastic body version of the Aztek. Since Aztek ceased to exist, I have relegated them to a storage bin that now is stacked in the Mancave. I have several other brands of AB’s I have collected through the years, so I am not having any issues in that department. The A778 was cool to use and looks really nice sitting in its wooden case. It has hardly been used and I will keep it that way. I even have the Testors mini air compressor and cleaning station. Maybe someday they will be a collector’s item. (Like my Wingnut Wings kitset collection)
Cheers
Metal parts last…
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@henkus i think it’s an A470 but i am not sure as i bought it so long ago i can’t remember. it did come in wooden box with additional nozzles, glass and plastic jars to hold the paint and an instructional video cassette. is there any distinctive markings or serial numbers on the airbrush or box that would identity it? i have posted a picture below so if anyone knows for sure then please let me know.
does Aztek still have a customer care email or phone number i could try to contact them?
my airbrush;
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A470 alright
@petbat i can always count on you for top notch help. 
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This might be a good place to start.
Assembly of Iwata Eclipse
Assembling an Eclipse CS Gravity Feed Airbrush - YouTube
Testing Iwata Eclipse airbrush.
Testing The Iwata Eclipse HP-CS - Is This The Best All Around Airbrush For Model Building?? - YouTube
About the Iwata Eclipse
Buying an IWATA ECLIPSE? Watch this first. - YouTube
Iwata Eclipse review
Iwata Eclipse HP CS REVIEW and paint tests - YouTube
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I’ve been using the Aztek 470 almost from the day it came out. It appealed to me because I’m lazy. I had a Pache and a Badger but didn’t like the constant need to field strip them and clean them. The Aztek was the answer. Unscrew the nozzle throw it in a jar of Windex(I paint almost exclusively with Tamiya)and shake vigorously, remove and place in jar of clean water and again shake vigorously. Clean and done.
What I don’t’ understand is why so many poo poo this particular airbrush. For some reason the Aztek seem to have gotten a bad reputation. Compared to other airbrushes it was relatively inexpensive. Replacement nozzles were also inexpensive but with proper care lasted quite a long time before needing to be replaced. Like all tools there was a learning curve but not one that was overly long or difficult to master. So what’s the deal? Am I the luck 1/100 who didn’t get a dud or is it just like every thing else in our hobby it just boils down to personal preference. This inquiring mind wants to know.
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Aztek has been a hit or miss airbrush since it came out. Eather it worked well or was a POS. Pay your money, take your chance. Most other Airbrushes work well for most everyone. I had Badgers, they worked fine. I have Iwata’s they work fine. If I had a Pasche(?) or a Harder Steinbeck (?) I am sure they would work fine. It is the evil Aztek that is the crap shoot.
I think it was a hit and miss thing. I bought one and got a dud which cured me for life.
You bought one and seem to have been lucky to get a good one.
Sloppy quality control and/or a manufacturing process which doesn’t yield consistent results.
Paints can be temperamental, wrong solvent and you are in deep brown stuff.
First time I tried my Aztek I used Tamiya acrylics and got the same problems as in the Badger (used wrong solvent). I cleaned the Aztek and tried with water.
Spraying water should always. Airbrush dribbled and drooled paint when I had my finger off the trigger. Start over, checking the instruction booklet. Try again and dribble and drool again. OK. Try spraying instead. First attempt hit to the left of the target. Try again and adjust the aimpoint to the right. Spray went low instead.
I could never get the cursed thing to hit the same spot twice.
Then I cleaned it, put it back in the face wooden case with all the parts and then I got lucky and managed to sell it.
I am willing to try new products when the message is: Try it, you’ll like it.
I will look elsewhere if the message is: Try it, you might get lucky and get one that works.
Thanks for the response guys. I didn’t realize there were issues in QC. So in the end I guess I just got lucky. Anyway no complaints about Aztek from me. Your mileage may vary.
I found that, since Aztek’s airbrush tips are mainly from a molded plastic, or delrin material, there were occasional manufacturing defects around the opening. Sometimes just a tiny tab of excess material (like flash) would cause splatter, or make an unusual spray pattern. I tried trimming it off with a VERY sharp blade, but only made the problem worse. Got a couple like that, and brand new from the store. Definitely poor manufacturing, and quality control.
To be fair to Testor’s, I still use their compressor with my Iwata. Been using that combo for years…no problem!
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like you i must have been in the 1% as i never had a problem with mine until now.
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If you spray with Tamiya you might try what I do with mine on occasion. Fill a container with enough Windex to cover the AB and place the entire AB in the filled container. Let it sit for a bit(10 min or so) then agitate the container in a back and forth motion or just kind of shake it around. When finished be sure to rinse it thoroughly using the same process only fill the container with water. Do the rinse at least twice. Good luck.
There is the ebay option for a Aztek replacement.
Testor AZTEK Chrome Double-action Airbrush System A7778 w/ Walnut Case Excellent | eBay