First (and last) regulator

[stuartv]

I “upgraded” a few of my MK5’s by drilling out the SPEC holes so they would flush better, and just went to the open system. I’m going to experiment with a dremel and see if I can elongate the holes sideways a little for even better openess.
If I had to fill regs with grease I would find something else to use and service. That just seems like a huge mess and a tedious job to do right. I wouldn’t trust a shop to do it correctly either.
@rsingler would be the only one I would trust to properly pack a SPEC reg, and I’m sure he has better things to do then to work on my old crap.

I think I read (not too long ago, actually) a post by @rsingler (IIRC) about how to refill that chamber properly. It did seem a little tedious. But, in the big picture, it adds how much time to the service? 10 or 15 minutes? And that is once every few years?

I am looking forward to paying someone else to do that for me when mine eventually need to be serviced. I don't expect to get a drop of grease on me! lol

 

[Nemrod]

Why not just include the rebuild kits and service instruction manual in the box with the regulator (or at least online), one free set of kits? And then as an optional accessories sell the first and second stage tool kit?

 

[Nemrod]

I “upgraded” a few of my MK5’s by drilling out the SPEC holes so they would flush better, and just went to the open system. I’m going to experiment with a dremel and see if I can elongate the holes sideways a little for even better openess.
If I had to fill regs with grease I would find something else to use and service. That just seems like a huge mess and a tedious job to do right. I wouldn’t trust a shop to do it correctly either.
@rsingler would be the only one I would trust to properly pack a SPEC reg, and I’m sure he has better things to do then to work on my old crap.

I have considered drilling out a few Mark 20 and Mark 10 with the tiny ambient holes but am concerned with the chrome being compromised. I think the solution will eventually come from eBay or a buddy deal somewhere to get a parts donor to just take the barrel from, one with the large slotted holes. Or I may just, one last splurge, and grab a titanium Mark 25 Evo. I might trade a Kraken for one . Well, that would be a close call, not sure about that. Two NIB or nearly so, uhhhh, maybe .

 

[stuartv]

Why not just include the rebuild kits and service instruction manual in the box with the regulator (or at least online), one free set of kits? And then as an optional accessories sell the first and second stage tool kit?

Because (in the USA) product liability.

 

[stuartv]

Or I may just, one last splurge, and grab a titanium Mark 25 Evo.

I hear that sentiment. I'm just waiting for a few good positive reviews from real world people and then I expect to buy my last ever single tank reg set - an Atomic TFX. Buy once, cry once, love you long time, Joe.

 

[BoltSnap]

I expect to buy my last ever single tank reg set - an Atomic TFX. Buy once, cry once, love you long time, Joe.

Serious question

Aren't you diving ccr? Why the oc stuff?

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I have considered drilling out a few Mark 20 and Mark 10 with the tiny ambient holes but am concerned with the chrome being compromised. I think the solution will eventually come from eBay or a buddy deal somewhere to get a parts donor to just take the barrel from, one with the large slotted holes. Or I may just, one last splurge, and grab a titanium Mark 25 Evo. I might trade a Kraken for one . Well, that would be a close call, not sure about that. Two NIB or nearly so, uhhhh, maybe .

I have enough MK5 bodies laying around that it looks like a coroners office, so I have plenty of reg cadavers laying around to experiment on. My dive shop just gives these things to me along with 109’s usually.
Yeah, I thought about the bare brass thing, but in reality I rinse them right after diving and never really see any verdigris develop so I’m not too worried about it.
My 1999 MK20 has bigger holes than the earlier SPEC regs and it was never packed. They must have gotten away from that by then.
My dive shop was telling me that SP gave up on SPEC because too many technicians were not doing it correctly and they were screwing up more regs than they were helping, they were trapping salt water, so SP gave up.
But then I have a really good friend down in LA that works at a major dive center as a tech. He said that he rebuilds MK25’s that come in from the university that have been badly abused. They hardly ever get rinsed after salt water, used for shore dives, thrown around, late for service, etc. and when opens them up they are not that bad. He rebuilds them and they are good to go once again. Scubapro is damn good stuff.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Because (in the USA) product liability.

We’ve discussed this dozens of times before.
It’s not just about liability, it’s about protectionism for their dealer network (AKA dive shops).
If it was only about liability then any person who is a certified technician for that brand and took their class should be able to obtain parts and work on that brand of reg, even private parties, but they can’t unless they work for a shop that is an authorized dealer.

 

[stuartv]

Serious question

Aren't you diving ccr? Why the oc stuff?

Yes. And, because I still find myself doing trips (once a year, the last few years anyway) that are purely recreational single tank diving. Caribbean liveaboards, a week in Aruba, etc.. And, of course, I still teach OW fairly often, actually.

Choosing the TFX would be primarily on the basis of having a very lightweight, corrosion-proof(-ish?) reg set that breathes REALLY well for packing to take on those Caribbean type trips. Other use (like teaching OW) would just be because that's what I have.

We’ve discussed this dozens of times before.
It’s not just about liability, it’s about protectionism for their dealer network (AKA dive shops).
If it was only about liability then any person who is a certified technician for that brand and took their class should be able to obtain parts and work on that brand of reg, even private parties, but they can’t unless they work for a shop that is an authorized dealer.

Well, yes, but he talked about having a service manual and kits in the box. Thus, any schmoe that buys one would have the manual and parts. I don't think the reason to not do THAT is strictly protectionism. It's to keep people who buy a reg from Leisure Pro from working on their stuff and killing themselves.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Yes. And, because I still find myself doing trips (once a year, the last few years anyway) that are purely recreational single tank diving. Caribbean liveaboards, a week in Aruba, etc.. And, of course, I still teach OW fairly often, actually.

Choosing the TFX would be primarily on the basis of having a very lightweight, corrosion-proof(-ish?) reg set that breathes REALLY well for packing to take on those Caribbean type trips. Other use (like teaching OW) would just be because that's what I have.



Well, yes, but he talked about having a service manual and kits in the box. Thus, any schmoe that buys one would have the manual and parts. I don't think the reason to not do THAT is strictly protectionism. It's to keep people who buy a reg from Leisure Pro from working on their stuff and killing themselves.

People can kill themselves a lot of ways. Servicing their own regs I think is a pretty minor way of trying to commit suicide when it comes to doing stupid things in diving. Also, I don’t think as many people are into self servicing as you’d think. Reading stuff here isn’t a good example. The bulk of the general diving public has no interest or inclination to service their own gear. Most of them are too paranoid to even change out a hose. For the ones that do want to self service their gear, they should be able to take a factory class (which they would pay for) and earn a certification and have a cert number that gives them access to buy parts.
It wouldn’t be any different than someone in a dive shop rebuilding regs. In fact I think it would make their brand more attractive to those that have independent fleets of regs like tech divers and/or independent instructors. Right now a lot of them use brands that sell to the public.
How is it that those brands that believe in the right to repair aren’t flogged with never ending law suits?