'Pimp my dive !' Suggestions for modernizing my SP Mk 5 / 109 ?

[ams511]

Based on your info, it appears my later generation MK 5 does have the 'heavy' yoke since the '3000 psi' stamp is on the end of the yoke next to the metal banana-shaped yoke screw. My older generation MK 5 will likely remain in reserve as a parts-donor/reserve reg, as it only has 1 HP port, and I don't know how much luck I'll have locating a spare 3000 psi yoke either.

In my opinion you are over thinking this. Although the regulators are old there is nothing inherently unsafe about them. I have several MK-5s and don't remember ever seeing one with a 4-port turret having a skinny yoke. The skinny yokes I see are usually on the older 2 lp port variety. However, I could be wrong. As AWAP mentioned there are three yokes used on the MK-5, thin, medium, and thick and the latter two are fine for 3000 psi service. Some people even use the skinny yoke without issue on a 3000 psi tank.

If you have the spec version it can be filled with lube the same as your Atomic if you so desire.

My understanding is that the MK-5 is still officially supported. Some parts are not available. If the regulator is covered under parts-for-life and something fails that cannot be replaced, Scubapro will "upgrade" the user with a new regulator. If the regulator is not under parts-for-life, your friendly dive shop will offer to sell you a new regulator. Remember, the youngest of these regulators are 20 to 25 years old, so the Scubapro parts stockpile has been depleted.

 

[Nemrod]

Remember, the youngest of these regulators are 20 to 25 years old, so the Scubapro parts stockpile has been depleted.

Someone I know has manufactured or is in the process of doing so an entirely new double hose regulator. Maybe it is time for somone (else) to manufacture a new 109 and a new Conshelf, which are in my opinion, the only two single hose regulators of the brass and chrome era that are worthy of a Part Deux. Of course, please put a 32mm exhaust valve in the 109II.

Only the second stage would need to be made, there are plenty of clone and pseudo clone MkV first stages floating around and it seems Scubamax has one with a cute blue end cap. Hell, all this stuff, nowadays comes out of a few giant box factories on the Pacific Rim where raw material go in a big door and out of smaller doors spit washing machines, TVs, running sneakers, lead tainted poison dog food and copy cat SCUBA regulators whilst spewing unregulated pollutants into the ocean and atmosphere.

N

 

[scubafanatic]

View attachment 175501I just got this baby back from rslinger , complete upgrade / overhaul , great reg

very sporty! ...so rslinger does refurbs ?

---------- Post added January 14th, 2014 at 09:33 AM ----------

In my opinion you are over thinking this. Although the regulators are old there is nothing inherently unsafe about them. I have several MK-5s and don't remember ever seeing one with a 4-port turret having a skinny yoke. The skinny yokes I see are usually on the older 2 lp port variety. However, I could be wrong. As AWAP mentioned there are three yokes used on the MK-5, thin, medium, and thick and the latter two are fine for 3000 psi service. Some people even use the skinny yoke without issue on a 3000 psi tank.

If you have the spec version it can be filled with lube the same as your Atomic if you so desire.

My understanding is that the MK-5 is still officially supported. Some parts are not available. If the regulator is covered under parts-for-life and something fails that cannot be replaced, Scubapro will "upgrade" the user with a new regulator. If the regulator is not under parts-for-life, your friendly dive shop will offer to sell you a new regulator. Remember, the youngest of these regulators are 20 to 25 years old, so the Scubapro parts stockpile has been depleted.

I'd thought about having the unit filled, but the SPEC version has no rubber band lube containment system like the Atomics do, so I'm not sure it's really an option as it would likely cause a huge mess with lube seeping out all over the place.

That's the delimma with 'vintage' vs 'too vintage', parts supplies are fading away. I'd like to see if I can keep these vintage items on the road, without making a career out of it, so I guess I'm in the middle of an experiment of sorts. I'm mainly interested in keeping the 109/156's divable, I'm less particular about the 1st-stage, I can always install my 109/156 2nd-stages on my Aqualung Titan LX's. But as I've now got the MK 5's, I'll use the newer one if keeping it running doesn't become a big project. I also wanted SP 1st-stages to make servicing the 109/156's easier at hte dealer, I may have issues getting a dealer to service my 109/156's if they attached to Aqualung Titan LX 1st-stages.

---------- Post added January 14th, 2014 at 09:39 AM ----------

Someone I know has manufactured or is in the process of doing so an entirely new double hose regulator. Maybe it is time for somone (else) to manufacture a new 109 and a new Conshelf, which are in my opinion, the only two single hose regulators of the brass and chrome era that are worthy of a Part Deux. Of course, please put a 32mm exhaust valve in the 109II.

Only the second stage would need to be made, there are plenty of clone and pseudo clone MkV first stages floating around and it seems Scubamax has one with a cute blue end cap. Hell, all this stuff, nowadays comes out of a few giant box factories on the Pacific Rim where raw material go in a big door and out of smaller doors spit washing machines, TVs, running sneakers, lead tainted poison dog food and copy cat SCUBA regulators whilst spewing unregulated pollutants into the ocean and atmosphere.

N

Luckily in the last few weeks I rounded up (9) 109 and/or 156s that are in very good to mint condition, most recently serviced (and a couple or 3 needing to be upgraded to 'balanced'), so I'm fairly well covered on 2nd-stages, just hoping the service parts/rubber parts remain available.

 

[Nemrod]

, just hoping the service parts/rubber parts remain available.

Those would be exactly the parts I am speaking off, not just the metal case but the soft parts. The soft parts are the non-durable components that will put these regulators out of business, the brass cases might be forever, the rubber parts, they have a limit and many are getting there, particularly the diaphragm covers and exhaust tees. Fortunately my two are in good shape and I have a few spares.

N

 

[redacted]

Luckily in the last few weeks I rounded up (9) 109 and/or 156s that are in very good to mint condition, most recently serviced (and a couple or 3 needing to be upgraded to 'balanced'), so I'm fairly well covered on 2nd-stages, just hoping the service parts/rubber parts remain available.

Most of the soft parts and some of the hard parts are common to much newer Scubapro regs so no problem there. The exhaust tee and the rubber cover are unique to the 109/156 and Scubapro support for those items is on and off. It seems that when demand builds, they do another production run. Good to have spare on-hand for those. Poppets, LP seats, and exhaust valve are found in current production regs so should be no problem there. Case parts are not available but other metal parts (orifice, Adj knob, lever, spring) are still used in more modern regs. The 109 spring is not in current models but you can alway convert. I usually keep my 109s unbalanced and use them as alternates. Once you have the duro poppet the LP seat is easily sourced or made (DIY).

 

[Fishpie]

Going back to that 3000psi yoke........
Scubapro used 3 different strength yokes. If yours has 3000 stamped in small numbers on the collar it is the medium one.
If it's going to see allot of use on 3000psi tanks I would swap it out to the heavy one.

 

[scubafanatic]

Going back to that 3000psi yoke........
Scubapro used 3 different strength yokes. If yours has 3000 stamped in small numbers on the collar it is the medium one.
If it's going to see allot of use on 3000psi tanks I would swap it out to the heavy one.

Based on a prior comment on this thread, at least the 'newer' of my (2) MK 5's appears to be the 'heavy' yoke version, the 3000 psi is stamped on the end of the yoke, right next to the banana-shaped 1st-stage yoke screw. It will be seeing 3000 psi AL 80's along with HP 3500 psi steel tanks.

---------- Post added January 16th, 2014 at 01:46 AM ----------

Most of the soft parts and some of the hard parts are common to much newer Scubapro regs so no problem there. The exhaust tee and the rubber cover are unique to the 109/156 and Scubapro support for those items is on and off. It seems that when demand builds, they do another production run. Good to have spare on-hand for those. Poppets, LP seats, and exhaust valve are found in current production regs so should be no problem there. Case parts are not available but other metal parts (orifice, Adj knob, lever, spring) are still used in more modern regs. The 109 spring is not in current models but you can alway convert. I usually keep my 109s unbalanced and use them as alternates. Once you have the duro poppet the LP seat is easily sourced or made (DIY).

I'm wondering how I get on the e-mail notification list for whenever Scubapro kicks out another batch exhaust T's/rubber covers ?

---------- Post added January 16th, 2014 at 01:51 AM ----------

Those would be exactly the parts I am speaking off, not just the metal case but the soft parts. The soft parts are the non-durable components that will put these regulators out of business, the brass cases might be forever, the rubber parts, they have a limit and many are getting there, particularly the diaphragm covers and exhaust tees. Fortunately my two are in good shape and I have a few spares.

N

That's a concern, if one critical part gives out with no replacement available, the whole unit becomes vintage scrap or maybe a parts donor, so hopefully I'm not becoming interested in these regs at precisely the moment in history they went from 'vintage' to 'TOO vintage' !

 

[ams511]

Brian at Vintage Double Hose has been instrumental in keeping parts available for double-hose regulators. He seems to be willing to do the same with single-hose regulators as long as there is a demand. He has in the past had someone make up new purge covers and I think the exhaust tees. In the past, some of the DIY people have done a group buy for Scubapro parts.

Scubapro has changed their parts for life policy so that once your out your out (before an original owner could pay for a new service and be reinstated). I would assume they keep tabs on the number of older regulators registered and when they fall below a critical number they will cease carrying the parts. The seats, o-rings, and exhaust valves are all generic on the 108/109/BA so no part worries there. The purge cover and the exhaust tee would be more difficult to get replacement parts so wait until VDH makes another run and buy some.

The first stage seats and o-rings are standard on the MK-5/10. Pistons last a long time and there is a thread on how to refurbish them. If you want to you can always purchase a used MK-20 with sell for around $100 on ebay or a used MK-10 which sells for $50. Or use your Aqualung firsts if you prefer.

 

[Nemrod]

Based on a prior comment on this thread, at least the 'newer' of my (2) MK 5's appears to be the 'heavy' yoke version, the 3000 psi is stamped on the end of the yoke, right next to the banana-shaped 1st-stage yoke screw. It will be seeing 3000 psi AL 80's along with HP 3500 psi steel tanks.

---------- Post added January 16th, 2014 at 01:46 AM ----------



I'm wondering how I get on the e-mail notification list for whenever Scubapro kicks out another batch exhaust T's/rubber covers ?

---------- Post added January 16th, 2014 at 01:51 AM ----------



That's a concern, if one critical part gives out with no replacement available, the whole unit becomes vintage scrap or maybe a parts donor, so hopefully I'm not becoming interested in these regs at precisely the moment in history they went from 'vintage' to 'TOO vintage' !

There is enough interest in the 109 that I am fairly positive parts will remain available, if not from Scubapro, some other source. The exhaust tee and diaphragm covers are the two big ones and then the bits nd pieces for the second stage poppets and all that, most of which are plastic.

All current diaphragm covers and tees are from Scubapro, to my knowledge nobody has made a mold. If at some point interest remains high, I can see that haooening and of course the new parts would be of silicone and therefore last much longer.

The neoprene covers split around the edges where they remain compressed under the cover plate. In storage, I always disassemble my 109 regulators to prevent this. I also occasionally put a little food grade silicone on them or an aviation grade neoprene rubber preservative.

The first stages I am not worried about, some time back, somebody sent me a box of Tekna/Oceanic MkV clones, ready to rock and roll. I am set for a hundred years.

Besides, I mostly dive double hose, single hose regulators are for girls and metrosexual hipsters.

Nem

 

[redacted]

There is enough interest in the 109 that I am fairly positive parts will remain available, if not from Scubapro, some other source. The exhaust tee and diaphragm covers are the two big ones and then the bits nd pieces for the second stage poppets and all that, most of which are plastic.

All current diaphragm covers and tees are from Scubapro, to my knowledge nobody has made a mold. If at some point interest remains high, I can see that haooening and of course the new parts would be of silicone and therefore last much longer.

The neoprene covers split around the edges where they remain compressed under the cover plate. In storage, I always disassemble my 109 regulators to prevent this. I also occasionally put a little food grade silicone on them or an aviation grade neoprene rubber preservative.

The first stages I am not worried about, some time back, somebody sent me a box of Tekna/Oceanic MkV clones, ready to rock and roll. I am set for a hundred years.

Besides, I mostly dive double hose, single hose regulators are for girls and metrosexual hipsters.

Nem

I have "painted" cracking covers and exhaust tees with neoprene cement. Ugly and not a long term solution, but it works.