Old ScubaPro R109 2nd stage

[Zung]

And I thought I was the only one that had to do this!

I think we all do that. Maybe we should make a poster of NJ's pic

 

[TRIBOLUBE71]

Thank you for your explanation and I agree about the deterioration of the nickel/chrome Finnish from the regulator body if the solution is too strong, or the parts are in too long. There is a method to stop the acetic acid from causing damage, and a way to stop the verdigris as a regular occurrence at the same time.
Vinegar is composed of about 5% acetic acid. Acetic acid is the major chemical component of vinegar. The proper chemical name of acetic acid is ethanoic acid. Vinegar is a weak acid produced by the oxidation of alcohol (ethanol) from wines and ciders by bacteria. Appling Tribolube® EPO₂ as a protective coating for the entire assembly and solve both issues. The Tribolube® EPO₂ will not be removed by the acid and will block the (verdigris) natural oxidation of the brass from air and seawater. For optimal results it is recommended to apply a coating on a clean dry surface’s. As a measure of preventative maintenance and ongoing protection reapply a during annual servicing.
The Tribolube oxygen compatible grease best suited for the application mentioned later in your description should be Tribolube® 71.

The red o-ring is on the orifice which you will want to carefully remove for cleaning. It is a -902 which is just a hair thinner than a -010. The -010 may work as a replacement but may be too tight. After unscrewing the orifice, you will need to push it out with something that will not damage the knife edge. I use a long rubber erasure. Handle it very carefully as one oops will cost $10 to $25 depending on plastic or metal.

Sounds like the first 109 has the modern duro poppet which takes the replaceable seat. You shou8ld ba able to lift it out with a fingernail (or straight pick from the side if the fingernail fails). The seat can be flipped if the other side has not already been used. Some tech may have applied a little glue that will make it harder to remove. Glue is unnecessary. The seat will stay in place without it. The "crap" is most likely a more than generous application of silicon grease.

The second one sounds like the older poppet but I have never been able to seperate the poppet from the seat. The seat is attached to the end of the poppet. As a temporary measure, I have sanded the groove out of those seats just to make sure everything was working while I went shopping for a Duro poppet. The "green oxidation" (verdigris) is fairly easily removed with a light acid (50/50 vinegar and hot water) bath. 5 to 10 minutes or 2 to 3 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaner. Wash in detergent first to remove all grease and oils. After the bath, rinse in a neutralizing solutio (baking powder and water), then rinse in hot water, dry, and inspect. If you still see green that you want to remove, repeat. But don't overdue it as it will also remove chrome and reveal the copper or brass underlayer. Scubapro stopped using colored o-rings around 2000 so the black o-ring on the adjuster suggests aftermarket o-rings or a leak repair without updating the poppet.

For lubricant, you should use Tribolube or Christolube which are O2 compatible for use with nitrox. Grooves are undesirable in the seats. The deeper the groove, the more performance will be degraded. I make my own LP seats (http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/re...85694-scubapro-r190-r380-r390-nylock-nut.html) but I am also looking for an aftermarket source for those seats for the less adventuresome. I'm waiting on a delivery of aftermarket HP and LP seats that hopefully will work with MK2/5/7/10 1st stages and balanced and unbalanced SP 2nds.

 

[Texfrazer]

I think we all do that. Maybe we should make a poster of NJ's pic

I'm working on putting together a manual with all of the diagrams, as well as productive threads from here on SB. I'm definitely going to include that pic!

 

[Zung]

Cool! I'm also putting together a step by step list and some do's & dont's. Let's coordinate our efforts.

 

[Texfrazer]

Sounds great to me!

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make it to Switzerland this year (first time in 3 years - my wife and I have friends living in Fribourg (which I always pronounce as if it is in the German-speaking part, not the French-speaking part)). Otherwise, I could have stopped by and we could have compared notes in person.

 

[Zung]

Freiburg, ja!
I'll PM you the draft before committing it to a thread.