Alpha 8 Case Cracks

[vintageair]

I was rinsing and drying our SP-5/ Alpha 8 rig after using it while my wife's primary rig was in for its regular service. I just noticed these cracks where the hose connects to the main body of the second stages. There are very fine cracks in both the Main and Octo Alpha 8s. They are distributed evenly around the valve assembly but nowhere else. The cracks are almost invisible in daylight (look like a light scratch), but if you use a common white LED flashlight they become quite visible. The cracks extend around the edge of the case toward the metal valve assembly threads. There are no other cracks visible anywhere else on the cases.

Both these Alpha 8s were purchased new (with the SP5) at the same time and have been used very little. This rig is primarily used when my daughter dives with us and as a back-up rig when our main rigs are being serviced. I always rinse and then soak them in a 5 gallon bucket of fresh tap water for a few hours then hook up to a tank and blow dry air thru them before storage. They are always stored in a protective regulator case.

We are pretty careful with our gear. Both my wife and I still dive with our original ScubaPro 108 and 109s that we bought when certified in '83.

What's going on with these Alpha 8s? ----- 2 Pictures attached:

Octo:

This is the Main (Primary) 2nd:

 

[johndiver999]

The cases are ruined. I would NOT dive them. They may fail catastrophically.

 

[vintageair]

Contacted Huish Outdoors (Oceanic Division) technical support via email.
Got response in 1 day.
Was asked to send them back (to Utah) for evaluation and warranty repair using the eRMA portal. They were purchased in 2013 and (as mentioned above) used lightly.
The second stages were received on May 13th, repaired (bodies replaced, new seal kit) and sent back to me on the 16th.
Was told that this is something they "rarely see, especially in the Alpha 8" but could be due to a contamination in the plastic molding material during the manufacturing process.
I am currently awaiting delivery.

 

[vintageair]

I received repaired Alpha 8 2nds on May 22, 2019 (Huish received on May 13th)

5-30-19
Re-connected the repaired 2nd stages to my SP5 unbalanced 1st.
Noted that the "orthodontic" mouthpieces had been installed upside down. See pix.
Brought to my LDS for inhalation test.
Primary=1.2; Octo 1.4 at 3000psi.
SP5 (not serviced) IP: 125 @ 500 145 @ 3000.

Reinstalled the mouthpieces correctly.
Conclusion: Fast courteous service from Huish. Only cost to me was my shipping back to Huish.
As of this writing, no one else has reported similar Alpha 8 stress cracks on Scubaboard.

Picture: Upside Down Mouthpieces

 

[eelnoraa]

If I have to guess, it is unlikely to have both 2nd stages cracked at the same places due to defects. Maybe the reg tech over tighten the jam nuts.

Good that Oceanic over this under warranty and not charging your for reg service. I didn't have the same luck with Oceanic/Hollis. Last time I dealt with them, they charged me the reg service on top of whatever I need them to do because they said whenever they open the reg, they had put back together with new service parts, thus a service cost must be charged.