Difficulty Opening Bauer P2 Filter Assembly

[rmarsh3309]

I'm going on my 4th year with my Bauer Jr 2 on a liveaboard sailboat. And each year it gets more difficult to remove the top of the P2 filter canister. It's as though I need to remove a set screw or something. I make certain the pressure is relieved. Each year I find the orings are in good condition and there's no sign of corrosion or damage to the threads. Each year I make certain to put some of the silicon lube on the threads and it does no good the following year.

It's so difficult to get the top off that I must put a cheap drill bit in one of the four holes and pound it with a hammer. This can't be right.

I'd be grateful for any thoughts and suggestions.

 

[Phil H.]

A diving buddy of mine has a Jr. 2 that he converted to electric after upgrading to a larger boat. We've struggled with the same issue over the years and decided one year not to tighten the canister top all the way own. Once the top is screwed down and makes contact with the O ring we get it just snug enough with a big pipe wrench and haven't had any issues since then. Changing out that filter is not fun though the pipe wrench does give us enough leverage to get that cap off without much difficulty.

 

[rmarsh3309]

Phil, hey thanks for the quick reply. I'm not certain but I think it leaks if I don't crank it down. I'll definitely experiment with less tightening though. Thanks again man.

 

[Yawana-Dive]

I have exactly the same issue with my Bauer 2. The unit came with a small tool kit including a metal rod that fits snugly into one of the three holes on top of the filter. You are using a drill bit for the same purpose. I ALWAYS have to whack it with something to get it started, usually a block of wood, and as much as I hate doing it I have not found an alternative. I’ve changed the filter a dozen times now and it’s always hard to unscrew the first couple of turns.
I have not damaged the filter with the block of wood technique so will continue using it until greater wisdom comes to bear and suggests otherwise.

 

[michael-fisch]

Snug it up, the lid seals on the O-Ring, it is not a compression or pipe fitting. If you do it right you will screw the lid in by hand (WITHOUP USING A PIPEWRENCH OR PRYBAR) and then back it out a 1/16 of a turn.
Grease the O-Ring and apply a layer of silicon to the tube where the O-Ring seals. From now on you won't require tools, heat, impact driver, etc. to remove it.

Michael

 

[Angelo Farina]

Avoiding over-tightening is a good suggestion.
But the point is that these threads are made in aluminium. And after a while, two aluminium bodies in contact tends to slightly "solder" each other, after having adsorbed any grease you used for lubricating the threads.
My solution is to apply a single layer of Teflon tape on the male thread before screwing it inside the other part.
This thin layer of Teflon acts as a solid lubricant, cannot be absorbed by aluminium, and will avoid that the two threads "solder" each other.

 

[O-ring]

Does anybody make a giant hook spanner that would fit that lid?

 

[Namreg 58]

Does anybody make a giant hook spanner that would fit that lid?

I use a metal band type oil filter wrench on my portable to do that job.

 

[bakodiver391]

Christolube or similar is said to be a far superior lubricant to silicone grease. I've always used it on filter heads and never had any problem unscrewing them. I can't make a direct comparison with silicone grease, having never used silicone in this application, but I can recommend the Christolube.

 

[michael-fisch]

Christolube or similar is said to be a far superior lubricant to silicone grease. I've always used it on filter heads and never had any problem unscrewing them. I can't make a direct comparison with silicone grease, having never used silicone in this application, but I can recommend the Christolube.

Thats the first that I've ever heard that Christlube is a superior lubricant to anything, that might be true if you compare it to 120 grit alum oxide, JB Weld or other epoxys, but my experience with Christolube has been bad enough that I don't even use it for things that are in direct contact with HP O2. A few months later, after it dries out, its lubricating qualities are similar to aluminum oxide. Hate the stuff!

Michael