An HP leaking Dacor Viper 1st stage

[HISSDC]

My first thread with a big problem... Our club's Dacor Viper 1st stage is leaking HP. I've learned this with a new Intermediate pressure gauge: the pressure won't stop rising until the 2nd stage is purged.
The regulator is only 2 years old (since we've bought it), and as far as I know, Dacor is not serviced in my country..

I'm willing to at least inspect the inside of it, but I can't seem to find the diagram for the first stage.. I want to be sure not to lose anything during the disassembly and reassembly- is there a way to find it?

And can anybody give suggestions of possibilities and troubleshooting guide? I wish it was a simple O-ring problem...

 

[tbone1004]

if the IP is rising consistently it needs a rebuild. HP seat is toast. Nothing short of replacing that will fix the problem. Dacor is hard to service in any country... best scenario is to replace it. Sorry for the bad news, but if you can't get it serviced, just replace it, preferably with something you can service yourself. Dive Rite, Hog, etc

 

[Fishpie]

That particular Dacor is actually a Mares design MR16 first stage and serviceable with Mares parts.
(AquaLung / USD parts work too).


It's one of the very easiest of 1st stages to work on and is almost identical to the USD / AL SEA/Cousteau and can use the same service parts.

Access to the HP seat is via the allen nut on the bottom and access to the diaphragm is under the black plastic cap.
Tools needed are a couple of metric allen wrenches (10mm for spring IP cap and I forget the size (smaller) for the HP seat retainer, big adjustable spanner to remove diaphragm cap, a bent pin for balance chamber o ring and HP oriface o ring and small circlip pliers to get the scintered filter out.
One word of wisdom if you decide to dig in is not to bother removing the white teflon washer in the balance chamber just replace the o ring and no real need to undo the big yoke nut.

 

[HISSDC]

That particular Dacor is actually a Mares design MR16 first stage and serviceable with Mares parts.
(AquaLung / USD parts work too).


It's one of the very easiest of 1st stages to work on and is almost identical to the USD / AL SEA/Cousteau and can use the same service parts.

Access to the HP seat is via the allen nut on the bottom and access to the diaphragm is under the black plastic cap.
Tools needed are a couple of metric allen wrenches (10mm for spring IP cap and I forget the size (smaller) for the HP seat retainer, big adjustable spanner to remove diaphragm cap, a bent pin for balance chamber o ring and HP oriface o ring and small circlip pliers to get the scintered filter out.
One word of wisdom if you decide to dig in is not to bother removing the white teflon washer in the balance chamber just replace the o ring and no real need to undo the big yoke nut.

Took apart the regulator, found some sand and green corrosion. Cleaned them off with some water and tissue, and now it works good, maintaining an IP of 10. I have no idea what the cause was, but now it works well! Probably it was because something was stuck at the diaphragm I guess.

Got a lot of help when disassembling it, and great info for when I need new parts. Thanks!

 

[HISSDC]

if the IP is rising consistently it needs a rebuild. HP seat is toast. Nothing short of replacing that will fix the problem. Dacor is hard to service in any country... best scenario is to replace it. Sorry for the bad news, but if you can't get it serviced, just replace it, preferably with something you can service yourself. Dive Rite, Hog, etc

The HP seat wasn't the problem- such a relief. though I will consider buying easily-serviceable regulators later.

 

[fmerkel]

As indicated, that is not a difficult reg to service. As Fishpie said:
[That particular Dacor is actually a Mares design MR16 first stage and serviceable with Mares parts.
(AquaLung / USD parts work too).]

Unless you plan ahead and deliberately buy regs that do have serviceable parts for sale you will have trouble getting parts for most regs. Some regs are simply easier to work on than others. Some need specialized tools to to the job properly.

If you had "sand and green corrosion" inside the problem was not the reg, it's the users. It got some saltwater in there. No reg is going to be happy with that.

 

[HISSDC]

As indicated, that is not a difficult reg to service. As Fishpie said:
[That particular Dacor is actually a Mares design MR16 first stage and serviceable with Mares parts.
(AquaLung / USD parts work too).]

Unless you plan ahead and deliberately buy regs that do have serviceable parts for sale you will have trouble getting parts for most regs. Some regs are simply easier to work on than others. Some need specialized tools to to the job properly.

If you had "sand and green corrosion" inside the problem was not the reg, it's the users. It got some saltwater in there. No reg is going to be happy with that.

The green corrosion was in the diaphragm where it comes to direct contact with sea water. In the inner part, there was some white stuff which I really don't know (salt, maybe? Which is bad if true), but no green or sand. As for the diaphragm, I really need to clean it more thoroughly.

 

[Fishpie]

If you didn't open up the HP end of the reg I don't think that what you've done at the diaphragm end has any effect on the creeping IP pressure.
You will need to open up the other end and at least inspect the seat face for pits and lube the seat shaft where it seals in the balance chamber.

 

[fmerkel]

You mean on the outside? That's not a big deal but does indicate inadequate rinsing if there was more than a little.

When the IP pressure creeps the 1st stage is not sealing appropriately. You need to figure out why. Why is inside, not outside.

 

[HISSDC]

You mean on the outside? That's not a big deal but does indicate inadequate rinsing if there was more than a little.

When the IP pressure creeps the 1st stage is not sealing appropriately. You need to figure out why. Why is inside, not outside.

The only visuals were the corrosion and green at the outside. I did check the inside -no obvious O-ring failure- and the HPseat was really fine. This regulator is relatively new among our regulators, and have been working well just a month ago. I'm no professional, so I can only crudely assume it was a part displacement or movement (though not sure if that kind of thing happens) due to rough handling while transporting.
All I can say is there were no obvious clues of part failures in the inside. I think it was fairly clean. Though I am still wondering what the problem was.. I just don't know.