ganiano
New
Hi team,
After 30 great years of use, my Aqualung SEA + Micra has finally given up. The HP seat wore out, and the intermediate pressure started rising above spec.
I decided to do the maintenance myself, following manuals I found online, and great advice from this forum. I disassembled the regulator, cleaned everything with an ultrasonic cleaner, replaced all parts using the 9000-00 Overhaul Parts Kit, and reassembled it. That’s when I ran into a problem.
The new HP seat (part number 1040-20) included in the kit looks quite different from the one I removed. The original seat resembles the 1053 used in the Conshelf 14 — it has a smaller, harder black rubber/plastic insert. The new seat, however, has a much wider and softer blue rubber disc.
When I reassembled everything and pressurized the first stage, the new seat was cut by the crown, and the intermediate pressure began creeping up again.
I have a couple of questions:
a) Do these newer-style seats require a different crown (e.g., one with wider lips)?
b) Should I try sourcing another 1040-20, or would it make more sense to find a different seat entirely (e.g., a 1053 from a Conshelf 14)? I’ve seen warnings that the 1053 may require a different pin length.
Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!
I’ve attached a photo showing:
After 30 great years of use, my Aqualung SEA + Micra has finally given up. The HP seat wore out, and the intermediate pressure started rising above spec.
I decided to do the maintenance myself, following manuals I found online, and great advice from this forum. I disassembled the regulator, cleaned everything with an ultrasonic cleaner, replaced all parts using the 9000-00 Overhaul Parts Kit, and reassembled it. That’s when I ran into a problem.
The new HP seat (part number 1040-20) included in the kit looks quite different from the one I removed. The original seat resembles the 1053 used in the Conshelf 14 — it has a smaller, harder black rubber/plastic insert. The new seat, however, has a much wider and softer blue rubber disc.
When I reassembled everything and pressurized the first stage, the new seat was cut by the crown, and the intermediate pressure began creeping up again.
I have a couple of questions:
a) Do these newer-style seats require a different crown (e.g., one with wider lips)?
b) Should I try sourcing another 1040-20, or would it make more sense to find a different seat entirely (e.g., a 1053 from a Conshelf 14)? I’ve seen warnings that the 1053 may require a different pin length.
Any advice or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated!
I’ve attached a photo showing:
- Left: Original HP seat
- Right: New seat (damaged during install)
- Bottom: The crown
