B1/Ti2 Service and Upgrade Information Needed

[cobbonthecorn]

I've acquired an Atomic B1/Ti2 that has been in a box for the last four years. Before taking it in for service I need some advice so I don't pay for "what I don't need". I am assuming that there will be a service labor fee and the cost of parts. Specifically, a service kit for first stage and the second stage. It would also appear that the 1st stage needs an environmental seal kit. So I figure $40-50 labor, $40-60 for service kits, and $40 for an environmental kit. Net of $130-150. Is that about right?

Also, I have been told that the B1 probably does not have the Jet seat and I should expect to pay about $60 to have that upgrade installed. Is that correct? If it is correct, is the upgrade worth it or is it just a gimmic?

 

[scubafanatic]

.....not too long ago I upgraded my B1 into an M1 as follows:

M1 exhaust T
M1 purge cover
M1 stainless steel cave ring
Atomic SS swivel hose
Jet seat piston upgrade

...the unit already had the environmental kit/DIN installed, added a detachable Scubapro DIN-to-Yoke tank adapter too.

The 'conversion' had the following benefits:

new M1 purge cover stopped the annoying free flows heading into currents that the 'old' B1 purge cover had.
Jet Seat piston...stopped a significant IP creep problem
M1 exhaust T is noticeably reduces bubble interference/B1 exhaust T is too short.

...if you're gonna do an 'annual' anyway, installing the new piston at the same time adds nothing to the labor cost.

I believe all my upgrades were worth the $, but I'll admit I'm kinda picky about my reg's performance and am something of a perfectionist.

Karl

 

[Scared Silly]

There is no real need for the environment sealing. None of our Z2s are sealed. Our M1s are but they are dedicated to deco bottles.

Is there a rubber ring or a rubber cap on the top of the first stage? If a ring then the old piston, if a cap then it should be a jet piston. As said above the jet seat piston stopped an IP creep problem. If the reg is functioning fine I would not replace it now but once it needs to be.

Otherwise your assessment is spot on. And what Karl did above to make his an M1 are all nice upgrades but certainly not necessary.

 

[cobbonthecorn]

Guys-

Thanks! The info is just what I was looking for on the subject. Also, nice way to identify the old vs new piston design. I probably will skip the piston upgrade unless I can talk my way into a deal. Again, thank!

 

[tfsails]

Cobbon--With Atomic's new (this year) service kits, if your reg does not have the jet seat piston, you'll have to buy the non-jet HP seat separately from the service kit, and do that every time you have the reg serviced. Over the life of the reg, it may be cost-effective to go ahead and get the jet seat conversion. The newer service kits only address the jet seat regs.

Concerning environmental sealing your reg, Atomic does this by stuffing at least $30 worth of Christo-Lube into the backside of the piston and putting a solid rubber ring around the holes where water gets into the reg on an unsealed unit. This is a messy and expensive arrangement IMHO, and, with the parts being stainless steel, of questionable worth. I'd think twice about converting yours. I know as a service technician that I hate to see a sealed Atomic come through my shop. I was successful in pawning the last one off on my coworker, but I think he got wise to me and probably won't be able to do that again.

Hope this helps some.

 

[Scared Silly]

TF, you are a mean horrible person. Giving your co-worker a cristolube filled reg to service. For shame, for shame.

BTW Good point on the service kits. Once you mentioned it I seem to recall that Atomic said it was not going to even be providing kits for the old HP seat.

 

[beanojones]

Concerning environmental sealing your reg, Atomic does this by stuffing at least $30 worth of Christo-Lube into the backside of the piston and putting a solid rubber ring around the holes where water gets into the reg on an unsealed unit. This is a messy and expensive arrangement IMHO, and, with the parts being stainless steel, of questionable worth.

The exposed part that fails is not Stainless but chromed brass. IME the body chroming fails well before the piston or spring, and the body is chromed brass (on the B or Z)

Atomic is old SP guys, but they gots to give up on the flow through piston (titanium or stainless are OK I guess). But making a chromed brass flow through piston leaves it with the same failure point that the MK10 design they were trying to improve upon with the titanium.

Plus the whole catching on fire thing.