Connecting an octo to RAM's hookah port

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elan

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Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Sometime ago I have bought an adapter for the hookah port which allow to connect LP devices like octos. I did not use it so far as I was diving with an experienced diver who has been diving DH for his while life and was comfortable doing buddy breathing.

I have since moved and local guys freak out when they see the DH so I decided to put an octo on the reg so they feel comfortable in case the need to share.

Now the question, The adapter came with 2 plastic washers. The old plug that was installed on the port has an o-ring with a cone fitting nice into a tappered port and o-ring was sealing nicely.

The adapter itself is flat on the inside and the o-ring cannot be obviously captured. I installed 2 plastic washers inside and it seems to be sealed against hte edges of the port and id does not seem to leak but I'm not sure if this is the correct way...
 
elan you are correct in knowing that the two plastic washers are used to seal the hookah port adapter. When I bought my adapter from Bryan at VDH a while back, it also came with two washers. At first I thought he sent me an extra and I found out that using just one would not seal it. I put the second one on and never had any further leakage problems on my RAM. But since I mostly dive w/ another DH vintage diver, I just leave it on plugged and don't use a octo at all.
 
Fish&Beer-Regarding your sig line - I heart the SWCC guys!!!

Lisa
 
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A hookah port is the same as a B oxygen fitting commonly used on welding oxygen regulators and normally uses no O rings. If you found an O ring in a hookah port plug it wasn't supposed to be there.
 
Thanks guys, great , that's great to hear I did everything correct. Cannot wait to let the dive buddies to test the octo :D
 
Sometime ago I have bought an adapter for the hookah port which allow to connect LP devices like octos. I did not use it so far as I was diving with an experienced diver who has been diving DH for his while life and was comfortable doing buddy breathing.

I have since moved and local guys freak out when they see the DH so I decided to put an octo on the reg so they feel comfortable in case the need to share.

Now the question, The adapter came with 2 plastic washers. The old plug that was installed on the port has an o-ring with a cone fitting nice into a tappered port and o-ring was sealing nicely.

The adapter itself is flat on the inside and the o-ring cannot be obviously captured. I installed 2 plastic washers inside and it seems to be sealed against hte edges of the port and id does not seem to leak but I'm not sure if this is the correct way...

Elan,

The original HookaPort adapter nut was designed by me. I use to sell these in competition with an older design VDH was selling, until VDH made a cheap copy out of some kind of pipe cap and undersold my design.......

But that is water under the bridge.........

Anyway, I do not know what size washer is supplyed in the VDH copied part or how the adapter nut is cut, as I have never seen one made by them, but two washers are not needed if the design is correct.

The original Mossback Hookaport Adapter, made from 3/4 inch triple chrome plated solid Naval brass hex rod, was designed to seal the flat plastic washer between the round lip of the hookaport and the flat surface of the adapter nut. An O-ring will not work!

If the nut is cut correctly and the inside flat surface has a relief cut for the washer outer edge, so it sits without warping, it will seal with one washer.

My kit was sold with two washers as well, however, one was a spare.........

Note: both the outer and inner diameters of the washer need to be of the correct size.........in addition: The adapter nut must be machined correctly, if the relief in the wall of the adapter, for the outer washer diameter, is not deep enough or does not exist and the inside diameter of the washer is too large the plastic could warp and possibly the seal isn't secure.

Plastic washers tend to creep after tightening after some hours or days; remedy is you just tweak it tigher...........I used mine for over four years with no issues and never removed it; even diving in Cozumel and Brazil with it. I never heard a negative from anyone who bought my kit.

Later, after getting annoyed from all the plumbing hanging out in the current, I removed the complete system with the original 1st stage and replaced it with the compact Mk3 I designed.

All that said: I suspect that if your VDH adapter nut is not 3/4 inch in dia.! If it is not; then probably it does not have these features and is why you need two washers to seal it.

When one skimps on quality and cost when copying a proven design, you get less capability. Basic engineering.

If you are having problems with the VDH adapter and want to try one of mine, I have a few left, but again as with the Mk3......I'm not making anymore parts........PM me if you are interested.

Oldmossback
 
Maybe it is best to let sleeping dogs lie, however the last post is a view from one side of the story. Many of us have been around this vintage diving resurgence for many years and have witnessed the coming and going of reproduction parts. Products were made, some good, some not so good. Some personality conflicts arose and in some cases, financial difficulties. So for those of you who are new to this hobby, every thread that seems to have a particular slant to possibly discredit someone remember that there are other "memories" as to the reality of the history. We sometimes are frustrated when political parties "rewrite" history. Maybe they are just a reflection of the society to which they speak.
 
I was there and witnessed the goings-on. No history is being "rewritten" here.
 
In any case I always try to stay away from politics, relationship issues between other people etc. I have no experience in engineering so I cannot evaluate the quality adequate enough to take one side or the other.
 
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https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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