DA Aquamaster Rebuild

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Art Challacombe

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Location
Hawaii
# of dives
I just don't log dives
Finally getting around to servicing my DAAM. I got it on EBay for a decent price and it looked to be in okay shape. So far, I’ve dissembled it and will be giving it a vinegar and water bath. No real surprises so far. Removing the clips was a PITA, so I’ll be replacing them with a retaining clamp.

Unfortunately, the duckbill was cemented into the horn, so I took out the pieces that I could get to and then let the can soak overnight in soapy water. I then scraped out the rest of hardened neoprene with a plastic knife and finished it off with a denatured alcohol cleaning.

In my opinion, having the right tools essential to a smooth rebuild. This is where being cheap and trying to cut corners to save a few bucks can lead to frustration and worse, breaking important parts and often irreplaceable parts. The retaining ring was on really tight and even with the proper tools and a good vise, I had to tap the retaining ring tool with a plastic hammer in order to get it loose.

Also really important to a successful rebuild of a vintage regulator is having a service manual and reading all the repair tips by the knowledgeable folks on the diving forums. This knowledge is invaluable and has helped me immeasurably.

More to follow.
 

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Aloha rhwestfall. I’ll be doing a mainly stock rebuild, but will change the diaphragm, wagon wheels/exhaust valves, hoses and mouthpiece with new silicone ones. I’ll also replace original seat and retainer with an upgraded one from VDH.
 
@Art Challacombe - given time and hopeful restock of parts, the Phoenix (or Cyclone), HPR, and DBE are tremendous performance upgrades.

Enjoy!!
 
Is it ok if I chisel out a plaque of your saying of sooth for my reg shop door


Removing the clips was a PITA

Having read much of tool mods, and excruciating methods of clip removal
once I finally had one in my hands the uncovered secret of compression of
the cans by hand forcefully, made my clip removal with no bending a cinch

 
Well, I got the DAAM back together. Again, I want to stress the need for having the proper tools, they make things much more enjoyable. Also, take the time to clean everything well. It’s worth the extra effort and will pay dividends when it comes time to put everything back together.

Everything went smoothly until I accidentally dropped the hp seat pin. It’s really small and it took me almost two hours to find it (they tend to bounce out of site). Interestingly, the hp seat inside the nozzle was a rare gold nonmetallic one, so I decided to keep it. A good polishing and it was ready to go back in service. Anyway, it’s finished with all new silicone parts, tuned and breathes great. Here are some photos.
 

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