DIY Regulator Maintenance Discussion: MARES
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acteg
Contributor
This is an excellent resource. Thank you for doing this! Also, could you recommend an ultrasonic cleaner?
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Shftrdog
Contributor
Not sure
sambolino44
Contributor
Thanks for the tips about generic parts. But what about parts that aren't in the kits? I need to replace the poppet and seat in an MR22 1st stage, and also in an Abyss 2nd. It's starting to look like the only way to get these parts is to take the regs in to be serviced by a dealer.
Unless you have damaged it , there is no reason to replace the HP seat (poppet seat/ orfice). The poppet is the same one that Mares uses in most of it's regs and it is a variation of the one US Divers/Aqualung uses in almost all it's regs. While they make a big deal about the "Trimetal" it's basic design is still the old USD desig. The ones from a Conshelf/Titan/Legend/SEA/Royal Aquamaster will work nicely, migh not be "Trimetal" but if it's good enough for Conshelfs and Legends then it should be good enough for a Mares. 
The LP seats are common type as well. You can use ones from most any second stage of the same design or just buy a punch and a sheet of rubber and make your own. The HP and LP seats are both sold by Trident. Bryan at Vintage Double Hose carries them (they also fit the USD Royal Aquamaster double hose reg)
The LP seats are common type as well. You can use ones from most any second stage of the same design or just buy a punch and a sheet of rubber and make your own. The HP and LP seats are both sold by Trident. Bryan at Vintage Double Hose carries them (they also fit the USD Royal Aquamaster double hose reg)
sambolino44
Contributor
Well, it is damaged. The HP seat (poppet seat/orifice) has a scratch right across the sealing face. Amazingly, it seems to be holding IP between 142 and 148 PSI, for now. I thought it was creeping pretty bad, but it settled down after more cycles. But the face of the poppet itself also has damage. It looks kind of like bubbles, or bumps in the plastic. This part looks like the ones you showed in your earlier post, so if I can get a suitable replacement from Trident, cool!
I have had even less luck finding someone who will sell me USDivers or Aqualung parts than I have Mares. In fact, I have not been able to buy new parts for any brand of regulator from anyone; they all say you must be authorized by the maker. I gave up on my US Divers SEA reg because I could not get parts for it. If the poppet seat from that will fit into my Mares reg, also cool! But what would really be better is if I could get parts for that reg, too, then I could start using it again. Besides not being able to get rebuild kits for it, I gave up on it when I could not get a replacement end plug (I was hoping to replace the damaged slot-drive end plug with a new hex-socket-drive one).
And it isn't the LP seat itself, the little rubber puck, I want, it's the part that holds it, the poppet body. Maybe I don't really need this part, after all; the main reason I want to replace it is because some of the chrome plating has come off and the brass underneath gets a little bit corroded. This may not be such a big deal for the LP poppet body, because it doesn't have any surfaces which slide against an O-ring, but there are other parts which have a surface which goes against a static O-ring, such as the Hose Connector (the part that the LP poppet seat screws into) with the same problem. Ideally, I'd like to replace all the parts where there's brass showing on a surface that should be chrome (or nickel). The 1st stage parts don't look bad, except for the poppet and seat.
I have two Abyss 2nd stages, one much newer than the other. Only one has a plug which makes it easy to access the locknut. One has a metal poppet seat, and the other is green plastic. The sealing face is OK on both, I just wanted to replace the metal one because of the plating problem.
I just finished using my last rebuild kits to do the MR22 and the two Abysses. I did see some kits on ebay, but not for both. And it would be nice to find a place to buy the other parts, so I really appreciate your help.
One last thing; in my instructions to re-assemble the Abyss regs, it says to screw the seat connector (poppet seat) into the hose connector until it bottoms, then back out three (3) turns. That ain't even close; the hose connector won't even go back into the body unless you turn it back out way more than that, like 5 or 6 turns. This is with about 1/16" of poppet body sticking out of the locknut. I ended up leaving the locknut alone, and trial-and-error adjusting the poppet seat until the lever hits the gage (I printed the image of the gage from the manual and pasted it to a piece of card). Lots of taking apart and putting back together, but they both purge OK, and have from .8 to 1.5 in of cracking vacuum. Does this sound way off?
I have had even less luck finding someone who will sell me USDivers or Aqualung parts than I have Mares. In fact, I have not been able to buy new parts for any brand of regulator from anyone; they all say you must be authorized by the maker. I gave up on my US Divers SEA reg because I could not get parts for it. If the poppet seat from that will fit into my Mares reg, also cool! But what would really be better is if I could get parts for that reg, too, then I could start using it again. Besides not being able to get rebuild kits for it, I gave up on it when I could not get a replacement end plug (I was hoping to replace the damaged slot-drive end plug with a new hex-socket-drive one).
And it isn't the LP seat itself, the little rubber puck, I want, it's the part that holds it, the poppet body. Maybe I don't really need this part, after all; the main reason I want to replace it is because some of the chrome plating has come off and the brass underneath gets a little bit corroded. This may not be such a big deal for the LP poppet body, because it doesn't have any surfaces which slide against an O-ring, but there are other parts which have a surface which goes against a static O-ring, such as the Hose Connector (the part that the LP poppet seat screws into) with the same problem. Ideally, I'd like to replace all the parts where there's brass showing on a surface that should be chrome (or nickel). The 1st stage parts don't look bad, except for the poppet and seat.
I have two Abyss 2nd stages, one much newer than the other. Only one has a plug which makes it easy to access the locknut. One has a metal poppet seat, and the other is green plastic. The sealing face is OK on both, I just wanted to replace the metal one because of the plating problem.
I just finished using my last rebuild kits to do the MR22 and the two Abysses. I did see some kits on ebay, but not for both. And it would be nice to find a place to buy the other parts, so I really appreciate your help.
One last thing; in my instructions to re-assemble the Abyss regs, it says to screw the seat connector (poppet seat) into the hose connector until it bottoms, then back out three (3) turns. That ain't even close; the hose connector won't even go back into the body unless you turn it back out way more than that, like 5 or 6 turns. This is with about 1/16" of poppet body sticking out of the locknut. I ended up leaving the locknut alone, and trial-and-error adjusting the poppet seat until the lever hits the gage (I printed the image of the gage from the manual and pasted it to a piece of card). Lots of taking apart and putting back together, but they both purge OK, and have from .8 to 1.5 in of cracking vacuum. Does this sound way off?
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acteg
Contributor
The HP seat on the MR22 is the same as the MR12 is the same as the seat used in the aqualung titan/conshelf rebuild kits. There is also an aftermarket HP seat made by trident that will match. Northeast scuba supply has the HP seat for $10 under the aqualung service parts in the regulator section. The Mares trimaterial HP seat is $25 if I remember correctly.
You can also get most of the parts, both for the Mares and the SEA from Vintage Double Hose. The seats are the same as the Royal Aquamaster and Conshelf. Bryan also has a MR-12 kit that will work.
A for the second stage, something does not make sence. I don't have a copy of a Mares manual but it's a standard design. You might want to get a copy of a Conshelf or Titan manual and read it. The position of the seat should have no bearing on the rest of the parts except for lever height.
A for the second stage, something does not make sence. I don't have a copy of a Mares manual but it's a standard design. You might want to get a copy of a Conshelf or Titan manual and read it. The position of the seat should have no bearing on the rest of the parts except for lever height.
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