do i need to buy a gasket and silicone when i change computer battery

[yogavnture]

hi i have a genesis react pro computer . but that dont matter it could be any computer...........i see battery kits on ebay which are a battery . silicone grease and a rubber seal. do i need to pay like 4 times more for all that when really all i need is the battery. ?

 

[JackD342]

You can usually/often re-use the oring after cleaning it and relubricating it. But if you continue to do so, you get closer to a leak each time. So the manufacturer wants the oring changed each time, to eliminate the inherent gamble of re-used Your call.

 

[Doc]

Genesis Pro React? $325 on eBay.
O-ring & battery? $9 on eBay

Shop harder.

Gotta get you some silicone, but you should have that nevertheless.

Get somebody to explain proper o-ring removal, cleaning of mating surfaces, greasing of o-ring, tightening of cap... it is not intuitive by any means.

 

[dmaziuk]

A kit usually comes with umpteen hundred percent markup. You should be able to buy the bits for less, but you have to buy a tub of grease and a box of o-rings and you're not saving much up front.

 

[diversteve]

orings can imprint when compressed during use so it's best to replace both. Once I had ab o-ring stick to the case and it tore during removal so had to be replaced anyway.

If you can source the right one a hydraulic supplier in your area might sell you a couple
or even give them to you but is it worth the trouble to save $9? You'llneed to know the dash# and material - often Buna-n or Nitrile. There's also online sources like Order O-Rings Quick and Easy X-Ring Seals Rubber Washers - I've bought from them.

PS a credit card often makes a good removal tool. Fancier is a brass o-ring pick. I have one since my video housing had multiple o-rings​

 

[Doc]

PS a credit card often makes a good removal tool. Fancier is a brass o-ring pick. I have one since my video housing had multiple o-rings​

Wooden tooth pick if you really want to go high end.

Learn the “pinch and squeeze” first.

 

[Zef]

hi i have a genesis react pro computer . but that dont matter it could be any computer...........i see battery kits on ebay which are a battery . silicone grease and a rubber seal. do i need to pay like 4 times more for all that when really all i need is the battery. ?

While you can often get away with reusing the o-ring/gasket it is penny wise pound foolish considering the cost of an o-ring compared to the cost of your compute. Best practice dictates that the o-ring/gasket be changed when the battery is changed.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to buy o-rings at certain hardware or plumbing specialty supply stores rather inexpensively. Look for stores that are geared towards supplying professionals not the home-improvement market.

Or you can buy o-rings relatively inexpensively on Amazon. I purchased a pack of 25 o-rings for my suunto battery compatment for less than $2.00 US. Between myself, my wife, and our kids we have 5 computers. I keep a couple of the o-rings in my save-a-dive kit, and I know plenty of people with suunto computers.

I have an array of o-rings that I have bought by the bag of 25 or 100. For x-mas stocking stuffers for friends that dive, I have taken the o-rings and a pick set and put together an o-ring kit with all the common sizes of o-rings one comes across, to also include o-rings for computer battery covers and transmitters.

A tube of silicone grease is not that expensive and will last nearly forever. Or take a contact lens case to a dive shop and ask them if they can spare a dolop of grease for you to keep in your save-a-dive kit.

Batteries can most certainly be purchased less expensively online or locally than in advertised kits.

Good luck whatever you choose to do.

-Z

 

[chillyinCanada]

Wooden tooth pick if you really want to go high end.

Learn the “pinch and squeeze” first.

What is the "pinch and squeeze"?

 

[Zef]

What is the "pinch and squeeze"?

pinch and squeeze refers to using one's fingers on opposing sides of the mounted o-ring and squeezing the o-ring around as the fingers sort of slide around the o-ring to create a separation/gap/slack that can be pinched or an object like a tooth pick or metal/plastic pick can be inserted between the o-ring and object to gently pry it up.

If this maneuver can be successfully performed it is preferably to inserting a pick or object between the o-ring and the groove it sits in as that can lead to scratches that may cause a leak if one is not extremely careful.

-Z

 

[dmaziuk]

On my computer it sits in groove like on a yoke tank, so there the choices are don't touch it, just lube the surface, or dig it out and replace it. Once you bought a bag of o-rings, it makes perfect sense to do the latter every time.