G260 torn diaphargm

[Tanks A Lot]

This certainly looks like chemical damage and not the usual "bug damage."

The only time I have ever seen similar damage was on regulators stored unprotected inside a garage where the owner left the car running for prolonged periods. The garage was poorly ventilated and very humid. My theory back then was that the humid air reacted with the nitrogen oxides to form nitric acid, which caused damage very similar to what you have. The regulators were stored on a shelf close to the end of the exhaust pipe.

Were these stored anywhere near where exhaust gases particularly from diesel engines could have accumulated?

 

[Saty]

Just push with your finger nail or a soft plastic flat pick
It’s really easy to remove

Good thing I just did that, my environmental diaphragm has a sand rock stuck by its groove, need to give it a better look

I might be too weak ! I can't open that with my hand it's super tight haha, i'll try to find i tool tomorrow, or waiting for the service.

This certainly looks like chemical damage and not the usual "bug damage."

The only time I have ever seen similar damage was on regulators stored unprotected inside a garage where the owner left the car running for prolonged periods. The garage was poorly ventilated and very humid. My theory back then was that the humid air reacted with the nitrogen oxides to form nitric acid, which caused damage very similar to what you have. The regulators were stored on a shelf close to the end of the exhaust pipe.

Were these stored anywhere near where exhaust gases particularly from diesel engines could have accumulated?

Not at all.
But to be fair, after I finished my dives before packing it, i did let it dry inside the place i was for two days and there were indeed cockroach spotted during my stay.
So i'm somehow incline to believe to the coackroach theory... I didn't think of that before but to be honest i have no idea what a coackroch eating things is supposed to look like...

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Based on pics, definitely looks like chemical degradation of some sort...

There's no way 6 month old diagphram looks like that without some reactant. New diagphrams would likely get them back online, but if it were me, I would overhaul both of them at the earliest opportunity. You don't know to what they were exposed and what else may have been contaminated (exhaust diagphram, o-rings, etc.).

Unlikely wild-@ssed speculation: sometimes silicone lubes will eat away silicone rubbers. As they were new, I doubt they had been opened by a "reg tech" but by any chance maybe rubbed with Molycote 111 or some other similar lube?

@buddhasummer - is there a ready source of parts available in the Pac rim region? Or does SP have those locked down to official party-line comrades there like in the US?

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

The cover was removed with the proper tool, yes?

Proper tool?

That's be hands?

I know folks are willing to take money for "G260 cover tools", but all they do is maybe make it easier on the hands. The G260 face ring is already made with grippy ridges. Like a hand grenade, all you have to do is pull the pin. And maybe conveniently misplace it so it never gets in the way again.

 

[Saty]

Based on pics, definitely looks like chemical degradation of some sort...

There's no way 6 month old diagphram looks like that without some reactant. New diagphrams would likely get them back online, but if it were me, I would overhaul both of them at the earliest opportunity. You don't know to what they were exposed and what else may have been contaminated (exhaust diagphram, o-rings, etc.).

Unlikely wild-@ssed speculation: sometimes silicone lubes will eat away silicone rubbers. As they were new, I doubt they had been opened by a "reg tech" but by any chance maybe rubbed with Molycote 111 or some other similar lube?

@buddhasummer - is there a ready source of parts available in the Pac rim region? Or does SP have those locked down to official party-line comrades there like in the US?

Agreed, i want to service them both, but spare parts aren't sold here (service kit 11.261.045 nor diaphargm 11.331.012P).
I did email Dive Pacifica which is in Manila, i'm waiting for their reponse.

The only thing out of ordinary that i used was vaseline lipstick on my beard to make a better seal with my mask.
Do you guys think that could be it ? Seems unlikely for me since the most destroy one was the secondary which i didn't really used...

 

[Pearlman]

Maybe you should handover that reg to an authorised repair technician for servicing and ask them to contact Scubapro for a technical analysis to explain the drastic deterioration? The repair shop should be able to source the parts easier than have you hunting for retail parts…

 

[Nemrod]

I have never seen anything like that. Not on regulators older than most of you. The silicone (diaphragms) is quite inert and not prone to deterioration in normal use, same for the exhaust valve. Whatever caused that (including are we sure these are not China clones) could also have damaged the exhaust valve and internal O-rings of the second stages. The sealed first stage save for the exposed cap seal should be okay.

Ants? Usually when animals are in play there is evidence of the animals left about or, yuk, inside.

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I've never seen anything like that, and on a virtually brand new reg, and a scubapro at that. Something's not right. I have scubapro regs, some 50 years old and no matter how crusty they are when I rescue them the silicone diaphragm is always in perfect shape. They just don't wear out.
Please keep us up to date on what is causing this and what scubapro says. Are they under warrantee?
I'm also going to suspect a Chinese imposter for the diaphragm, some weird compound that is neither rubber or silicone. Somehow the regs got them slipped in even sold as new. Or perhaps a bad batch of faulty diaphragms?
Where did you buy these?
That looks like a break down in material, not bug bites.

 

[Geo7]

+1, never seen anything like it. I'd ask Scubapro HQ if they want to have that diaphragm to look at it (and tell them the serial of the 2nd stage).

 

[runsongas]

have you been diving any pools lately and forgot to rinse off? pool water with too much chemical added can do that