Help With O Ring, Sea & Sea YS-01 Strobe

[Barryattle]

To revive this a bit, I had a YS-02 leak, so I bought some silicone JIS 2401 G35 o-rings. Fit fine, did fine for a few dives, but just leaked yesterday and I see that it has stretched and extrudes when I lock the cap. Should one use Buna o-rings, not silicone? Or any other thoughts? I hate the idea of spending $16+ for a single o-ring, but I may have to cave.

 

[Searcaigh]

To revive this a bit, I had a YS-02 leak, so I bought some silicone JIS 2401 G35 o-rings. Fit fine, did fine for a few dives, but just leaked yesterday and I see that it has stretched and extrudes when I lock the cap. Should one use Buna o-rings, not silicone? Or any other thoughts? I hate the idea of spending $16+ for a single o-ring, but I may have to cave.

Just get the Sea&Sea ones and use Sea&Sea Silicone grease with it, going cheap with O-rings is false economy especially with UW photography

 

[cerich]

To revive this a bit, I had a YS-02 leak, so I bought some silicone JIS 2401 G35 o-rings. Fit fine, did fine for a few dives, but just leaked yesterday and I see that it has stretched and extrudes when I lock the cap. Should one use Buna o-rings, not silicone? Or any other thoughts? I hate the idea of spending $16+ for a single o-ring, but I may have to cave.

using wrong lube will cause silicone O'Ring's to expand (stretch).

Many use generic silicone lube they buy where ever on their cameras/strobes and don't know that and experience it, leading to floods

 

[David Haas]

I was told by a well respected UW photo gear repair tech (decades fixing everything) that colored o-rings (BLUE Sea and Sea, RED on Olympus / AOI made housings and YELLOW on INON strobes) should only be lubed with the silicone o-ring grease or eventually those colored o-rings will degrade and cause problems.

Funny thing is the same silicone grease can be used on BLACK Buna o-rings like on my Fantasea housing's back o-ring too.

Just don't use regular o-ring grease for BUNA o-rings on ANY colored silicone o-rings

Lately I've been taking only Inon silicone lube on trips with my Fantasea housing (BLACK BUNA back o-ring) and YELLOW Silicone Inon strobe battery o-rings.

Makes it simpler for me and so far so good

Food for thought........

David Haas

 

[BoltSnap]

View attachment 817455

I really like this photo, good job

 

[Barryattle]

using wrong lube will cause silicone O'Ring's to expand (stretch).

Many use generic silicone lube they buy where ever on their cameras/strobes and don't know that and experience it, leading to floods

Yup, as I think about it, that's the issue. The o-ring worked fine at first (and was something like 5 for $6, not $16 each). But I now understand that the term "silicone o-ring grease" is used ambiguously - it can mean silicone-based grease (for rubber o-rings), or NON-silicone-based lube (PTFE seems to be the lubricant) for silicone o-rings, such as Tribolube/Christolube/Sea & Sea blue cap lube/INON o-ring lube. Having gotten much of my gear used, none came with proprietary lube, but this now explains some past o-ring failures, too.

Lesson learned, never again.

 

[cerich]

Yup, as I think about it, that's the issue. The o-ring worked fine at first (and was something like 5 for $6, not $16 each). But I now understand that the term "silicone o-ring grease" is used ambiguously - it can mean silicone-based grease (for rubber o-rings), or NON-silicone-based lube (PTFE seems to be the lubricant) for silicone o-rings, such as Tribolube/Christolube/Sea & Sea blue cap lube/INON o-ring lube. Having gotten much of my gear used, none came with proprietary lube, but this now explains some past o-ring failures, too.

Lesson learned, never again.

yeah, for my camera gear I either use the manufs lube in a marked tube or if find myself without just use cristo/tribo lube because know it won't cause issues (if a wee bit expensive). Grabbing/using whatever generic "silicone lube" that someone/boat/shop is a crap shoot and bad idea

 

[Germie]

I never had any leaks with more than 12 year old Orings for my sea and sea strobes. The Orings are still not damaged, so why replace them?
I think it is really a problem with the cap you have, and not directly with the oring. OR, and that is really an OR, what kind of silicone grease do you use? The cheaper silicone greases do something with Orings and then they get bigger and wider. I have had this with Inon Orings and the Orings of my expensive isotta housing.
So it is better to use the brand specific grease, or buy the already expensive silicone grease from Molykote. With these greases I also don't have problems.

By buying off brand Orings, you must know the softness or hardness of an Oring. Even if you have the right size, maybe it is too stiff or too soft. Manufacturers hold these things secret to make more profit (Yes, I agree it is completely ridiculus to pay 15 euro for an Oring of 2 cent, but it is the only way to be sure it will not leak).
I found for my Sidekick ccr working NBR-70 Orings instead of expensive 50's. But I will not try it with my strobes.
If you want to use offbrand Orings, you can try it here: Top-Quality Diver Supplies & Accessories | Scuba Gaskets But I don't see Orings for strobes, only regulator kits, and for computers.

For some often used parts of regulators or spg-swivels, I order the Orings in bulk as the bulk is cheaper than just a few in a diveshop. Also the car tire valve that is in the inflator hose can be get for free if you ask at a garage, or you pay 1 euro for 100 hand have you whole life enough. A diveshop asks 5 euro each.

So I also have my eyes open for offbrand O rings, but haven't found them for Sea&Sea strobes, nor for Inon strobs. I quitted using SeaSea because they are too slow with recharging (2 second recycletime vs 1.6 is a big difference sometimes). But the Orings of the strobes from both brands hold for years.

 

[bvanant]

Devon at Pacific Housing repair suggests that the S&S o-rings are too soft and should be replaced with a higher durometer o-ring. I believe that the S&S o-rings are silicone and that the appropriate grease might be a fluoroslicone but am not sure. In any case, you CAN use tribolube (71 or 66 depending) on ANY o-ring material with no swelling, so you really just need one type of grease for all rubber compounds.
Bill

 

[cerich]

Devon at Pacific Housing repair suggests that the S&S o-rings are too soft and should be replaced with a higher durometer o-ring. I believe that the S&S o-rings are silicone and that the appropriate grease might be a fluoroslicone but am not sure. In any case, you CAN use tribolube (71 or 66 depending) on ANY o-ring material with no swelling, so you really just need one type of grease for all rubber compounds.
Bill

I diagree, they are static and more than fit for design/fuction. Wrong lube/over lube, hairs/dirt cause issues, the Sea & Sea O'rings are quite good and very lasting. A harder durometer isn't indicated just because in diving we see harder durometer in other applications and are used to it basically.