How often do I need to grease my o-rings?

[cirwin]

Hi,

I am pretty new to this, and I am wondering how often I need to grease the o-rings on my Nik III (sb-105 strobe). Is the night before the dive good enough for a whole day? Do I need to do it in between dives?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Mariozi]

If I keep the camera wet in between dives I dont grease the o-rings I do not open.
All opened o-rings should be checked clean (maybe need very little grease) before closing them, even in between dives.
Keep your set-up wet until (hotel-room-trash-can method if needed)at least a few minutes before the fresh water clean up. When you will remove o-rings, clean them (o-ring groove also), store them. Before diving, clean o-ring and groove, grease, put them in place, close.
It is OK to do this the night before a morning dive.
Any questions refer to Bob Warkentins Nikonos Workshop, it is a good paper on how salt cristals are formed, how o-rings works, how to keep your equipment...
Just google this: "Bob Warkentin's Nikonos Workshop"
If needed send me an e-mail I will send you a PDFed file of it.

 

[drbill]

Can't speak specifically for your specific o-rings, but I rarely grease my o-rings on my video camera hiusing OR video light. In our climate I find it isn't necessary to do it very often. However my stuff rarely stays dry for more than a few days. Ozone and other pollutants on your side of the Channel may affect things differently.

 

[Kevrumbo]

On a rental Nikonos V, I was told to do the whole routine after every dive day. . .

 

[miketsp]

I last greased my Sony camera housing about 4 1/2 years ago. When not diving I keep it in a tightly knotted plastic bag and before closing it each time before use I carefully examine the orings with a lens for hairs/particles. In storage I always use the original wedge to keep the pressure off the orings.
At the most I occasionally run my finger very lightly along the mating surfaces of the orings just to feel for any irregularity and to make sure the film of silicone is still there.
I know this goes against recommended practice but I've had absolutely no problems and I'm still on the original oring and the camera has over 12000 UW shots taken whereas friends who have similar housings and keep taking their orings out to clean and lubricate them have had far more more problems.
I just make sure the housing gets a good soak after each dive series followed by a rinse under running water to make sure there is no buildup of salt crystals.

 

[Monkey Knife-fight]

I guess i fall in the middle. When i'm diving at home (try most weekends) i never really lube my ring. But generally at the beginning of trips where i know i'll be doing lots of diving i do the whole cleaning with lube on my finger tips thing once. Never had any problems. I also tend to replace the oring completely every year. I figure better safe than sorry and orings are cheap. Lubing more than once a day is overkill.

 

[ChrisA]

Hi,

I am pretty new to this, and I am wondering how often I need to grease the o-rings on my Nik III (sb-105 strobe). Is the night before the dive good enough for a whole day? Do I need to do it in between dives?

Thanks,

Chris

O-rings are a dynamic seal. The way they work is pressure (from gas, water or a mechanical clamp) forces the o-ring to move and deform (very slightly) to "plug the hole" If the o-ring is to be able to move and deform if needs to "slip" relative to the metal or plastic surfaces. The purpose of the silicone grease is to lubricate the o-ring and alow it to move. It takes VERY little grease only a very thin coating to enable the ring to slip.

From a lubrication perspective very infrequent re-greasing might be enough but there is another issue too. Keeping the o-ring clean. Every time you open the housing or light you expose the o-ring to dirs and sand cleaning and re-lubbing the o-ring is a way to clean the dirt off of it and off the machined surfces of the housing.

If you use the gear infrequently the worst type of "dirt" is dried saltwater. So while the o-ring doe not require new grease, cleaning the ring removes the grease which must be replaced.. but only a mico-thin coating, just enough to reduce the rubber to housing friction.

 

[TRIBOLUBE71]

I know this is a very old thread but just joined recently.

contacted both Aquatica and Amphibico they both said to re-lube once a year for the best servicing