HP seats for SP Mk11 and Mk17

[Jardine]

Has anyone found any DIY parts or methods for replacing the HP seats in the Scubapro Mk11 and Mk17 diaphragm 1st stages? I've been doing lots of searches in this forum and there's not much posted about these two regs.

So if you're going to hold off on spending the money for a parts kit for these two, would you just check these every so often and see if you get any IP creep after cycling the first stage a bunch of times? I've read that the seats in these can last many years. So if I clean, inspect, and replace o-rings every year, is IP creep the first indication that I will detect that it's time to replace the HP seat?

Thanks,

Bruce

 

[ams511]

I looked to see what I have and I don't have a repair manual per se. I have something called an assembly procedure and a schematic. If I was to rebuild one I would probably use these and a MK-16 manual as the two regulators are similar. Maybe someone has a true MK-17 service manual.

A MK-17 is a sealed regulator so I am not sure why you would need to clean and lubricate it, because no water enters the regulator. Look at the sticky to see how to check a regulators performance. If you remove the seat and don't reinstall it in the exact position you run the risk of the seat leaking and getting IP creep. If you start to get creep then you need to rebuild the regulator.

 

[halocline]

Has anyone found any DIY parts or methods for replacing the HP seats in the Scubapro Mk11 and Mk17 diaphragm 1st stages? I've been doing lots of searches in this forum and there's not much posted about these two regs.

So if you're going to hold off on spending the money for a parts kit for these two, would you just check these every so often and see if you get any IP creep after cycling the first stage a bunch of times? I've read that the seats in these can last many years. So if I clean, inspect, and replace o-rings every year, is IP creep the first indication that I will detect that it's time to replace the HP seat?

Thanks,

Bruce

I would not bother to replace o-rings every year, nor would I take it apart to clean it annually. Just do it well the first time and soak after salt water dives. I think you're right about IP creep being the indication that it's time to replace the HP seat. But, any time you take the seat out, it's likely to go back in slightly differently and subsequently creep a bit, at least until it breaks in again. The o-rings can last years as well.

I don't think you'll find a generic seat for this regulator.

 

[axxel57]

The HP seats of the MK17-11 are made of a pretty hard plastic or Teflon and the orifice is not very sharp, which means usually are the grooves in the seat not very deep when the reg needs been serviced.

In contrast to HP seats of Aqualung, Mares and others with metal cover is the top not plain but curved. So you got one mm or so which you can file off with different sandpapers.

We started with P080 and ended up with a 2000.

It was an emergency and the new seats were still on the way. It worked perfectly, passed all the tests including the flow test.

The instructor later did not even bother to get the seat changed once they arrived.

He is still diving the seat after now more than one year.

Nevertheless I would not recommend this procedure if one has access to those parts just to save money, but if not I would not hesitate and I'm sure the seat can be prepared at least two times like this before touching the metal cover of the seat.