IP not locking up on Flathead VI

[elan]

I love a happy ending!

Now go have some fun!

Best wishes.

thanks, the fun for me will be now to fix the other reg. I think i come to the point that I need to by a simple microscope to check the surfaces

---------- Post added March 28th, 2012 at 12:51 AM ---------- Previous post was March 27th, 2012 at 04:14 PM ----------

So I did rebuilt my other regulator today (the one that I had serviced last summer) and I guess I was lucky, At this point after the initial break in cycle the IP locks right away and then creeps no more than about 3psi. It was actually locking right from the start but it did not change for worth or better after the break in.

I did inspect the chamber under a microscope today and found one very small scratch which should not affect the operation as it was closer to the inside, where the o-ring does not touch the surface.

I was still worrying until the very last moment, but when I saw the IP locking I felt better. I will see how it behaves after some dives.

Thanks everyone for listening It's too early to make conclusions but so far in both cases it looked like the problem was with the orifice and it seems to be a coincidence.

 

[halocline]

thanks, the fun for me will be now to fix the other reg. I think i come to the point that I need to by a simple microscope to check the surfaces

I use a jeweler's loupe to inspect piston and orifice edges. It's 16X, I think, and it works great.

 

[herman]

I use an inexpensive set of loupes (less that $5). They range from 2 to 10x and you can stack them to get higher powers. There is no need for a microscope. Eye Loup 5Pc Set - 2X, 3X, 5X, 7X & 10X

 

[elan]

Thanks herman it looks like a good set. I just stopped by my LDS and they were nice to let me use their microscope

 

[herman]

They are cheap plastic but work fine and I don't worry about them if they get dropped.

 

[Centrals]

I have a similar problem with my Apeks DST, the IP just would not lock up. When I took a look at the "chamber", the valve seat was indeed corroded. Probably the main reason why the Apeks FSR 1 stage comes with an replacable valve seat.

 

[elan]

I have a similar problem with my Apeks DST, the IP just would not lock up. When I took a look at the "chamber", the valve seat was indeed corroded. Probably the main reason why the Apeks FSR 1 stage comes with an replacable valve seat.

Did you have water intruded into the reg ?

I love the Flatheads for the fact you can literally replace everything and you need to screw up hard to have to replace the whole reg.

 

[Centrals]

Did you have water intruded into the reg ?

I love the Flatheads for the fact you can literally replace everything and you need to screw up hard to have to replace the whole reg.

It must be. The corrosion only appeared at the point where the valve seat and the pressure seat met!!!!! Rest of the reg was fine. I had managed to remove most of the rust and the drifting had gone down considerably. Check the IP regularly and use the reg for 100% O2 at 6m. I know rich O2 will accelerate the rate of corrosion but I just love the turret(DST) as deco reg.
The valve seat is the only part in any Apeks 1st stage that cannot be replaced except the FSR.

 

[halocline]

Sounds like you got a wet fill.

 

[keyshunter]

Centrals,
I have had good luck removing a small amount of corrosion from the seat (orifice) of one of my Apeks with the eraser on the end of a pencil. I have not have had any major problems with the seat on my US4 and DS4, but I can imagine a ham-handed "tech" could do serious damage.

Zeagle, who until 2000 distributed Apeks in the US, went to a replaceable plastic orifice when they copied the Apeks design for their own production. Some years ago, when I bought a new post Apeks Zeagle, I noticed that it had a rather mushy lockup. Being used to rock solid AL and Apeks lockups, I called Zeagle and asked to speak to a reg person. The operator put me right through to Jim Fox, their reg designer/guru. How cool is that? He explained that a drift of 3-5 psi from initial lockup is normal, but it should lock up solidly after that. This is exactly what my Zeagle reg did. It actually seemed to get a bit better with use. I suppose that a mushy initial lockup is the price one must pay for the replaceable plastic seat.