Is it Time to can my trusty old Dacor Extreme???

[Coconuts]

I've had my Dacor Extreme for over 12 years and always loved it. It never gave me any problems. Although the Mares takeover resulted in a lack of service kits, I still found a LDS that would still service it. I'm married with kids now and usually get a dive vacation in every two years for a few weeks. I recently had the regulator serviced prior to a dive vacation last month. The regulator performed fine on the shallow dives, but on a wreck dive at 100 feet the regulator started acting up on me. The best way I could decribe it, half way through each inhalation, it felt like I was getting a big blast of air down my throat. There was no free flow and it would stop on exhalation. None the less this made me very uneasy and anxiety started to set in :11: so I switched over to the octopus and aborted the dive. So can any of you regulator gurus tell me what could cause a problem like this? Are these shops that are continuing to service these regs with no rebuild kit doing a sub standard job? What other parts besides o-rings does a rebuild kit contain? Is it time to retire the Extreme and stay clear of the LDS who services a brand that they don't sell???

 

[Arcaporale]

Yes, it's time to get rid of your reg. No, I wouldn't worry about if the shop is an authorized dealer, it probably still gets parts for most mainstream regulators, as long as they have the right parts you'll be ok. Besides O rings, the shop should replace the high pressure seat in the 1st stage and low pressure seats in the seconds stages as well as the filter for the 1st stage. Just make sure you get the parts you pay for. Most reputable shops will show you the old parts with your reg when you pick it up to show the work they've done. Parts can be expensive. Usually the more your reg cost the more the parts do too. Sherwood has got the cheapest parts and Apeks has the most expensive.
(excluding poseidon which are very expensive and can be hard to come by) On average, parts will run you about $20-40. When buying a new reg keep in mind that some brands may pay for parts for the first 1-2 years. Scubapro will cover parts as long as you get it serviced within a year of last service

 

[judestudio]

Coconuts, before you bin it, check here: http://www.scubatoys.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=649

There was an exchange program for Dacor regs til Sept 2006, but I saw a thread on Scubatoys yesterday, and Larry says he's gonna honor the program from their own pocket. So if you want to get rid of it, why don't you check it out?

 

[diverrick]

No one told me about the exchange program!! Man!! Last year I got to the point where neither LDS would service my regs anymore, so I bought the bullet and got a new reg set up. Don't get me wrong, the nre one is "OK", but I still loved the way my old Dacor breathed at all depths. I am thinking of using the old one for gold prospecting trips now.

 

[judestudio]

No one told me about the exchange program!! Man!! Last year I got to the point where neither LDS would service my regs anymore, so I bought the bullet and got a new reg set up. Don't get me wrong, the nre one is "OK", but I still loved the way my old Dacor breathed at all depths. I am thinking of using the old one for gold prospecting trips now.

Well, I guess it's kinda hard to find a blame there, and I feel for you. I think everyone is giving up Dacor, and even Mares don't want anything to do with it anymore by trading an unserviceable product line to something they can look after properly. Dive shops would have probably loss track on the whole Dacor-Mares story long before and didn't know about the exchange program. If you're throwing away your Dacor, maybe you should have a look and see if any Mares reg interests you and see if Larry at Scubatoys can get you a good exchange deal.

 

[donooo]

There is some fellow in the mid-west that picked up all of the Dacor parts when they made they change. Her LDS told her to dump it, but she found this guy and got a very reasonable service. I think maybe Wisconsin or Minnesota. I'll try and find his name.

adios don O

 

[Coconuts]

Thanks for the responce guy and thanks for the PM Don. First thing I'm going to do is talk to the guy that did the overhaul and see what he did and did not do. I got a Mares Abyss for my wife last year. I might take scubatoys up on their offer. I'll probably have to add three pounds more weight if I switch to the Mares. You guys that are familiar with the Extreme first stage know what I'm talking about...

 

[Scuba.com]

I was just rummaging around our repair department and came across a box of Dacor Extreme 1st Stage kits and another box of kits for the 2nd stages. There was some question by my repair guys as to what 2nd stage you may have but if you are intersested they'd be happy to look into giving you a hand and keeping that ol' breathable anchor diving!

You can reach them at 800-347-2822 M-F, 8-6Pacific.

 

[Ed Palma]

Hey there Coconuts,

I just have one question regarding what happened. When you switched over from your primary 2nd to your octo, was the problem still present? If so, seems to me that the problem would've been with the adjustment of your 2nd stage, and not the 1st.

Just my 2 PSI worth...

 

[Coconuts]

The octopus was a Dacor Enduro and I was outbreathing it just slightly because I was sucking wind getting quickly back to the mooring line into a current. As soon as I calmed down a bit, it was fine. It did not have the same symtoms as the Extreme. The Extreme does has the user adjustable inhalation knob. I did'nt think to mess with it at the time because I have never had to adjust in in 10 years. The regulator would crack open fine but half way through inhaling, it felt like someone was pressing the purge button. I emailed the LDS and he responded "We may not have installed service kits in all the regulators, however, we would have definitely said something if there was some part we could not have replaced that was affecting the operation of the regulator." So now I'm trying to decide what to do next. Maybe take the reg to the local quarry and play with the adjustments to see if I can replicate the problem. Send it to one of the shops you guys have recommended or just get rid of a regulator I have lost confidence in.