Just got my rig back from annual service...

[lhpdiver]

... put it on a tank and threw it in the pool. There was quite a large leak coming from where the pressure gauge connects to the hp hose. When I opened up the connection I noticed that the little o-ring on the spindle was sliced. (I replaced it with one from my save-a-dive kit). I also noticed how much corrosion was still evident. I'm a little concerned about the quality of this servicing.

My setup is going into a suitcase for a Saturday trip to Mexico. I'm going to try and get in a local dive before then.

My questions;

- what is the number associated with that little o-ring ?
- are those spindles pretty standard - ( my setup is all ScubaPro ) ?
- when I get back - can I disassemble the gauge / spindle and let them soak submersed) in a 50/50 vinegar solution ?
- where can I pick up the pieces for a "sonic" (?) bath ? What is that gizmo called ?

- any advice ?

Thank you.

 

[dlndavid]

Take it back to whoever serviced it, you payed them for what you are asking about here. I had My SP regs serviced at my LDS and the switched out a whole bunch of wear parts. They are now my backup parts.

 

[lhpdiver]

Take it back to whoever serviced it, you payed them for what you are asking about here. I had My SP regs serviced at my LDS and the switched out a whole bunch of wear parts. They are now my backup parts.

I'm not sure its good practice to hold onto those worn out parts as backups....

 

[Jim Lapenta]

I recently purchased a reg set up from a fellow who for health reasons has had to give up diving.the first time I used it in the pool I noticed a small but steady stream of bubbles coming from the HP hose where it meets the guage. Luckily I was starting my equip specialist course three days later. Now he told me that this was a problem since he got it from a lds that I do not patronize and that it had been serviced last fall and not dove since. Well when we opened it up and removed the spindle his 45.00 dollar annual was a waste of money. Both o-rings were shot and the only thing that was keeping the air in was the corrosion. We (my instructor and I) proceeded to service my reg as part of my ES course. Still have some stuff left to do because of time running out (was not a scheduled class session) but I now know how to service my sherwood regs (one Brut and one Blizzard) and repair a leaky hp connection. Now my advice is if you don't want to take it back to the lds don't wait to clean up the corrosion. this repair if you have the o-rings and some white vinegar and an old toothbrush takes about 30-60 minutes. most of that is soak time. take out the spindle again, soak it and the connectors on both the hose and guage. just stand the guage up in a shallow container of the vinegar and water (50/50 is cool) so that the connector is covered you don't need to submerge the whole guage. let em soak and every few minutes stir or agitate the solution. then gently use the brush to remove the gunk and soak more if necessary. rinse all parts in fresh water thoroughly and dry em. inspect the spindle to make sure there's no pitting ,put a little silicone lube on the o-rings and reassemble the unit. then pressure test it. CAREFULLY! I advise you to do this before you go in the water again with it. the fact that you put a new o-ring in and left some of the corrosion could possibly cause the new o-ring to fail or not properly seat. It may hold for one dive or 10 or 50 but it only takes one time for it to fail and an inconvenience becomes a major problem if you're 100 ft down. Now will I service all my regs from now on. NO WAY! I will go to my instructor who is a factory certified tech for all the brands of gear I have for regular service. I am not a factory tech but now I may be able to correct a small problem and save a day of diving. I do plan on getting training at that level at some time in the foreseeable future and will then trust myself for that level of service. Until then I'll use a tech I trust and keep my peace of mind. By the way that reg is going to my son as a graduation present along with his ow certification, personal gear, BC, wetsuit and weight belt and weights( all he knows about is his personal gear and cert.). Now that I know it's in A-1 shape. To all of you out there if you dive like I do or plan on going like I plan on this season consider taking an equipment course. It may save your day and maybe even your life.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

P.S. I actually have at the present time 5 regs. the blizzard going to my son, my brut which I use for my pony bottle, an aqualung series first stage w/lp hose for my argon bottle, a usdivers sea2 w/sherwood shadow octo for my back-up, and my primary an oceanic delta III w/cdx5 and sherwood octo ( I'll be replacing the octo w/an oceanic swivel octo next month) Why so many? cause if I plan on diving I'm going to dive and something like one reg not being properly serviced is not going to ruin my plans. I'll dive and fix the problem or have it fixed when something less important like my job is going on. I can call in sick to work to fix a reg but diving is way to important to lose any time from it.

 

[pdoege]

- what is the number associated with that little o-ring ?
- are those spindles pretty standard - ( my setup is all ScubaPro ) ?
- when I get back - can I disassemble the gauge / spindle and let them soak submersed) in a 50/50 vinegar solution ?
- where can I pick up the pieces for a "sonic" (?) bath ? What is that gizmo called ?

- any advice ?

The spindles are standard and pretty inexpensive. Normally though you need only to replace the cheaper o-rings.

Do not soak the gauge, it will not like the water. They are supposed to stay dry. If the spindle does not clean up just swap in a new one.

Ultrasonic cleaners can be had from many places. http://www.omegasonics.com/industrial/table_top.shtml is one source.

You probably do not need one. A good soaking and scrubbing should see you through.

Advice? Don't go back to that vendor. You may want to purchase the AirSpeed press book on regulators. It goes over basic cleaning of regulators and more.

Peter Doege

 

[redacted]

The o-ring is a -003.

There are at least 3 different versions of the spindle that I know of. I don't know if they are interchangable - may be. All mine are the simple straight shaft. Disassemble with care. they are quite weak at the o-ring grove and doesn't take much force to break. Pliers can be real killers. Acid soak should do the trick. Try not to get any on the rubber hose. I'd have the DS fix just that as I watched before I went on vacation. But your fix, if it stopped the leak, should hold.

I'm still maintaining my 10 regs with vinegar & water. I just havn't seen the necessity for a sonic cleaner yet.

 

[SDAnderson]

- what is the number associated with that little o-ring ?
That's usually an 03 o-ring. They can be tricky to mount on some spindles - it's easy to pinch or tear them, which is why some techs use a little doohickey called a bullet to put them in place.

- are those spindles pretty standard - ( my setup is all ScubaPro ) ?
Most are interchangeable, some aren't. Sorry - usually a shop will carry several different kinds so that they don't have to guess.

- when I get back - can I disassemble the gauge / spindle and let them soak submersed) in a 50/50 vinegar solution ?
You could, but I'd take the unit back to the shop and make them do it right. Don't get any liquid inside the SPG.

- where can I pick up the pieces for a "sonic" (?) bath ? What is that gizmo called ?
Pricy toys for a DIY type - but they can be had. The little jewelry ones won't do the trick, you want something more seriouser. Figure $500 for a decent one with multiple frequencies, a heater, a timer and enough capacity to put the larger pieces from your regulator in. Try McMaster-Carr.

- any advice ?
Yeah, it's very expensive to do it yourself and you probably can't do as good a job as a mediocre technician. For most divers, it's better to sink your time and energy into finding a good tech to do the work.

 

[dlndavid]

I'm not sure its good practice to hold onto those worn out parts as backups....

Well I do work for a valve and regulator company, in the design area.
We test all of our products over and over and over again, (you get the picture) and with the same parts, sometimes, (worn). If you have a design that can NOT do this, it is a BAD design. (after looking at the parts under a microscope and input from my technicians, the parts will work, as if new.)
I only keep them as spares for a remote location that might not be able to get the failed parts, but could do the service.

 

[peterbkk]

I was captaining a dive boat a few years back. A regular customer was on board and, when chatting on the way out to the dive site, told me he had just had his reg serviced. When gearing up, he turned the gauge down while turning on the air. Then, as he rotated the gauge back to check the tank pressure, there one heck of bang, followed by a rush of escaping HP air. About 50 meters away from the boat I saw a splash as his gauge landed in the sea. Fortunately, the gauge went up and outboard. The service technician must have really screwed up the reassembly...