Little present to myself. I think I did pretty well.

[Nemrod]

Remove the hoses and toss them in the washing machine to get rid of the "new" odor.

To the OP, you did very well, nice looking stuff. I hope your wife will still own you but, yes, that Royal Aqua Master is a solid score.

As to VDH, I am a still moderator there as is Luis and a couple of others. Unlike more open topic forums and due to a few attempts by "outsiders" to bash the "party" a few years ago there is sometimes a learning curve, vintage actually is intended to mean vintage. I assure you however that nobody is out to make you feel unwelcome and as to a locked thread, it was not me, I am innocent .

I also have been servicing my own regs since forever but on occasion I send one to VDH when I am in a hurry and do so with the knowledge that it will be done right.

There is also another forum at www.vintagescubasupply.com , JFYI.

N

 

[Paladin]

Sorry about hijacking this thread. This will be the last time, I promise.

Nemrod, when you wash the hoses in the washing machine, what water temp do you use?

 

[Nemrod]

Sorry about hijacking this thread. This will be the last time, I promise.

Nemrod, when you wash the hoses in the washing machine, what water temp do you use?

Warm but not hot. The silicone hoses will not melt.

N

 

[Paladin]

That's just it. My hoses are not silicone. The valves and diaphragms are silicone, but the hoses are of EPDM rubber.

 

[8dust]

No, that's good stuff, I'm glad to know too...

Well, looks like the expidition is off until at least Monday evening... Looks like I tore my duckbill...

Wanted to end the day with a little cleaning...mouthpiece came off fine, and as far as it looks to me, the valves are new, or are at least in great, clean, and flappy shape.

Hoses are excellent too, no problems at all there.

Took supply side off fine... then the return side... so that's where that duckbill thing lives...
well, it was really sticky and thin and by the time I carefully rolled the hose back off it, I managed to put a little tear in the top edge where it folds over regulator stem... then in fooling with it, ended up tearing the **** out of it. Oops. I was hopping to get it out and then just make something for the short term. Maybe cut a finger out of a kitchen glove... but it's all stuck to the inside of the pipe stem on the regulator and I can't get it all out with out breaking the regulator body down and I have messed it up enough for one night,

So I got to get me one of those for sure, and I suppose one of the silicone diaphragms while I'm at it, but those clips intimidate me a bit. Got one off just fooling with it, but can't get it back on any too well and am afraid to beat on it. Is there a trick I'm not seeing? and does anyone have a photo of the bandclamp upgrade to replace the clips? Would really like to see one to get a better sense of the install.

The snapping pressure guage... It works, but is a tad crusty inside and could stand a clean and lube. Too many beers to take a decent photo and manage to post, but spring is short and is arranged to retract the piston deal. Fits fine on a couple old and 1 newish tank, doesn't quite fit on a 85' dacor. Valve body is just a smidge too wide and keeps form pushing the piston up against the valve seat to seal before air. Might work if I just slam the valve open, but would be loud as hell and the family and dogs wouldn't take it well.

 

[Nemrod]

That's just it. My hoses are not silicone. The valves and diaphragms are silicone, but the hoses are of EPDM rubber.

Those will not melt either, wash the c---p out of them. I have had that type several times. The smell goes away finally. One of my regs still has them and I have no intention of taking them off in this lifetime.

N

 

[Nemrod]

No, that's good stuff, I'm glad to know too...

Well, looks like the expidition is off until at least Monday evening... Looks like I tore my duckbill...

Wanted to end the day with a little cleaning...mouthpiece came off fine, and as far as it looks to me, the valves are new, or are at least in great, clean, and flappy shape.

Hoses are excellent too, no problems at all there.

Took supply side off fine... then the return side... so that's where that duckbill thing lives...
well, it was really sticky and thin and by the time I carefully rolled the hose back off it, I managed to put a little tear in the top edge where it folds over regulator stem... then in fooling with it, ended up tearing the **** out of it. Oops. I was hopping to get it out and then just make something for the short term. Maybe cut a finger out of a kitchen glove... but it's all stuck to the inside of the pipe stem on the regulator and I can't get it all out with out breaking the regulator body down and I have messed it up enough for one night,

So I got to get me one of those for sure, and I suppose one of the silicone diaphragms while I'm at it, but those clips intimidate me a bit. Got one off just fooling with it, but can't get it back on any too well and am afraid to beat on it. Is there a trick I'm not seeing? and does anyone have a photo of the bandclamp upgrade to replace the clips? Would really like to see one to get a better sense of the install.

The snapping pressure guage... It works, but is a tad crusty inside and could stand a clean and lube. Too many beers to take a decent photo and manage to post, but spring is short and is arranged to retract the piston deal. Fits fine on a couple old and 1 newish tank, doesn't quite fit on a 85' dacor. Valve body is just a smidge too wide and keeps form pushing the piston up against the valve seat to seal before air. Might work if I just slam the valve open, but would be loud as hell and the family and dogs wouldn't take it well.

Just quit dinking around and get a band clamp, good grief, lol.

For the clips you remove the with end cutters as has been shown. You grip them tightly until your hand hurts and then smoothly rotate them down and out and off. To reinstall them you must first open them a bit, put all seven clips on and then squeeze them with either a modified vice grip or I use a set of parallel jaw pliers (smooth face).

The clips are vintage, regs were supplied with them, yada, yada, get a band clamp before you ruin the regulator. The band clamp is easy to install, it is no different from the clamp used on older metal single hose jobs, just bigger.

Duck bills are expendable. They needed to be replaced frequently and still do except with the new silicone type which may last for quite awhile or until you tear it.

This old adv copy has a Voit with a band clamp instead of clips. Other than having the clamp screw/split up where it will ram you in the head it is a good example. The split should be down IMO.

N

 

[herman]

Figured the duckbill was trash...the old ones were pretty bad, I keep a couple on hand most of the time.
There is a thread going on VDH about removing and replacing the clips now but I agree with Nemrod, get the band clamp. The one on VDH has to be put on with the screw down, there is a cut out that fits in the area around the exhaust horn. Vintage Double Hose • View topic - Removing/installing C clips

 

[8dust]

Thanks again.

I had read that on VDH a week or so ago, but drunk at 1am, I didn't want to take too many chances. Sounds like I've got the tools, even the smooth jaw pliers. Will have to dig them out, as I was poking at it with one of those little 1/8 straight screw drivers.

There's a moss-back I know who may have some parts. We shall see Monday am. Are the band-clamps something that someone on VDH started making, or are/were they commercially available. Seems like they would not be interchangeable between brands?

will try to open this afternoon after Son's soccer game.

 

[Nemrod]

Thanks again.

I had read that on VDH a week or so ago, but drunk at 1am, I didn't want to take too many chances. Sounds like I've got the tools, even the smooth jaw pliers. Will have to dig them out, as I was poking at it with one of those little 1/8 straight screw drivers.

There's a moss-back I know who may have some parts. We shall see Monday am. Are the band-clamps something that someone on VDH started making, or are/were they commercially available. Seems like they would not be interchangeable between brands?

will try to open this afternoon after Son's soccer game.

Both Voit and USD supplied band clamps for their regulators. I have several original units on my regs as well as the VDH reproductions. They all work well, opening the cans for maintenance and LP adjustment is easy and fast. They are the only way to go for a regulator that you intend to dive.

The silicone diaphragm, new Titan type HP seat and the streamline cage valves and silicone valves will allow a well tuned RAM to breath as well or better than a modern single hose high performance regulator.

As I said, duckbills are expendable, the original type rarely lasted a single season. They tend to react with the metal of the horn and become brittle and stick to the inner side requiring industrial methods to remove.

Do not bang on the clips. To remove them you grasp them with the end cutter tightly and with a smooth movement pull them down and out. You then have to spread them slightly for installation. The clips are then squeezed uniformly, a little at a time working around the regulator using either the modified Vice Grip or my smooth jaw pliers.

Do not pry on the clips with screwdrivers, do not hammer on them, what you will do is ruin the regulator. If as a result of the prying and banging you deform the surfaces that mate with the diaphragm (and you will) then the diaphragm will not pinch securely and the result will be leaks and possibly unseating--which is very bad.

N