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

[herman]

Looking good. In tub diving, I find it best to be the first one in, otherwise the vis suffers a lot.
I would put the tank a little lower but they tend to ride differently in the water once some of the weight is buoyed and gravity is at a different angle, for now that should do. You might have to move the mouthpiece a little to get the angle correct. As the hoses float on the dive they will tend to change to angle of the mouthpiece, it should sit in your mouth without pulling up or down.
On a technical note, how/where did you set the IP and did you aim one of the holes in the LP nozzle directly into the intake hose opening? I am assuming you dissambled the rest of the reg and if not, you should at least check both items before diving the reg. No telling where the IP was set or has drifted off to and it is not unheard of for the last tech that "serviced" the reg to incorrectly install the LP nozzle.

 

[Luis H]

It looks like you have the original hookah port cap.

I have permanently replaced all of my hookah caps with one of the adapters shown in the link below, to make it easier to check the IP. They can be used for any LP accessories, but even if I have no intention of using any LP accessory, I leave the adapter in place for easy access of the IP for a quick IP check. The adapter looks close enough to the original cap that you have to look close to see that it is not original.

This is not at all essential, but it makes life easier… kind of like the band clamp.

CHROME OCTOPUS ADAPTOR [Hookah Chrome] - $15.00 : Vintage Double Hose!, Your online source for all things related to vintage diving

 

[Gilldiver]

update… new silicone parts arrived from VDH!

Last of the sticky goo cleaned out of can, got everything put back together,
and all seems to be working very well if I do say so.
Diving report is that while visibility in the guest bathroom is better than average, the current is tough and unpredictable!!! Hopefully a more ambitious but colder splash this weekend.

How’s the height look? Between the shoulder blades, right?

Thanks to all for your good advice and encouragement.


Little cheesecake picture to enjoy…

Looks good, now get a J-valve and a cotton web harness on that tank.

 

[8dust]

Well... not sure where the time has gone.
Making Halloween costumes, getting turkeys out of the attic, putting turkeys back in the attic, getting Santa out of the attic...

and looking back over this thread, I feel like a complete dumb a**, and a rude one at that,
for having left a question on the table unanswered, and with you trying to help me out...

Herman, sorry dude, you too Luis.
Might as well just admit I don't know what IP stands for, and have no idea how to check it, or what it should be set at.
I'm guessing it is the demand pressure comming out of the second stage... so I could use some help filling in the blanks there if you, or anyone else has the time.

Did take a quick dip in the lake a few weeks back. Got to say I really froze the franks&beans, but my 8 year old tender pulled me out when I got completely numb, and my Wife didn't make too too much fun of me, to my face.
Happy to say there were no leaks observed and that it seemed to breath pretty well (hard to tell though with the intense shivering and accompanying lung spasms). Looking forward to spring, or a trip to a heated pool to bond with it a little more. Collecting parts in the meantime.

oh, and the USD horse collar... for anyone YET to take one of the fill/dump valves apart... the valve stem under the big silver screw,... pushes BACK through the valve body by holding the black plastic and pressing DOWN on 1/2 of the stem. Do not try to pry, turn, pull, or otherwise molest that bit, as there is a plastic strip that is a ridgid part of the valve body that runs through the grove in the middle of the valve stem, which in low light is almost invisible!!!
Then, stick a tiny screw driver down the throat of the inflator socket, grip the fill push button at the rear and unscrew. The entire deal breaks down at that point for easy working on.
So the valve is now cleaned and lubed with a little silicone grease and operates better than new,
... but I of course, yea yea yea, did completely break it loose the point at which the stem attaches to the bladder!!!! Seems like the clear bladder itself stays pretty tough and flexible, but the dark plastic that forms the seal between the bladder and the fittings is the thing that gets so brittle and fails.
Does anybody have any luck with the new old-stock bladders??? I see that VSS has them, and I can't help but wonder if it would be worth it.

Hope everyone is coasting nicely into the holidays!

Thanks, Fred

 

[Luis H]

IP = Intermediate Pressure

It is the pressure out of the first stage and into the second stage. It should be between 120 to 145 psi. But, in an unbalanced first stage like an Aqua Master may need to be as low as 110 psi with a full tank (at 2500 psi) so that as the tank pressure drops and the IP climbs, it doesn’t exceed the operation pressure of the second stage, which could be about 145 psi to 155 psi (sometimes more).

The IP is check with a pressure gauge that would normally read up to 300 psi. This provides the best accuracy. The easiest way to connect an IP gauge is to use a BC inflator type of quick disconnect hose and attach one of the commercially available IP gauges (they sell at LeisurePro for about $20 or you can set up your own, for about the same amount).

The IP can be adjusted without a gauge by increasing it until the second stage leaks and backing it up, but this method doesn’t give you a good feel for the health of the first stage seat and how well the IP locks.

I often check my regulators IP before I take them on a trip or even for a dive. It is just part of keeping track of how they are doing.

 

[Gilldiver]

The hooka port on any 2 stage USD double hose reg that has one is a standard gas fitting.

I got a good gauge and went to my local welding shop showed them the gauge and the hooka port and 10 miuntes latter left with 8" of 500 psi test hose with the correct gas fittings crimped on it to connect the gauge to the hooka port. Cost about $20 or $25 total including the guage.

You can also get the gauge at just about any welding shop for $5-$10, but they tend to be the cheaper type.

 

[Luis H]

My personal preference is still to permanentlly change the hookah port cap for one of this:
CHROME OCTOPUS ADAPTOR [Hookah Chrome] - $15.00 : Vintage Double Hose!, Your online source for all things related to vintage diving

I just prefer having a standard 3/8" LP port available since it is the standard in Scuba regulators. When I dive "vintage", I don't attach anything to it (I just plug it), but it is still the easiest way to access the LP air.

The 3/8" port uses an O-ring seal, versus the metal to metal seal in the gas fitting.

The adapter comes with a Teflon washer that tends to seal very well, but once sealed I try to never disturb it.

Here is a picture of the adapter:

 

[8dust]

Thanks to you both!

So once I find what the pressure is, at present, how do I adjust it one way or another?

different but related subject, along the lines of the BC quick-connect, will they take the pressure of a HP port? if not, do you know of something that would work well for install on a ported j-valve? or is that a bad idea?

 

[Nemrod]

Thanks to you both!

So once I find what the pressure is, at present, how do I adjust it one way or another?

different but related subject, along the lines of the BC quick-connect, will they take the pressure of a HP port? if not, do you know of something that would work well for install on a ported j-valve? or is that a bad idea?

The IP is adjusted with the large hex (internal) nut inside the can in the regulator body. You will see a large coil spring under it, turning it in (cw) will increase IP.

NO--NO--NO--!!!!!!! Do not put a LP hose (or LP connection) --ever---on an HP port, however, the Hookah port is LP.

Use a three way or two way splitter block to get LP for the BC, octopus etc. Use a banjo bolt for your SPG.


N

 

[8dust]

OK, so was the idea behind the Dacor ported J-valves, to have dedicated SPGs ?

Anybody have any thoughts on the new old-stock USD horse collar bladders ?