Mistral DH Reg (~1959) and modern tanks

[AfterDark]

And heat from a propane torch helps,

I've got a nifty little butane torch for small jobs like that but, didn't have it at the time. I bought 2 for $6.00 a dollar general store

 

[CT-Rich]

I've got a nifty little butane torch for small jobs like that but, didn't have it at the time. I bought 2 for $6.00 a dollar general store

Probably the only one who didn’t buy it for smoking crack...

 

[John C. Ratliff]

My Jet Air had a stuck wheel I soaked the adjustment wheel in PB Blaster over night to free it up.

Also does that bac-pac have a crotch strap? You should use one with that reg.
One reason dbl hose regs get a bad rap was divers not using a crotch strap to keep the tank and thus the can in the correct position.

That particular bac-PAC doesn't need a crotch strap, as it is contoured to fit into the small of the diver's back and will not ride up. What a lot of divers don't realize is that it is also made so that the weight belt fits nicely into a 2 inch notch on the inside if the back of the bac-pac, and thereby helps prevent weight belt slippage.

SeaRat

 

[CT-Rich]

I took the mistral out for a spin on Sunday. It breathed pretty hard at first, with a full steel 72. I had to move very slowly because it was a hard breather with a full tank. Once the pressure was down a bit, it was much better. I can’t imagine what it was like to have to to fight a current with a full tank.

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

I took the mistral out for a spin on Sunday. It breathed pretty hard at first, with a full steel 72. I had to move very slowly because it was a hard breather with a full tank. Once the pressure was down a bit, it was much better. I can’t imagine what it was like to have to to fight a current with a full tank.

Great you got your Mistral wet! My Mistrals breathe really good at 2250psi (although of course easier and easier as pressure drops ). Just a couple of quick thoughts: 1. did your adjust your initial lever height on a tank with 300 psi? I find that fine tuning at 300 psi gives you the best performance on a full tank; 2. from your photos I can see the face of the top can - shouldn't be able to see it at all if properly positioned down between your shoulder blades and flat against and touching your back. Not sure what kind of back pac you are using. Many of the modern back packs don't work well with DH regs as they hold the cans too far off the back. Even an inch of clearance between the cans and your back can have an effect on performance. Also, DH cans seem to ride up all the time unless held down by a properly adjusted crotch strap or vintage harness. My unsolicited 2psi. Half the fun is experimenting to see what works. Good luck!

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Look at page 8, top of the page, in the Aqualung Repair Manual for the Mistral. It appears that Aqualung states 3,000 psi is okay for the Mistral. It was breath hard, as it is a single stage regulator, with an upstream valve.

Now, saying that, I have lost one Mistral seat to a 3,000 psi tank. The seat is a teflon seat with a center disc of metal which the pin hits. But it is floating on the teflon, and mine actually moved, and caused damage to the seat.

SeaRat