Mk25 evo intermediate pressure

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scubapr1705

Contributor
Messages
114
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Location
Puerto Rico
# of dives
50 - 99
Is this behavior normal? This is a less than 1 year reg set. As I have read, it should lock up immediately to its IP and not slowly get there. In the video, you can see the IP after opening the valve and after fast purging the G260 2nd stage. In the picture, there is the IP after approximately 1 minute.


20210828_171515.jpg
 
That is a moderate amount of IP creep. If it happened immediately after a rebuild, I'd probably take it for a dive, or maybe leave pressurized for several hours, tapping the purge a few dozen times every so often, to see if it breaks in and seals better. But if this is happening after a few dives, then it means something is not quite right. It could be that there's a small flaw on the piston edge, or maybe an imperfection on the seat. You should also check IP at various tank pressures; the way to do that without having multiple tanks around is simple. Start with a full tank, pressurize, then shut the valve off. Then tap the purge and you can watch the SPG fall to whatever supply pressure you want. The reason for this test is to see if the creep is less with low tank pressure. If it is, then that could indicate a too soft or poorly lubricated HP piston o-ring. Sometimes increased friction at that o-ring causes the piston to lag just a bit in locking up and there's your creep.

Unfortunately the practical answer is that you need to have someone who really knows what he's doing service the reg and get rid of the creep. SP doesn't support the idea of polishing the piston edge with micromesh, but I do it all the time on these rounded edge pistons and it really gets rid of creep. A tiny nick or bit or glaze on the piston edge, smaller than anything you can see with the naked eye, can cause this kind of creep.

If you want the other opinion, there are plenty of dive shop techs that would say this is fine; it's not continuing to creep out of range and it won't affect performance of the reg, and that's sort-of true, but to me, anyhow, I don't tolerate any creep in my regulators, because I don't ever ever want to worry about a first stage creeping badly in a cave, especially one that I'm not breathing on every few seconds, like an inactive tank in doubles. So I fix it using micromesh on the piston, being very picky with the seats, making sure I use a 90 duro o-ring for the HP piston, and making sure there is plenty of lube on the o-ring and piston shaft.
 
That is a moderate amount of IP creep. If it happened immediately after a rebuild, I'd probably take it for a dive, or maybe leave pressurized for several hours, tapping the purge a few dozen times every so often, to see if it breaks in and seals better. But if this is happening after a few dives, then it means something is not quite right. It could be that there's a small flaw on the piston edge, or maybe an imperfection on the seat. You should also check IP at various tank pressures; the way to do that without having multiple tanks around is simple. Start with a full tank, pressurize, then shut the valve off. Then tap the purge and you can watch the SPG fall to whatever supply pressure you want. The reason for this test is to see if the creep is less with low tank pressure. If it is, then that could indicate a too soft or poorly lubricated HP piston o-ring. Sometimes increased friction at that o-ring causes the piston to lag just a bit in locking up and there's your creep.

Unfortunately the practical answer is that you need to have someone who really knows what he's doing service the reg and get rid of the creep. SP doesn't support the idea of polishing the piston edge with micromesh, but I do it all the time on these rounded edge pistons and it really gets rid of creep. A tiny nick or bit or glaze on the piston edge, smaller than anything you can see with the naked eye, can cause this kind of creep.

If you want the other opinion, there are plenty of dive shop techs that would say this is fine; it's not continuing to creep out of range and it won't affect performance of the reg, and that's sort-of true, but to me, anyhow, I don't tolerate any creep in my regulators, because I don't ever ever want to worry about a first stage creeping badly in a cave, especially one that I'm not breathing on every few seconds, like an inactive tank in doubles. So I fix it using micromesh on the piston, being very picky with the seats, making sure I use a 90 duro o-ring for the HP piston, and making sure there is plenty of lube on the o-ring and piston shaft.

The reg has around 25 dives. I will take it to the shop then.
 
I hate it when I pay for quality and excellent performance and it starts to not behave as expected. Already sent the video to my LDS, and they sent it to Scubapro. Lets see what they say...
 
I hate it when I pay for quality and excellent performance and it starts to not behave as expected. Already sent the video to my LDS, and they sent it to Scubapro. Lets see what they say...

The best diving related decision I ever made was to start working on my own regulators. There is no way that even a modestly competent technician would look at that video and have to 'send it to scubapro'. It's a very simple matter to identify and fix IP creep. If the dive shop tech can't do that without his hand being held by the manufacturer, he probably shouldn't be working on customers' regulators.

Of course the 'training' for dive shop techs consists of a one-weekend seminar that nobody ever fails and for which there is no entry exam, only employment status at a dealer.

Maybe the dive shop wants to see if SP will just send you a new 1st stage, bailing them out from having to actually fix the thing.
 
The best diving related decision I ever made was to start working on my own regulators. There is no way that even a modestly competent technician would look at that video and have to 'send it to scubapro'. It's a very simple matter to identify and fix IP creep. If the dive shop tech can't do that without his hand being held by the manufacturer, he probably shouldn't be working on customers' regulators.

Of course the 'training' for dive shop techs consists of a one-weekend seminar that nobody ever fails and for which there is no entry exam, only employment status at a dealer.

Maybe the dive shop wants to see if SP will just send you a new 1st stage, bailing them out from having to actually fix the thing.


This is truly ridicules and is self grandstanding. You are attacking a professional technician you know nothing about who is trying to make sure that he is giving the best possible service to his client and is getting the top experts at the mfg. to help in making the proper diagnosis and/or making warranty claim.

And of course you know it all and can do it all and you were born with this talent or even had the talent before you were born. This "I am the best and I can do more than the rest" attitude is getting so tiring and is old.
 
Honestly, I would keep diving it, put another 50 dives on it and than check it, if you didn’t have that gauge you would never see I issue I bet.

if it doesn’t settle down get all over SP and demand a new 25.
 
Honestly, I would keep diving it, put another 50 dives on it and than check it, if you didn’t have that gauge you would never see I issue I bet.

if it doesn’t settle down get all over SP and demand a new 25.
Thanks Lex. You may be right about maybe not seeing an issue if I didnt had the gauge, but that is the reason for me to actually get it.

I want to be able to know that my underwater life support system is in top conditions at all times. If the gauge can give me a hint at a possible problem, I want that possible problem fixed.
 
This is truly ridicules and is self grandstanding. You are attacking a professional technician you know nothing about who is trying to make sure that he is giving the best possible service to his client and is getting the top experts at the mfg. to help in making the proper diagnosis and/or making warranty claim.

And of course you know it all and can do it all and you were born with this talent or even had the talent before you were born. This "I am the best and I can do more than the rest" attitude is getting so tiring and is old.
Agree with you.

I trust my LDS and if they want to send it to anywhere, I dont mind as long as it gets fixed or replaced.

Iam no service technician, so they are the ones that need to solve my problem.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

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