MK25?

[halocline]

I think lots of people would pay $100 for a rebuilt, ready-to-go G250. The problem is then you are tacitly taking responsibility for the working of the regulator and there may some liability, or at least a PITA, if it doesn't work right on someone's dive.

$70 in parts is pretty high for a G250, it's been a while since I bought a s-wing poppet but I seem to remember they were around $20-25, the spring $5, and the balance chamber $5. The poppet and chamber used to come in the service kits. I don't know if anyone is still selling those older style kits. And most G250s shouldn't need all those parts.

The 109s can be a little more money to upgrade because they all need a new poppet/spring/balance chamber, sometimes a new lever, and sometimes new rubber parts. But, you certainly end up with a 2nd stage that will last forever.

Regarding the MK20/25, I personally would prefer MK20s to 25s, but sometimes you have to replace the piston on the MK20 and the last one of those I bought was around $65. But, the MK20 with the composite piston works really great and I personally don't really like the idea of the external IP adjustment set up on the MK25. I realize it's been around a long time now and proven reliable, but then again I have a friend who bought a MK20 with the crappy brass piston, I put a composite piston in it and overhauled it close to 10 years ago and it still holds IP perfectly.

 

[buddhasummer]

Actually they are costing me more, I only posted around $70 as that's the cost of the parts that are "needed", $40 for S-wing poppet assembly, $8 orifice, $12 diaphragm and service kit $15. Oops, my math is out that's closer to $75. On all but two of them the diaphragms have leaked.

Because I'm OCD I replaced all parts with new parts where possible, upgraded to the metal adjustment knobs, pretty blue diaphragm rings, pretty blue exhaust valves and new levers. Other than the case and barrel all parts are new. I didn't need to do all that but did anyway. I've only done that to 4 of them, if I do anymore I'll only replace what must be replaced and can now buy OEM parts from a dealer in the EU so parts are now a bit cheaper.

Looks like I have again by luck, ended up with 2 MK10s, one early and one late, am hoping between the two of them plus a $18 service kit I can get one up and running. Not complaining about the cost as I've enjoyed learning about them, finding parts etc and now they look almost new, it's been a wonderful way to spend some time away from the daily s%#*t.

I never thought of the legal etc aspect. In NZ if you sell something and stipulate "As is, Where is" then responsibility after the sale is on the buyer. In Japan they sell similarly but the item in question is labeled as "junk".

 

[redacted]

I think lots of people would pay $100 for a rebuilt, ready-to-go G250. The problem is then you are tacitly taking responsibility for the working of the regulator and there may some liability, or at least a PITA, if it doesn't work right on someone's dive.

.

You didn't really go and wave the liability flag now, did you!!!! Are you looking for a job in an LDS?

$40 for an s-wing poppet is absurd. I recall getting them for $15. And I have only replaced one orifice (plastic) that I used an easy-out to remove. Never had a bad diaphragm.

 

[Dan]

I dive for about 50 dives / year, 1-5 months apart between trips. I try to diligently freshwater flush the wetted parts of the regulators at the end of each trips in all of 11 years I have been diving. My LDS charges me $100 each for rebuilding the 1st stage, 2nd stage & octo, so $300 total. That regulator maintenance gets pretty costly. How often should I do this?

 

[Bob DBF]

I dive for about 50 dives / year, 1-5 months apart between trips. I try to diligently freshwater flush the wetted parts of the regulators at the end of each trips in all of 11 years I have been diving. My LDS charges me $100 each for rebuilding the 1st stage, 2nd stage & octo, so $300 total. That regulator maintenance gets pretty costly. How often should I do this?

Read Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-7), the sticky at the top of the Regulater section. I take mine in when the need attention that I cannot provide myself.



Bob

 

[redacted]

I dive for about 50 dives / year, 1-5 months apart between trips. I try to diligently freshwater flush the wetted parts of the regulators at the end of each trips in all of 11 years I have been diving. My LDS charges me $100 each for rebuilding the 1st stage, 2nd stage & octo, so $300 total. That regulator maintenance gets pretty costly. How often should I do this?

Get an IP gauge. Inspect them often. Service when you see a problem. Buy a back-up set with some of the savings.

Flushing is not sufficient unless you service often. Soak for 6+ hours after a SW trip.

 

[buddhasummer]

You didn't really go and wave the liability flag now, did you!!!! Are you looking for a job in an LDS?

$40 for an s-wing poppet is absurd. I recall getting them for $15. And I have only replaced one orifice (plastic) that I used an easy-out to remove. Never had a bad diaphragm.

$40 is for the set as sold by VDH, it includes spring, balance chamber, poppet, seat and O rings for adjustment knob and orifice. I recently bought the same things OEM from a dealer, I'll dig out the prices but IIRC the total price was not dissimilar.

One exhaust valve was bad, the others I just replaced because I could with pretty blue ones, which by the way feel thinner, they are a little larger in diameter but seem to fit fine. I had one catch on the side of the casing but I think that was because I removed and refitted it so may have stretched it (?) the other three have been no problem.

Main diapghrams were leaking, I could not find any holes or tears so assumed it was from the center. I swapped out with new G250V diaphragms and they then held vacuum, so process of elimination pointed to the diaphragms as everything else was the same.

 

[Dan]

Read Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-7), the sticky at the top of the Regulater section. I take mine in when the need attention that I cannot provide myself.



Bob

Great reference info. Thanks!

 

[buddhasummer]

Just checked I paid just over $6 for the poppet and seat, $1.6 for balance chamber and just over $5 for the spring all SP OEM. Guess my memory is failing me along with the rest of my body as that total is only $13, not even close to $40.

 

[buddhasummer]

Bummed, I bought 4 kits from VDH @ $160 vs 4 from EU @ $52. Oh well, live and learn and at that time I didn't know I could get elsewhere so paid the asking price as I knew no different.

Looks expensive now I see it in writing...