Pony bottle assembly

[BobbyT22]

Tank gurus....

After devouring the terabytes of postings here on pony bottles, I decided to take the plunge and get one. I figure completely redundant buddy/bailout bottle is a good thing to have. Now I humbly need some help on putting it all together.

I ordered the following from Leisure Pro: 19 CU ft AL pony, Oceanic Alpha 8 reg, and a Genesis Pony tank small pressure gauge. I know the tank will be shipped with the valve removed. All should be here tomorrow.

Now I am pretty handy with tools, and have done my share of general do it yourself home/auto/boat repair, to include plumbing. I have pipe, crescent and allen wrenches and it looks staightforward to put all this stuff together.....my plan is to use the wrenches carefully and do my best not to screw up the threads. Is there anything I am missing?

Do I need teflon tape or some sort of thread sealer when installing the valve in the tank? Similar question when installing the pony gauge in the Oceanic first stage.

Any other advice will be welcome. I know all this stuff will be under pressure, and is emergency life support by design, so I want to be sure I do it right. Thanks.

 

[Gil57usa]

When installing the valve into the tank, use a small amount of Christo-lube on the Male threads only. The seal is created by the o-ring, but the christ-lube will help insulate the two dissimilar metals and reduce galvanic reaction. The gauge should thread right into the first stage without any tape and the o-ring will create the seal.

 

[Noviz]

O-rings. They should be included. Just do what seems logical and you'll be fine. Don't overtighten. It's not difficult.

 

[Rick Inman]

You don't really need a wrench to tighten on the valve. I couple of firm taps with a rubber mallet does the job nicely.

Any tank I get will have a looksy inside before putting the valve on, to make sure no crud has somehow found it's way inside. That takes a light, which is easy enough to make (mine is a a string of small white bulbs inside a clear plastic tube). However, you are probably going to need a vis sticker to get fills anyway, so you might as well just have the shop do it. Get ready for the conversation about purchasing online.

BTW, I would guess that the hydro date will be within a year, which makes the idea of requiring a vis sticker stupid, and just a way for the LDS to get a few dollars from you. Try bringing that up to the guys.

 

[Berdman]

does the valve o-ring need any silicone lube? I was told to put a flim of silicone lube on the o-rings when i was preparing my 1st stage for my future pony bottle. (not and answer to your question just curiouse myself)

 

[BobbyT22]

Roger all. Thanks. Where can I get Christo-lube? LDS or will Home Depot do?

Also, I have an octopus on my current setup (Aqua-Lung Cousteau 1st stage with Calypso 2nd stage with Octo). I am thinking of removing the Octopus after I rig the pony, since I don't need 3 regs. When I remove the HP plug from the Oceanic reg to install the pony gauge, can I put the same plug back into the Cousteau where the Octo was?

 

[paulwlee]

No Christolube at Home Depot. Get it at the dive store. (Or on-line, but shipping will probably make it not worth it unless you buy other things too.)

HP plugs (7/16") and LP plugs (3/8") are different. You can ask the dive store for a plug. They may give you one for free, but at worst it's only a few bucks.

Roger all. Thanks. Where can I get Christo-lube? LDS or will Home Depot do?

Also, I have an octopus on my current setup (Aqua-Lung Cousteau 1st stage with Calypso 2nd stage with Octo). I am thinking of removing the Octopus after I rig the pony, since I don't need 3 regs. When I remove the HP plug from the Oceanic reg to install the pony gauge, can I put the same plug back into the Cousteau where the Octo was?

 

[Nemrod]

Valves should be hand tight and then a light tap with a ruber mallet.

Most regulators now use a 7/16 diameter thread for HP and a 3/8 diameter thread for LP. N

 

[CMAN]

does the valve o-ring need any silicone lube? I was told to put a flim of silicone lube on the o-rings when i was preparing my 1st stage for my future pony bottle. (not and answer to your question just curiouse myself)

If you are asking about the o-ring that goes on the face of a yoke valve (where you attach the first stage regulator) then you should NOT put any lube on there. The problem is that lube can cause things (sand, dirt,etc.) to stick to it when the regulator is removed.:no

 

[RICHinNC]

Since you probably wont travel with a robber mallet....just hand tighten and whack it once or twice with your palm of your fist. Works the same and never had one leak.