PT-020 Maintenance?

[MAGELLAN]

Well, I'm off to Roatan in January. In August I took my new C5060 and PT-020 to Cozumel and killed it on the second day. Just like the genius I am, I didn't get the insurance, and I am now the proud owner of a very expensive paperweight. So.. I've bought the C5060 again, (I liked the camera very much, and got some very promising pictures from it) and I'm buying the insurance from DEPP soon. My question is, what do you guys suggest in the way of maintenance to the case? Should I remove the plungers and clean them, Should I replace the O-rings, etc.? Also, any ideas on a source for the grease, Main O-rings and plunger O-rings?
Thanks.

 

[jcclink]

If you're talking about maintenance on a flooded housing I would probably suggest a complete overhaul, unless you know exactly how & where the water got in. If you know this, then replace that o-ring, or solve the problem if it was operator error.

The o-rings are metric JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) sizes, so do not try to substitute US sizes. Not sure if the control shaft o-rings are the same for the PT-020 as for the PT-015, but here is some info. At least the sources should be good for different sizes of JIS o-rings. All the PT housings are made by the same company, so one would think alot of the same sizes would be used, but you need to check this out. The following is for the PT-015 housing:

PT-015 O-Ring Sizes

Here's a URL to the thread that contains all the information on the c5050 orings:

http://www.digitaldiver.net/yabbse/index.php?board=2;action=display;threadid=5433

Japanese JIS 2401 "P" series is the Standard for sizes P3 & P5, you'll find the standard here: http://mdmetric.com/or/jispgb.htm

All o-rings BUNA 70 (aka nitrile)

buttons:

seventeen o-rings, order number OR-2.8X1.9 from Maryland Metrics ( $3.94 per 100)
(aka Japanese Standard Size P3) http://mdmetric.com/

on/off & mode dial control:

one o-ring, order number OR-4.8X1.9 from Maryland Metrics ( $3.94 per 100)
(aka Japanese Standard Size P5)

one o-ring, Precision Associates custom o-ring 0.053 x 0.074 (unknown cost)
http://www.precisionassoc.com/customf.htm (1-800-394-6590)

Use a good quality generic silicone grease on the Buna (small black) o-rings. The main silicone (red) o-rings probably have to be ordered from Olympus. The do not need to be greased. Just use water or spit to lubricate. Even the "special grease" will damage the silicone material over time. Grease will absorb into the material, making it more pliable & elongate to the point where it will no longer fit the the groove properly.

Hope this helps some. Good luck.

 

[MAGELLAN]

Well, I sent the camera and case to Olypmus in September. The camera was beyond resusctiation, but they claim the case was fine. However, I believe they don't have a method for pressing the buttons during a pressure test. I took the case back down the day after it flooded to 120' with no leaks, of course I forgot to press the buttons and such, so I'm not sure if that was the culprit or not. So, I think my leak was either by way of the buttons, or debris on the o-rings, which I couldn't find, so I just don't know. Now I'm headed off for a another trip and I wanted to do some preventative maintenance if it would be helpful.

Has anyone replaced the smaller o-rings in the PT-020?

I've read about adding silicone to the plungers how exactly?

 

[orangeBloke]

Gilligan has some great help on his site about how to do it. Take a look here

 

[Dee]

Have you soaked it in WARM fresh water? You need to do this after every trip, pushing the buttons periodically to flush out the salt crystals as they dissolve.

I apply a single drop of liquid silicone (in the pump bottle, not aerosol) with a toothpick or pointed glue syringe around each of the buttons and push them a few times to lube them well. It makes a big difference.

 

[scubaaaronh]

Where do you find the liquid silicone in a pump bottle i went to two hware stores and they only have aerosol

 

[Dee]

Where do you find the liquid silicone in a pump bottle i went to two hware stores and they only have aerosol

I get it in dive shops. Trident puts it out in an 8oz bottle.

 

[scubaaaronh]

Thank you