vintageair
Registered
My wife is the original owner of a ScubaPro R108 HP, Purchased in 1983., with a MK3 unbalanced 1st.
We always had it coupled to that MK3 until that literally wore-out.
Because the rig was STILL "under warranty", in 2015 ScubaPro replaced the 1st with a Mk2 evo (at reasonable cost).
We have been getting the rig serviced by authorized ScubaPro Dealers forever. The parts warranty is still valid.
Up to this last service cycle I have been happy with the result.
Whenever it was serviced it always breathed 1.0 @ 3000PSI primary.
Now for some reason (after the last service) it can't make even 1.2 and its "cracking effort" is worse than the Oceanic Alpha8 Octo on the same 1st. at any tank pressure. The 1st stage is in spec. (approx. 124 to 145 PSI over normal primary range)
I'm familiar with the 108, since over our diving career I have had to make small field adjustments to compensate for slight free flow issues. The wife really likes the way it used to breathe -effortlessly. So I kept it that way between service cycles, with slight adjustments of the orifice. (I was always mindful of the inside lever adjustment, and how the two adjustment effect each other, and how I must always push the lever before adjustment).
Sadly, all the LDS in my area have started to become unfamiliar with the R108. I never wanted to overhaul the rig myself, so I am unfamiliar with its proper assembly order. (My Bad) They are fine with my "balanced" R109 because they see so many.
My Problem - Question:
After looking at the available assembly diagrams, I think the last LDS tech assembled it incorrectly. I have already brought it back once, but the techs are really not familiar with this 2nd stage, and claim that its working "in spec". That may be true, but it suddenly cracks harder than it ever did before.
In the assembly drawings, there always seems to be a small washer under the lever adjustment nut. In some old drawings its shown as "demand valve washer" in another (from Jul 1988) its shown as "washer, plastic". Try as I might, I can't see it when I look for it. I really didn't want to disassemble the nyloc nut to look for it unless I had to, so at least in my external viewing it doesn't seem to installed, or its installed under the lever.
Should it this washer be visible without disassembling the (5-40?) nyloc nut?
I've attached pictures of what I see when I look. Note the close-up has me pushing the lever to open the valve to get a better look under the nut.
Thanks in advance for your help.
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