S600-Changes internally since 2001?

[browntrout]

I bought a S 600/MK20 used from the original owner about a year ago? I put the 600 with my MK25. I love the 600, but it continues to breathe extremely wet. I had it serviced before 1st use and my LDS scubapro tech said it was a lower model like a 250 or 500 with a 600 faceplate and reccomended I do the upgrade kit. I checked with the seller and he sent me a copy of the original card which said it was a S600 purchased in 03/2001. So has the internal structure of the S600 changed since 2001 which would make the upgrade kit worth it or is there something else wrong with the regulator that is causing the excessive water that the tech is missing? I have noticed that when you inhale it dry without pressure it seeps alot of air where my wifes 295 and both of our 190's don't. They seal tight??? It seems like it seeps through the face and not the exhaust ports???

Sorry for the length, but also other than being so wet I love the reg and the way it performs as is.

 

[NJDiver07866]

Simple but effective is put the reg in your mouth on land and put the 1st stage on a scuba tank with the valve off. Do a negative pressure test by simply sucking in on the mouth piece. You should feel the diaphragm pull in and stop. Hold it there for a few seconds. This will let you know if your reg is water tight. Also check the mouth piece for rips and tears.

Good luck & take care

 

[browntrout]

Thanks for the info, tried that and the 600 draws air, the 190 doesn't. Popped the clamp and pulled the mouth piece and it's perfect. It's somehting inside the reg. I'll get it back in tomorrow and see what he has to say. It's only had about 17 dives since it was serviced.

 

[halocline]

I'm not sure if there have been significant mechanical updates to the S60, but my strong guess is no. It uses the same rebuild kit and poppet/spring assembly as SP balanced regulators going back to the original G250. It is true that the G500 was a precursor to the S600, but that reg (and the earlier G250) never had a reputation for breathing wet.

This is just another example of the absurdity of SP's policy of trying to make divers rely totally on the dealers for service. It's clear that this LDS service "tech" does not know what he's talking about, like so many others. Wet breathing regs are simple to diagnose and fix. The S600 has a few spots that it could be leaking from, but here are the prime suspects: Exhaust valve, mouthpiece (get rid of the clamp and use a ziptie that can be tightened), the o-ring in the venturi assist (VIVA) lever, a small tear or fold in the diaphragm, crack in the case.

If you want to try to narrow it down, take the mouthpiece back off, try drawing some air right from the flange; if it's airtight, the problem is with the mouthpiece clamp, if not, keep looking. Next get a pan of water and submerge the 2nd stage just a little, enough to keep most of the reg out of the water, but have the exhaust tee submerged. Start inhaling on it. If you pull in water, it's the exhaust valve. Still get air? Try the o-ring on the VIVA; that one is a slight pain in the ass to replace, and given your tech's brilliant comment about the older style regs breathing wet, somehow I have a feeling he wouldn't have checked the VIVA o-ring. You can also look for a crack in the case. If you can get the case apart (it's not hard) you can take out the diaphragm, hold it up to a light source, and stretch it gently, looking for a pin hole. They're pretty rare.

Then, when you solve it, you can get smart and start working on your own "life support".

 

[redacted]

Any place that an older G500 or S600 can leak under vacuum is the same place that a brand new S600 might leak from. The case, diaphragm, exhaust valve, and 2 o-rings sealing the air barrel are unchanged. You need to find a good tech who won't pull your leg for profit. I suggest you print this posting and give it to him in case he would like an opportunity to reply.

 

[browntrout]

Appreciate all the good info. Matt I did suck on the flange when I had the mouth peice off, still drawing air. I'll try the others tonight.


Edit- Tried the submersion definitely not leaking at the exhaust flange, it starts drawing water as you submerge the face and VIVA so it could be either of those.

 

[Pacifica Dive]

There is quite a big difference between old S600 models which are in fact similar to the G500 and have the rubberized knob and the newer generation with hard-plastic knobs.
These hard plstic knob versions are similar to current 2010 version.
I always change the old rubber S600 knob assemblies and upgrade the set as it simply works better and the adjustment is easier and more stable over time (from my experience).