solution for D-series poppet seat DIY?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

I've now gone through three different oring sizes, both Duro 50 & 70, and experimented with nut tension to vary how far the lower oring is buried in the 2-104.
@Kupu was right - stretching the 1x2.5 over the shelf of the poppet stem seems to be slightly better than using my 1x3. As it turns out, I believe the leak is not between the 1x2.5 and the stem, but rather between the lower oring and the 2-104. From there, air easily slips inside the 104 and up into the cap. Using a 1x2.5 gives a better "nestle" inside the 104, altho it's subtle.
20201117_151353.jpg

In any case, it's why nut tension was critical and poppet performance varied.

But my glued poppet has done well at all IP's, and I haven't had breakthru yet.
20201117_142245.jpg

To put the poppet together, I used a room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone sealant:
McMaster PN7545A451 ($7).
20201117_151844.jpg
It starts to set up in about 5 minutes, so it helps to have a a magnifying glass and a brass pick to add the tiny amounts of sealant to the poppet stem with some dispatch.
I start by adding the 1x2.5 to the poppet shaft, followed by a very tiny amount of sealant laid on with the tip of a sharp brass pick.
20201117_142630.jpg

The 2-104 follows, and then a more generous layer of sealant that will fill the area under the cap.
20201117_142926.jpg

I chose to add the second 1x2.5 dry, and then the cap.
20201117_143035.jpg

20201117_143141.jpg

After screwing on the nut, about half the time a bit of sealant still leaks out under the first oring...
20201117_143241.jpg

Since the sealant cures to harder than Duro 50, and is very adherent, you need to clean the surface of the oring immediately.
But with a little luck, you'll get all of your poppets. If the sealant starts to tack up before you get the cap on, you can bail and clean the metal stem, sacrificing three orings. Once the cap is on, you're committed.
20201117_143516.jpg

The nut should go on until a thread just starts to peek out the top. Just check to make sure the 2-104 isn't bulging very far out of the cap.

So far, it's held at all pressures, and easily seals at 0.55". As noted earlier, with this soft an oring, I couldn't get cracking effort higher than 1.4" at 135 psi IP, but who needs that?

I think @Kupu's found the solution to scarce D-series poppets!
 
I just sent a pair of D400's tuned to 0.7" with @Kupu's poppet to my son in Key Largo. He's guiding dives on the Spiegel and on the reefs 5-7 days a week, weather permitting. He's going to work those two regs hard and let us know. Fingers crossed!

So the bastard replies, saying "Hi, Dad! Yeah, sure. Happy to help. Just got back from an hour's hunt for dinner..."
signal-2020-11-25-123512.jpg

5 lobster. I hate him.
 
I just sent a pair of D400's tuned to 0.7" with @Kupu's poppet to my son in Key Largo. He's guiding dives on the Spiegel and on the reefs 5-7 days a week, weather permitting. He's going to work those two regs hard and let us know. Fingers crossed!

If you don't mind, which shop is he working for?

I'm down this weekend diving with Horizons. Planning on getting plenty of Spiegel dives in and reefs to just relax on.
 
Just ask for Doug Singler at Horizon. (Maybe call ahead) You're in luck, if the weather cooperates! :)
 
About 20 minutes into my first dive today, the (guessing since it’s in the soak bucket waiting to be opened up) 104 extruded, a quick exit stage surface for a long surface swim back in, reallly breaths sweet but probably not going to try it again.
 
That's not good, thanks for the report. Curious what you find when the regulator gets opened.
 
About 20 minutes into my first dive today, the (guessing since it’s in the soak bucket waiting to be opened up) 104 extruded, a quick exit stage surface for a long surface swim back in, reallly breaths sweet but probably not going to try it again.
On the D420? Glued?
 
On the D420? Glued?
Yes, it may have something to do with the orifice of the 420, I haven’t been diving the D400 with the plastic orifice but it’s been holding pressure for a few weeks, I also have a 104 in one of my AIR 1’s that seems to be doing ok but not nearly the cycles that the 420 had. Will pull it apart a little later and see what I see.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom