Super Free - Flow...

[herman]

I don't normally do rebuilds for others but I would like to know what happened. I am headed the the Seahunt event later this month so it may be a few weeks before I can get to it. If you are not in a hurry, I'll be happy to take it apart and see what I can find (and rebuild it while I'm in it).

 

[rhwestfall]

so don't call it a rebuild, rather, let's call it an autopsy.....

 

[oldschoolto]

I don't normally do rebuilds for others but I would like to know what happened. I am headed the the Seahunt event later this month so it may be a few weeks before I can get to it. If you are not in a hurry, I'll be happy to take it apart and see what I can find (and rebuild it while I'm in it).

I would not be in a hurry, As I like most of us have way to much gear... I have , I " THINK " 4 complete conshelf XIV regulator sets plus a few extras... 2 109 / 108 sets and my aqua master... And then there are the two 109 pony sets...
So I would have a few days to spare... LOL...

I just think you have way more knowledge than I do and would be able to understand and learn more from the tear down... Hate to let this 37 year test go to waste.... At the same time... If you really don't feel ok with doing it.. I would understand and I'll report what I find to the best of my ability....

Jim....

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I'll just speculate, and say it is probably a cracked HP seat. My reasoning, like yours, is that the extreme free flow would not probably occur with an O-ring failure.

'Glad everything turned out okay. It will be interesting to see what actually happened.

SeaRat

 

[herman]

Shoot ,me a PM and we can take this to email and work out the details. I can rebuild Conshelfs in my sleep so I don't mind doing it.....esp since I am really curious what happened. Don't open it, I want it exactly as it was when it failed.

 

[eelpout]

If your regulator was made in 1979, they had a recall on their high pressure seats around the early 80's where we had to replace all hp seats on existing stock. This is one of the reasons why you should have brought it in before you used it. They have had 4 + generation changes on their seats.mthe big one would be using it with Nitrox. T he high pop of O2 oxidizes the seat and delaminates the seat from the carrier. When you finally replace the seat you will see a big difference ( if it was still an original 1979 seat) between the old one and the new one. I personally have 4 1978 conshelf 14 first stages I use for air blowing duties. I have known to use them for spare regs when I teach too.

 

[redacted]

If your regulator was made in 1979, they had a recall on their high pressure seats around the early 80's where we had to replace all hp seats on existing stock. This is one of the reasons why you should have brought it in before you used it.

CPSC recalls never expire. Who should the OP send his reg to for the free recall service?

 

[oldschoolto]

If your regulator was made in 1979, they had a recall on their high pressure seats around the early 80's where we had to replace all hp seats on existing stock. This is one of the reasons why you should have brought it in before you used it. They have had 4 + generation changes on their seats.mthe big one would be using it with Nitrox. T he high pop of O2 oxidizes the seat and delaminates the seat from the carrier. When you finally replace the seat you will see a big difference ( if it was still an original 1979 seat) between the old one and the new one. I personally have 4 1978 conshelf 14 first stages I use for air blowing duties. I have known to use them for spare regs when I teach too.

Well these regulator sets were old stock when I bought them in 2004 so they would most likely had been in the factory inventory or a dive shops inventory... When the " RECALL " should have been done.. I'm sure someone has the serial number build dates... And just for the record... I've never sent a regulator to get worked on before today.....

The regulator has been sent to Herman to do the Autopsy....

Jim...

 

[herman]

Well I finally got to inspecting the reg and the results are conclusive, the HP seat failed. This reg is a prefect example of what a reg looks like with proper care. The dissembled photo is just as it came apart, no cleaning at all. The orings look fine and the only damage or degradation to the internal parts was the HP seat. The balance chamber orings and the diaphragm spacer are damaged but that was caused by me. The diaphragm spacer is very brittle even when new so I don't bother being to gentle with it.

As you can see below, the failure is pretty obvious. Still not bad for 37 years. This is the old version of the seat.

 

[oldschoolto]

That you Herman... So , This is the only rebuild this 1st stage will ever need... As I'm 55 years old and 37 years would bring me to 92....

Jim...