The New Atomic TFX

[rsingler]

The circular clip indeed fits in those rectangular slots, just for diaphragm and retainer. Cover is separate.
The purge cover is a bonded combo of soft and semi-rigid plastic/synthetic rubber. You squeeze the bottom and grab the bottom back of the cover with a fingernail and pull it forward and up. It's hooked to the top of the case front, just above the diaphragm. Very nice fit, even after multiple disassemblies.

 

[scrane]

Not impressed.

 

[lexvil]

Overall I’m pretty impressed with the evolutionary steps from the 400, the much bigger anti friction piece used on the poppet is a nice step. The clip holding the diaphragm / retainer is interesting and if the cover can be removed more easily that is a big plus.

I don’t see any reason to remove the exhaust extensions on a regular basis so stripping the holes may be a moot point overall, unless of course I’ve missed something looking at the parts.

 

[-JD-]

The circular clip indeed fits in those rectangular slots, just for diaphragm and retainer. Cover is separate.
The purge cover is a bonded combo of soft and semi-rigid plastic/synthetic rubber. You squeeze the bottom and grab the bottom back of the cover with a fingernail and pull it forward and up. It's hooked to the top of the case front, just above the diaphragm. Very nice fit, even after multiple disassemblies.

It appears that the tab where the exhaust wings are screwed in "floats" with a gap behind it. Does the cover hook over/behind the tab?

If not (or if there still would be sufficient space) I was wondering if longer wing retainer screw with a nut behind them would be a solution to @stuartv 's MacGyver option for stripped threads.



ETA:

@rsingler from what you've seen in this teardown, could the TFX be run in a reversed configuration?

 

[Geo7]

Overall I’m pretty impressed with the evolutionary steps from the 400, the much bigger anti friction piece used on the poppet is a nice step. The clip holding the diaphragm / retainer is interesting and if the cover can be removed more easily that is a big plus.

I don’t see any reason to remove the exhaust extensions on a regular basis so stripping the holes may be a moot point overall, unless of course I’ve missed something looking at the parts.

I am impressed as well and pleased with what I see in the teardown. The venturi housing is my only point where I would have hoped for something more robust, but I never broke one on the D400, and actually it does not have to come off every service, especially since my titanium parts don't seem to need ultrasonic cleaning, nor acid baths.

And we are not giving the reversable seat enough credit. The seat should last for 3 + 3 years, if used for 100 dives per year!

 

[stuartv]

And we are not giving the reversable seat enough credit. The seat should last for 3 + 3 years, if used for 100 dives per year!

But, what does that mean in practical terms? Does a new one come in a service kit?

If you service a TFX after 3 years, do you put in a new seat or just flip it?

If it comes in the kit, why would you not put the new one in when you service it?

If it doesn't come in the kit, you have to order those separately, so it's an extra cost every other time you service the reg?

Is it just a "cool" thing, and really only useful if the seat gets messed up and you need to flip it before the rest of the reg actually needs service?

 

[Geo7]

Good point, this opens up a variety of possibilities:

For DIY folks, getting o-rings in bulk is easy and the seats usually are what makes people buy kits (or order SP seats from @buddhasummer). So if one has o-rings, the reversible seat saves buying one kit.

Then again, when taking apart 2nd hand Atomics, I often found the used o-rings to still look amazing, and the only ones I'd felt like replacing were the dynamic ones (in the balanced poppet). There is only one dynamic o-ring in the TFX 2nd (two if you count the floating orifice). So the reversible seat opens up the possibility of reducing the need for kits for DIY folks by 50%. And you can mix and mach, like buying the dynamic o-ring in the poppet in bulk, and reusing the others for a while.

But you are right, while I could do this privately (and I bet a lot of people will), I'd personally still have to put in a new kit every 3 years for work. I'll keep the used seats and o-rings as free spares however.

 

[rsingler]

@-JD- , you can't get a nut behind that thick shoulder of the case where those silicone exhaust wings attach. That's the thickest part of the case for thread engagement.
This is not a G250 glass-fiber reinforced lightweight tank that you can bash the sh*t out of for 30 years. I think there is a definite lifetime to some of these components in the hands of my gorilla diving buddies. That said, knowing what I know now about reg service and wanting my toy to last forever? If I end up loving this as much as I think I will (the  apex of second stage design compared with every reg I have ever dived in 37 years), I think the plan is clear. The titanium is forever. Maybe lay in a spare knife edge for when I drop it after Atomic goes out of business. But the rest? Pay another $100 and get a spare case, two spare covers and two spare Venturi housings. The orings are looking to be easily available, if not AS-568 American standards. As @Geo7 says, the reversible seat can be saved up from every 3-year service kit so you'll have plenty of extra sides. In thirty years, with Atomic bankrupt and the world changed, I'll just be on my last scuffed-up cover, but my TFX will be as shiny inside as it is today.

... And I'll be 102, but still diving.

 

[mictrik]

@-JD- , you can't get a nut behind that thick shoulder of the case where those silicone exhaust wings attach. That's the thickest part of the case for thread engagement.
This is not a G250 glass-fiber reinforced lightweight tank that you can bash the sh*t out of for 30 years. I think there is a definite lifetime to some of these components in the hands of my gorilla diving buddies. That said, knowing what I know now about reg service and wanting my toy to last forever? If I end up loving this as much as I think I will (the  apex of second stage design compared with every reg I have ever dived in 37 years), I think the plan is clear. The titanium is forever. Maybe lay in a spare knife edge for when I drop it after Atomic goes out of business. But the rest? Pay another $100 and get a spare case, two spare covers and two spare Venturi housings. The orings are looking to be easily available, if not AS-568 American standards. As @Geo7 says, the reversible seat can be saved up from every 3-year service kit so you'll have plenty of extra sides. In thirty years, with Atomic bankrupt and the world changed, I'll just be on my last scuffed-up cover, but my TFX will be as shiny inside as it is today.

... And I'll be 102, but still diving.

I hope you are still diving at 102!

 

[rsingler]

could the TFX be run in a reversed configuration?

Alas, @-JD- no left hand hose capability. Case and inlet tube are right-sided only.