What if I wanted to work on my regs?

[redacted]

Tools are easy. Many are necessary only in a shop environment to speed up the work. So don't go overboard.

Documentation is readily available if you search and ask.

Parts can be a problem. Ebay often has service kits and prices vary greatly. When Scubatoys opened, they advertised they would sell parts so give them a call. I believe they are dealers for all three of your brands. Please let us know what they say. The long term solution is to find local or online shops that will reliably meet your needs. They are out there but you may have to do lots of asking to find them.

 

[Zung]

While the diaphragm 1st stage pretty much DEMANDS specific/proprietary seats, we can possibly ease the pain by finding substitutes for the 2nd stage. For instance, the seat for pretty much all SP downstream 2nd can be fabricated with awap's magic punch; add a few standard o-rings and you're done, for less than a buck.

Calling all guru's: has anyone measured the LP seats for Mares? Oceanic? ODS? Others?

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

...
Calling all guru's: has anyone measured the LP seats for Mares? Oceanic? ODS? Others?

I have five Mares 2nd stages scheduled for service this weekend (after 3 1/2 years of "don't fix it if it ain't broke", a couple are finally getting a little "hissy" ). I think the puck-style seat they use is a "standard" size (if such a thing exists );

I'll measure the seats when I have them apart and post what I find.... my bet is that they are "awap-able"

Best wishes.

 

[Couv]

I used the Master's special seats in Dacor regs, SP 109, SP Air 2 second and third gen. I think I used one in my neighbor's Sherwood, but cannot say for sure.

c

 

[tfsails]

My experience has been that every manufacturer uses seats of a slightly thickness or diameter so that you "have" to buy their kit to service their regs. There are only so many ways to do what regulators do, and every one of 'em are more kin than different, except for form and fit. That's where they try to get you. I would love to see a reliable source for those brands that my shop is not a dealer for, so I don't have to get those kits on the "black market".

 

[redacted]

My experience has been that every manufacturer uses seats of a slightly thickness or diameter so that you "have" to buy their kit to service their regs. There are only so many ways to do what regulators do, and every one of 'em are more kin than different, except for form and fit. That's where they try to get you. I would love to see a reliable source for those brands that my shop is not a dealer for, so I don't have to get those kits on the "black market".

I suspect there is a lot more commonality that divers realize. Trident offers a number of HP and LP seats. I have played around with only a few of them as all my regs are scubapro with piston 1sts. They offer 3 LP hockey puck style seats that I suspect will accommodate just about all classic downstream designs, They have one "rivet style" seat that looked like the scubapro balanced barrel poppet seat and sure enough, it works fine. I suspect that seat will work with many if not all balanced barrel poppet 2nds. Their "cave cone" HP seat works in the Mk5/10s. There "Sherwood" HP seat works in a Mk2. They have a number of diaphragm HP seats that someone with diaphragm regs might want to take a look at and see what will work for them. I suspect that regulator manufacturers are quite happy to use proven standard components and avoid unnecessary tooling costs unless they are going for something really different (like the Mk20/25 HP seat).

Edit: They also offer 3 or 4 different filter designs that probably includes whatever you are diving.

 

[Zung]

Time to start a sticky cross-referencing

Vendor/Vendor Model/Vendor Part #/OEM/OEM Model/OEM Part #/3rd Party/3rd Party Part #/Home Made

Any volunteers?

 

[Couv]

I volunteer Zung!

 

[Zung]

That most appropriate Bro: couv, king of sticky
Let's wait for LeadTurn's result and do a 1st draft.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

That most appropriate Bro: couv, king of sticky
Let's wait for LeadTurn's result and do a 1st draft.

Uh ohhhh, pressure is on.... now I for sure need to rebuild those regs tomorrow, lol.

My guess is the results will be "boring" and I'll find a fairly "common"-sized seat.

Oh yes, and I second the nomination for Zung as "Compiler In Chief"... It taxes my limited computer and mental ability to even compose a post without typos and "spellin errers"...

Best wishes.