Why DIY?

[Bigbella]

Staggering! I would never expect that of any Japanese workmanship -- and at US 300.00?

That equipment never saw ultrasonic cleaning; or any cleaning, for that matter; and I can only assume that that aforementioned lack of lube, also extended to that corroded first stage as well?

Sadly, this business practice is nowadays all too common; and I too have done many rebuilds over the years, for absolute crap work done in local shops. At one time, I had an old 35 mm film container of botched souvenirs, filled with fingernail-like scraps of brass, from first stages; fragmentary o-rings which were never replaced; salt crystals the size of rice; technician-damaged high pressure seats and pistons; and cross-threaded blind screws, which reduced second stages to paperweights . . .

 

[buddhasummer]

Unfortunately IME this type of workmanship here is becoming all too common in recent years.

 

[Fibonacci]

Unfortunately IME this type of workmanship here is becoming all too common in recent years.

Similar experiences are why I turned to servicing my own regs... even with the cost of buying certain special tools I’m still in front!
It IS kinda addictive though

 

[buddhasummer]

Similar experiences are why I turned to servicing my own regs... even with the cost of buying certain special tools I’m still in front!
It IS kinda addictive though

Not sure I'm in front but my regs all work perfectly. The self sufficiency is priceless.

 

[lexvil]

Simon, this looks to me more like your dive buddy (occasional) May have mis-remembered when the last service was done just like he/she missed rinsing the reg and left in a bag with poor circulation but if he has a recent receipt I would ask to see it.

The biggest reason to do your own service is that you will be less likely to come home late from a dive trip toss your gear bag in the corner and forget about it for a few months.

 

[buddhasummer]

Yes, before I release my inner dog I'll investigate further. I don't doubt his recollection of when it was serviced but post dive care, or lack of, has crossed my mind. Cheers Lex.

 

[Couv]

I certainly don't think you should even consider giving the owner of that POS a new G250V. If you were charging him for a service, perhaps a small compensation for the broken case. Show him what you've shown us and explain he either got hoodwinked by the service facility or was he was very remiss in his duty as the owner.

 

[Perryed]

I honestly don`t see how any regulator could get that f*cked up during service. Serious neglect on several fronts. One of the multiple reasons I now do my own service. Our local dive shop is conscientious but they can make mistakes. We were at the end of a trip to the Solomon Islands and I checked my wife's reg just for the hell of it (she had not said anything about it the whole trip) and found it to be breathing hard. We took it in and upon return and it was corrected. Since then I started doing my own servicing. I assembled a G250 the other day and it breathed difficult. I reviewed my steps and discovered I had put the spring in the wrong position in the air barrel. Put it right and all was good. I had wondered how the tech that did the rebuild before the Solomon trip screwed up and now I know. Anyone can get in a rush and forget things but at least now I know it`s done right. This here is on a whole othr level though.

 

[Couv]

I had put the spring in the wrong position in the air barrel.

Just curious. Do you mean you installed it between the balance chamber and the adjustment knob? Or some other way?

 

[Perryed]

Yes between the balance chamber and the adjustment knob. It worked but breathed very hard (compared to how it should). I caught it but obviously the service tech that did my wifes before the Solomon trip didn`t. She was a relatively new diver and really didn`t have a baseline to compare.