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Post by crabbyjim on Jan 19, 2020 12:40:46 GMT -8
I have always been the first to admit that I have a difficult time understanding mechanical devices. My rebuilds are frequently monkey see, monkey do but I am still learning something each time I try. I have a RAM that I want to rebuild but with the guidance of people who understand how the thing works and are willing to help and explain what is happening.
My best friend was helping me with a boat rebuild until he died suddenly in October. He did give the confidence and knowledge to continue that project. Now I need some help with the regulator. Is anyone up for this project at either Clear Lake in June or Monterey in the fall?
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 19, 2020 13:11:51 GMT -8
Well, maybe, let me think about it.
John
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Post by herman on Jan 19, 2020 13:57:56 GMT -8
May I suggest you pick up copies of "Maintenance and Repair of Scuba Regulators" by Vance Harlowe and "Regulator Savvy" By Pete Wolfinger. If you reads and comprehend what is in these 2 books you will know more than 90% of the regs techs swapping parts every day. The rest is parts swapping.
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Post by crabbyjim on Jan 19, 2020 16:10:20 GMT -8
I have Regulator Savvy and find it hard going. I did understand the part about the Pilot regulator that John really likes. Requires a lot of work to stay in top working condition. I’ll look into getting a copy of the other book.
Videos can be helpful if done properly but I still prefer having someone who knows what they’re doing explain it to me.
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 19, 2020 16:40:32 GMT -8
I have Regulator Savvy and find it hard going. I did understand the part about the Pilot regulator that John really likes. Requires a lot of work to stay in top working condition. I’ll look into getting a copy of the other book. Videos can be helpful if done properly but I still prefer having someone who knows what they’re doing explain it to me. Actually, once the Pilot has been tuned, it seems to stay and not deviate at all. I tuned mine about a year ago, and it's still in good shape for diving. John
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Post by herman on Jan 19, 2020 17:00:00 GMT -8
You may find Vances book more to your liking. It covers a lot of the same material but in a bit more layman's terms, Pete was an engineer at Scubapro so he tends to be a bit deep in the physics. He is def not teaching reg 101.
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 19, 2020 17:18:51 GMT -8
CJ, I've found what helps me is to look at an exploded schematic view and take a lot of pix as I go: The exploded view will help you with the sequencing too. Yes, I know that's a HW Scubastar, but I will never own a RAM, and I wanted to show you an example of how they look/work. JB
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Post by vance on Jan 19, 2020 19:46:42 GMT -8
Hey CJ, Sorry about your friend. I didn't know that.
The RAM isn't terribly complicated. It's much the same as the DA with the exception of the balanced first stage. But you've been all up in the MR12 guts, so no problem there. The parts are a bit different looking, but it works the same, mos'ly. There's a couple different balance chamber styles, but the hard one is no harder than the MR12. I will come down some time soon and help you with it and pick up the NED. Get a kit.
When are you available? Email me on the google site.
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 19, 2020 20:09:15 GMT -8
CJ, I've found what helps me is to look at an exploded schematic view and take a lot of pix as I go: The exploded view will help you with the sequencing too. Yes, I know that's a HW Scubastar, but I will never own a RAM, and I wanted to show you an example of how they look/work. JB JB, I was into my Healthways Scuba Star yesterday. It was leaking at the first stage, so I tore it down using two crescent wrenches and a used CO2 bottle. I simply lubed the two O-rings on the piston. I was also into my second stage too, using a pliers to open the case (with that heavy "C" clamp to remove the front cover and diaphragm. My reason? Well this one was equipped with two mushroom exhaust valves, and I wanted to remove one, and possibly replace the other with a silicone one from one of my snorkels. I had advised a diver on ScubaBoard to do that, and he hadn't even realized that his regulator had two exhaust valves until I told him. He was wondering why its exhaust effort was so high. I told him about the silicone mushroom valves being on dry and semi-dry snorkels, he he did the replacement. I'll quote his response when I get to my other computer later tonight. I also removed the lever/seat assembly for cleaning, looked at and turned over the rubber seat, and re-installed the assembly. Guess what? No more leaks. I changed the diaphragm too, going to an old one and putting this new one onto my Healthways Scubair-J regulator. When exchanging diaphragms, I needed to readjust the lever height because the two diaphragms were different heights. When removing the seat assembly, be sure to depress the lever so that the rubber seat is not nicked. Now I have a lot of regulators ready to dive, and no where to dive. My pool is no longer allowing scuba with the kayaks, as the lifeguards cannot see the divers with kayaks overhead. They are trying to work through this problem, but so far have not. And, the Clackamas River is kinda out if shape for diving (high, swift and more murky than I like). Ya, I just turned 74, and so am getting more conservative in my diving. I may be able to get wet in May with a diver who's interested in videoing the lamprey eels spawning. John PS, for those who don't know, a used CO2 cylinder has the same threads as the LP and HP ports in the old Healthways (and most other) first stages (before the HP port size was changed in the 1990s). It makes a good handle for removing the piston cap. It's too bad no snorkeling vests or BCDs are now made with CO2 inflation, as that is my source for the small 25 gram CO2 bottles. My Para-Sea BCD still uses them though.
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Post by SeaRat on Jan 19, 2020 23:26:10 GMT -8
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Post by nikeajax on Jan 20, 2020 9:43:12 GMT -8
John and CJ: thanks for keeping the bubbles flowing on this forum! JB
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Post by snark3 on Jan 20, 2020 12:49:51 GMT -8
I have Vance Harlowe's book and find it written in plain simple English and easy to understand. When I did my first overhaul the patient was a DAAM. I read the USD book and was scratching my head, when I read the Voit book on the same reg it made perfect sense. My point here is that how something is presented to you may impact your ability to understand it, it does for me.
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Post by cnotthoff on Jan 20, 2020 13:08:15 GMT -8
I have step-by-step procedures for many early regulators (USD, Voit, Sportways). Is the the kind of thing you're looking for?
Charlie
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Post by crabbyjim on Jan 20, 2020 14:57:18 GMT -8
Hi Charlie!
Step by step works but for me it is essentially monkey see, monkey do. Most of the time that's enough for me, but when I want to understand how something works I like to be around someone else who does. Let me give you an example: I was watching a video about installing dual batteries and a Perko switch on a small boat. I understood that one red wire went to position one and one to position 2, and that a negative wire went from each battery to the common pole in the center. I couldn't figure out how to ground them to the boat and the video didn't mention it. After considerable pondering, the light came on and I figured out that the ground wire from the boat to the original, single battery connected to the common pole first, then the ground from each of the batteries.
If I had had someone to ask who understood the problem, they could have explained it in less than a minute. Working on regulators is like that for me. I'm embarrassed to mention how long it took me to figure out the difference between piston and diaphragm single hose regulators. Then there are people like Dr. Frankenreg (Phil), who really have an understanding of how things work.
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Post by vance on Jan 20, 2020 18:37:46 GMT -8
Understanding the scuba regulator is a long and winding road. Everything builds on the last bit you understood. The big problem, when one tries to explain one basic thing to another is, you may have to back-pedal far more than you think. One person's base-line is way different from another's.
I am learning a lot every day by reading, mostly by doing, and stretching out more and more. I feel I have made a lot of progress in the last year. Looking back at my old posts is kind of funny, reading about my agonizings over what turned out to be really fairly simple stuff. Everyone here can do the same thing, no matter how basic the place they have ended up.
And, everyone here who is growing in understanding day by day deserves congratulations for being willing to try, and to take the risk of asking any, including and especially noob questions.
That's what we're here for.
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