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Post by nikeajax on Jan 8, 2021 16:56:35 GMT -8
PY, glad yer stayin' busy... From all of your posts/research it seems to me that the Goldie is the ultimate in single stage DH's and is almost impossible to improve on, no?
JB
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Post by vance on Jan 8, 2021 18:12:37 GMT -8
Yes, the GL is great and, no, it isn't impossible to get the same result via mods. I think the Super Deluxe is equal. It might even get better, with tuning that HW wasn't going to get into. Why bother? They achieved a fantastic result. However, the difference might be negligible
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Post by vance on Feb 3, 2021 16:35:20 GMT -8
I took it apart and made a delrin plug/form for the HP pin bore and filled the trench and valve top bevel with JBWeld. I'll machine the top flat and drill the side like the SuperDeluxe, only this time the hole will enter the HP pin bore exactly like the GL body. On the S-D, the drilling entered the pin hole a little too high so it didn't intersect well with the pin cut-away. I think this is why air directors/S-Js don't work like the GL, no matter what you do. There isn't enough airflow past the pin. The GL gets the air stream from the middle of the pin bore and the cut-away allows more air to pass the pin than the flat sides of the pin do. I'll either patch the top with JBWeld or just cap it with a stainless cover. I might try the tube again, but IDK. More photos to follow. I did some more work on this valve today. I threaded the venturi port and machined the top of the valve for a cap that keeps the level of the valve body and doesn't raise the levers. The problem with the bore is, in order to stay within the boundaries of the body, it has to be drilled at very steep angle. When a straight tube is inserted, it sticks up too high. The GL is drilled like this, and the tube is soldered in at a downward angle (Thanks to Searat for the first verification of this, which has been since confirmed by me). Since I can't solder JBWeld, I'll have to do something like make a fitting that drops the venturi tube so's it points into the intake horn. If I make this mod with another valve, I'll be able to solder, but for this one, the hoops must be jumped! (The screw shown is only to illustrate the threaded hole. It is the wrong size, wrong thread, and not a super custom fitting, which is what actually goes in there!)
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Post by vance on Feb 10, 2021 15:29:48 GMT -8
I was looking through my old valve cover plates with a tube soldered on, and decided to try one on the current incarnation of this valve. The picture shows the valve with a first attempt cover/venturi tube (discussed earlier in this thread). This one worked pretty well, but did not produce the GL type blast. I cut and shaped this tube/cover so that the tube end drops over the side of the valve and over the jet hole. There is a gap between the end of the tube and the jet where air escapes and the cover is not airtight. I was hoping for runaway venturi. Nope. Good, even better than the above attempt but not so's it needs a deflector plate in the mp to tame it. So, next I tried RTV on the cover and to seal the gap where the jet meets the tube. That did 'er! I installed a drilled out screw in the end of the tube to reduce the size of the opening, and I get GL action! RTV might not be permanent enough under the stress of air pressure over time. I might solder the plate/tube for a new one (causing plating issues), or use JBWeld on this one or the new one. I was worried that the slight height difference added by the cover plate was causing the problem. Maybe the lessened lever throw kept the soft seat from being raised enough to produce the necessary oomph (sorry for the technical language). I was thinking this might be why the SnorkelJet doesn't produce a big blast. Fortunately, this isn't the cause. It's not crazy to think that. Those who know the GL understand that a minute difference in the lever adjustment can make or break the GL's performance. Now I need to start the mod on a long valve body, so I can shove some Conshelf guts all up in it to make the Misuba Rev5 single stage, balanced, venturi action custom regulator by Vance! Serial #000001. I'll probably make a new Misuba Rev5 Balanced, rather than continuing to mod the Misuba Rev4 Balanced. I really like the way the Ghost SnorkelJet performs.
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Post by vance on Feb 12, 2021 15:11:42 GMT -8
I dug out a long HW valve body today, and started to set it up on the mill to begin work on a balanced, venturi action single stage regulator.
A couple of thoughts occurred to me before I started cutting. I can make this for a balanced GL type Deluxe, a balanced GL, and a balanced GL type Scuba. Any of these are only possible using a long HW valve, which is relatively rare. They were only used in early Scuba regs.
The difference between the GL, Deluxe, and the Scuba is the position of the valve in the box. The Scuba is angled differently than the GL and Deluxe boxes, so it needs a valve and a cover plate that are drilled specifically for it. A cover plate for all three could be made with lever mount hole drillings (4 of them) for both valve positions to align the cover with GL/Deluxe and also the Scuba.
Not sure why anyone but me would want that....
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Post by vance on Feb 12, 2021 15:15:57 GMT -8
It'd be fun to make a long Scuba GL valve body... Not sure I have the skillz.
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Post by vance on Feb 13, 2021 16:00:24 GMT -8
I drilled the long stainless steel HW Scuba valve for the venturi jet. I milled a flat on the edge of the valve with a 1/8" end mill, and used it to start the bore. I switched over to a 3/32 drill bit and drilled through. I made another cover for this one, and will solder (EDIT: Nope.) JBWeld the tube on similarly to the way I RTV'd the other one, (which is now mounted in a set of orphan GL boxes). I may take some of the top surface of the SS valve off in the lathe to make the valve + cover the same height as stock. May not. Depends on the output. Here's the valve with the bore shown. Now I need to convert the valve to balanced by modding a USD HP soft seat to fit, inserting a volcano type hard seat, and making a suitable HP pin. Photos to follow.
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Post by vance on Feb 16, 2021 16:51:49 GMT -8
Some progress on the GL type balanced valve. It won't be as long as the current length. The tip will be threaded to accept variable jets for tuning. I think this one will be glued up with JBWeld to seal the top and around the venturi tube. I will probably turn the top surface of the body to make up for the cover's thickness. I need to find a GL type pin, or mod the Deluxe/Scuba pin I have with the necessary relief cut. Simple enough. I need a volcano orifice that fits the HW valve. I used my last one in a HTII rebuild. Sent an email to Charlie in hopes he still has some in his "Box of Miracles and Wonders".
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Post by nikeajax on Feb 16, 2021 18:32:58 GMT -8
Very nice sir JB
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Post by vance on May 8, 2021 13:12:44 GMT -8
Just did a tiny amount of work on this. I turned a Conshelf type HP soft seat down in the lathe to fit the HW valve bore, since I was resurfacing a DAAM seat for a rebuild. It only takes .005" or so.
I installed it in the valve body with a new balance chamber, then took some measurements for the pin. I will drill an OEM HW ScubAir pin to accept a length of hard 1/16" rod, just as I did on the Misuba (balanced?) Rev4.
If I can find one in my stash....
I'm running out of spare parts to mod. I suppose I need to start making them instead of modding old stuff. If I could just get back into TPoAWTs (that's the place of all wonderful things, for you noobs), it wouldn't be a problem.
I still need to modify the GL type cover/venturi tube (mentioned above) to fit an HW lever set, or make another compound lever set for it. As I said, I'm running out of HW spare parts, so it might be sheetmetal bendin' time!
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Post by vance on May 9, 2021 7:29:56 GMT -8
Up above I said I was looking for a volcano orifice that fits. I got a couple from Bill T, so the valve is ready to go. I need to make the pin, maybe turn down the top of the valve body, and finish the cover/tube. I need to grind a bit away where it's soldered to the cap for the lever to fit properly.
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Post by vance on May 26, 2021 15:02:00 GMT -8
I did a little work on the HP pin today, and got an idea for a redesigned pin/follower. I'm not going to use an HW pin or a copy, but will make a new type that seals the top of the pin somewhat to limit the amount of air being driven past the pin and into the boxes.
The cover/venturi tube got a bit of work done on it, too, but I need to buy a couple of dremel grinding disks to finish it. There's a small area that needs to be ground away for lever base clearance. I'll post photos when I get some more done!
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Post by vance on May 26, 2021 15:15:45 GMT -8
Not sure, but I might put this one in a set of orphan GL boxes, rather than the Mistral or Scuba boxes. I wouldn't mind a Misuba Rev5 Balanced, but that box is already checked with the Misuba Rev4 Balanced, DYK.
The Scuba'd be kew, but I don't love that exhaust diaphragm/duckbill situation, and the GL has that problem solved. I could use Deluxe boxes, but I find them clunky, and already have a venturi modded Deluxe. And the GL boxes clamp that diaphragm so nice.
A Gold Label Balanced Rev1, eh?
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Post by SeaRat on May 26, 2021 19:06:04 GMT -8
The Gold Label box is a bit deeper too, and may accommodate your levers more easily.
John
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Post by vance on May 27, 2021 17:52:06 GMT -8
That is true.
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