Northwest Dive Club

my inflator valve just recently started leaking in some air all nice and slow like the other day, and I couldn't really find anywhere online that demonstrates how to take it apart to clean it and what not. was wondering if anyone has some advice on what I can do? even if it doesn't involve taking it all apart and replacing O-rings. much appreciated.

Here's a link to the disassembly/assembly of a sitech inflator valve. Technically, the valve shown came off a rebreather, but it's essentially the same as the one for your drysuit.

http://www.tmishop.com/MegMGBvalveService.htm

Alternatively (for a temporary and less invasive fix), you can put some oring lube (silicon, christolube, etc) inside the valve's nipple, attach your inflator hose and give it a quick shot of air. Disconnect inflator hose and exercise inflator button. Repeat if necessary. Tah-dah...lubed orings.

Some of them have a great big nut in the back, obviously designed to thwart self-service. (Who thinks up this kind of BS? That and the stupid sticker....). I found a pair of needle nose vise grips get a pretty good hold on it.

It can be hard to get it out of the suit. Some good sticky rubber gloves help a lot.

thats actually genius I'm definitely going to go home and try just lubing it up that way. and I definitely appreciate the link it is very helpful.

mpenders wrote:Here's a link to the disassembly/assembly of a sitech inflator valve. Technically, the valve shown came off a rebreather, but it's essentially the same as the one for your drysuit.

http://www.tmishop.com/MegMGBvalveService.htm

Alternatively (for a temporary and less invasive fix), you can put some oring lube (silicon, christolube, etc) inside the valve's nipple, attach your inflator hose and give it a quick shot of air. Disconnect inflator hose and exercise inflator button. Repeat if necessary. Tah-dah...lubed orings.

If the above doesn't work Vice grips it is maybe cannon plug pliers because they will be easier on the valve =]
much appreciated.

fmerkel wrote:Some of them have a great big nut in the back, obviously designed to thwart self-service. (Who thinks up this kind of BS? That and the stupid sticker....). I found a pair of needle nose vise grips get a pretty good hold on it.

It can be hard to get it out of the suit. Some good sticky rubber gloves help a lot.

So I tried the grease trick that didn't work so hard it leading so took it so apart instead of vice grips used channel lock pliers X2 one inside one out took it all apart cleaned it all rinsed it all new only rings on everything lubed it out it back tomorrow doesn't seem to be leaking any more tomorrow morning I'll try and go for a dive and find out if I made a mistake somewhere in the process that link above definitely was helpful. Oh yeah don't forget the friction plate like I did lol . shouldn't have more pieces on the table then you stated off with. Thanks again for the help guys

You can test it for leaking outside the suit. Just hook it up to a LP pressure line and throw it in a tub of water. If you test the opening.....do it outside, it makes quite an eruption.

jelo wrote: maybe cannon plug pliers

Looked those up-nope. The nut is recessed without much space You can see it in the upper left corner. I'm sure there is a specialized (expensive, hard to find) thin walled socket that just about no one has in their toolbox.
Another annoying thing they do is change the mating surface design. When one of these broke I had a hell of a time finding a replacement that fit right. I looked at minimum 4 different SiTech inflaters and they all had different mating surfaces.
None of those modifications are necessary as the basic function for inflation and sealing is essentially the same. It's simply to make a proprietary part at customer expense.
Can you tell this annoys me?
I like to service my own equipment and don't cotton to design process that are deliberately geared toward thwarting that.

You could always use a crappy leaky yet easy to service apeks... :p

Haven't used an Apeks in years. Back in the day my wife swapped out a 'branded' USIA for an Apeks since it was a direct drop in. The USIA has such poor flow characteristics that if she got behind it even a few feet her expansion would exceed he dump capability. It was her first drysuit so she thought the problems were her ability for a long time. The Apeks was incredibly better and she quit popping. USIA even gave me a new free valve when I talked the rep. He admitted it was a poor valve.

Apeks quality has gone to hell? I know SiTech is THE valve, and they do work well. I'm just bitching about the completely unnecessary design issues. One common good design would work fine for just about all applications.

I have not had success with the apeks. Either inflate or deflate, they both leak like crazy after just a few dives.
Much better success with the sitec's, like 100s of dives longer between servicings.

well I wound up taking it all apart and stuff and to get it apart wasn't the hardest had to use cannon plug pliers which are essentially channel locks with rubber grips on them and channel locks I used the cannon plug pliers on the outside just because the gripping surface was dam near non existent took it all apart put it back together it was still leaking air especially at depth. like really bad well took it apart again at the dive shop and pat noticed a bur somehow around where the button is that would make it catch. took a dermal to it and fixed that went on a dive I think it might still be leaking air but I'm not sure going to go do a few more test dives just to be sure. I did try swapping it out for a dui which is all that was available at the shop but apparently the whole from the si tech shell inflator port is too small so eh. I definitely appreciate all the help.

fmerkel wrote:

jelo wrote: maybe cannon plug pliers

Looked those up-nope. The nut is recessed without much space You can see it in the upper left corner. I'm sure there is a specialized (expensive, hard to find) thin walled socket that just about no one has in their toolbox.
Another annoying thing they do is change the mating surface design. When one of these broke I had a hell of a time finding a replacement that fit right. I looked at minimum 4 different SiTech inflaters and they all had different mating surfaces.
None of those modifications are necessary as the basic function for inflation and sealing is essentially the same. It's simply to make a proprietary part at customer expense.
Can you tell this annoys me?
I like to service my own equipment and don't cotton to design process that are deliberately geared toward thwarting that.

that looks like more parts then I had when I took mine apart. I definitely didn't have that little spring in mine. eh extra parts? who needs them?

No spring!!!! You GOT to have a spring to make it return to neutral. I know of no inflator valve that does not have a spring.
Man, you gotta have a spring.

Bad O-ring or scoring (corrosion or crap) from stuff gouging the plastic barrel would cause a leak.
No spring would cause a leak.

[Different size hole] - welcome to the world of proprietary non-standard parts.

Agreed, you need a spring.

I have a giant spring right under the button not that one that looks like it belongs in a pen.

Yeah, that's the spring. It returns the button to 'off' after you push it. When things get too corroded up for the spring to function then it sticks and leaks.
Leaks can also be bad O-rings or wall scoring.

yup mine was caused by wall scoring. I wonder how that happens.

Corrosion most likely. It builds up around the O-rings until it extends far enough to touch the plastic walls. There's not a lot of clearance. It's possible but unlikely to get 'stuff/sand' in there.