sticky manual O2 injector

robinfante

Generally speaking I fly my meg manually. My O2 injector has been getting sticky, which can be pretty damn disconcerting. I've removed it from the lung and taken out the qc part, but I can't figure out how to disassemble it entirely. Can anyone help me with this? I was told by someone that he just squirts a bunch of WD40 in there, but that seems daft to me.

So, suggestions? I just swapped it with the other one, so at least I won't be pinned to the ice this weekend. But I'd like a more permanent solution.

Clive O' Driscoll

as a bloke fairly new to rebreathers but hell whoever told you to squirt a bit of wd40 into your o2, should be shot..

when i was doing my mod 1 my instructor, ( cedric verdier ) i was told to squirt some christolube into the valve, connect up the o2, and blow the o2 clean lube into and all around the inside of the valve.

this way, it should never ( and it hasnt so far ) get stuck.
hope this helps..

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clive

Gill Envy

agree completely!

I've been told this as well but never done it. never needed to but I have questioned the appropriateness of using the manual button so much and am considering a KiSS add or pelagian manual add with needle valve, in part because I have not had the best luck with inflator valves on my dry suits over the years, which is basically what is being used on the meg and other rebreathers.

If christolube doesn't do the trick, probably best to bin it and get a new o2 cleaned one.

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Gill Envy

Gilles

Putting Christolube in the nipple works. Another thing you can do is to remove and stretch out the spring, and put it back in. This increases the closing force on the man-ad button.

Working from memory, you need two allen keys of the right size (don't remember the sizes). One allen key goes in one side of the man-ad, and the other, on the other side. Twist apart, and everything comes apart.

There's just the button face, spring, allen screw, and valve poppet for parts. I would advise doing this if regularly putting in christo-lube, as this stuff gets pretty gummy after awhile. Once a year or so, a good clean out and re-lube is what I have done in the last near 3 years. You don't need to replace the man-ad if nothing is broken!

When re-assembling, remember to re-install the spring with wide-end against the button face, or you'll have the same problem again.

Hope this helps.

RZEP17

Christolube into the nipple - that was the 'official' treatment recommended by hatchery, when I had the same problem.
rgrds
Tomek

gottrimix

Christolube into manual oxygen add button works after rinsing really well with fresh water. I had same thing happen while diving here in the lake at 200 feet.

Had just turned the dive and gave manual O2 add button a quick push to bring up O2 a touch. A few minutes later I check PO2 and its at 1.8 and climbing..... couldn't figure out what was going on... added some dil and ended dive fine...next time during predive check...manual oxygen add button stuck for a second..... About two weeks before I had been doing drills in Florida while doing some wreck diving and was doing offbaord O2 plugins with a dive partner. I should have rinsed out button better after salt water diving is the only think I can think of happened. I rinsed it out well with fresh water, added some Christolube and blew some O2 through it, and have had no problems with it since.

As you were taught in class.....always know your PO2. You are one sticky O2 manual add button away from meeting the reaper.

PS: Kick the guy that told you to use WD40 right square in the nuts before you shoot him.

robinfante

I spent this past weekend ice diving with Jeff at Rockport Dive Center in Ontario. He carries si-tech, and when I mentioned my issue he pulled out the repair manual. In fact it's a piece of cake. If you peel off the Meg sticker you will find that underneath is a hole for an allen key. Put one there, another on the other side and the whole thing comes apart quite easily.

The stickers are supposed to be replaced after this, so you either need to get some from ISC (if having little logos is important to you), or use generic si-tech ones from your LDS. In truth you could use any damn thing, or nothing at all, its pretty much cosmetic.

Gilles

I guess I forgot to mention removing the sticker that covers the button face. Glad you got it sorted out without replacing with a new one.

luxrok

When I first got my unit Andrew instructed me to remove the nipple, put some Christo in there, assemble it and blow some air through it. I didn't follow his instructions and went on my merry way. Then some number of hours later, I was on my safety stop after scootering around the America with Eric, Camembert, and OC Joe, I buttoned the unit and it stuck. I was glad I was in 20 feet of water. Earlier in the day we had been on the Jodrey and I loath to think about a stuck 02 button at 200ffw. When I got on the boat and told Andrew, he asked me if I had serviced the unit like he instructed. I told him the truth that I hadn't. You can imagine what followed.

I learned a couple of lessons:

1. Listen to Andrew and do what he says.
2. Squirt some Christo up in those "mark 1 valves".
3. You never know when something might not do what you expect it to.

Hans

robinfante

Somehow I had this backward. In my mind I thought you were saying to twist both from the back, going one direction then the other.

I do appreciate the response, even if it was muddled penetrating my thick head.

Were you able to unplug, or did you pop? Scary