Recall Calypso J and Calypso VI

[Bryan]

Tom sent me this. Thought some of you might be interested

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rcve1qgd2mtq1 ... l.pdf?dl=0

[sitkadiver]

Does Capt. recall what the malfunction was?

[time2dive]

I am wondering if it had to with the shims. I had one fail about 30 years ago. I was told that a shim in the first stage broke. The symptom was that the HP port worked for guages but there was no air at any of the low pressure ports and therefor also no way to purge the regulator to get the damn thing off of a cylinder.

[antique diver]

The high pressure seat could move out of position if its surrounding oring took a set and did not hold it firmly in place. The seat could slide out of position and block the sealing end of piston. That could block the air flow enough to be disastrous.
They solved the problem nicely by introducing a simple little bushing to set over the seat. It was a simple fix with one little part, and it did the trick.

I don't remember the year the recall and fix came out, but seems like mid-70's.

[Bryan]

Good to see Bill and Tim posting......Don't be strangers!

[ovalis]

The recall had to do with the HP seat becoming potentially dislodged from it's location. They fixed the problem by adding a bushing over the seat to keep it in place. Interesting that it took almost 15 years after the regulator was introduced to have the recall.

[Ron]

I came across several of these regulators at the shop that had the fix done. I don't have a photo, but if you take a calypso (an era where it is a piston one) apart, it will have a brass castellated bushing installed that braces the HP seat against its mating surface. In this fashion, it braced against the chrome plated brass piston bushing (part # 1051-12), and kept the seat against the regulator body. This fix will work in any Calypso that takes the reversible seat that Bryan sells in the store. Considering how much of a PITA it is to get those seats out, even with 200 PSI of compressed air when servicing them, it must have been a low rate of failure.

If you guys are pillaging any calypsos for parts, be sure to save the brass bushing if you find one. Those of us still running calypos should have them in ours just in case. They were normally found only in late Calypso IV, J, and VI models or at least those are the only regulators in which I have found them.

[antique diver]

... Interesting that it took almost 15 years after the regulator was introduced to have the recall.

I sold and worked on a bunch of those regulators, and only found one or two that were slightly loose fitting enough that they "might" have eventually dislodged. The oring around the hp seat would likely have to be really old and compressed to make the seat loose. I'll bet the only regs that ever had that happen hadn't been serviced in years and years, and probably weren't many that ever had the problem.
Even at that, I would recommend diving with them only if the bushing was in place. Why take a chance on it?

[antique diver]

.... Considering how much of a PITA it is to get those seats out, even with 200 PSI of compressed air when servicing them, it must have been a low rate of failure.

They can be a real challenge to get out without special tools #bt24 & 25:

Calypso seat puller.jpg

Try a handheld 0.061" (or maybe a little smaller) drill bit turned in a little with your fingers. If the stainless insert pulls out without the seat, just thread a suitably sized screw gently into the seat and give a pull.

[Bryan]

So Bill, what do I have to bribe you with to write up an article for the technical section on this subject........with pictures please!

[antique diver]

So Bill, what do I have to bribe you with to write up an article for the technical section on this subject........with pictures please!

I would like to do that, and pretty sure that I still have a loose bushing to photograph. If not I can take a Calypso-J apart that has one in it. Showing it in place will make its function easier to understand for those who haven't seen one.

Give me a week, then please remind me! A little more going on here than I am used to handling.

[antique diver]

It's not everyday that I get a chance to pick up a new/unused 1970 model Calypso-J.
Especially one that I personally sold new in 1970 or '71!

I bought it back a few years ago at an Army & Navy store in my town that was owned by the buyer of the regulator. At the time it still had the box, and he had never used it. Somehow I managed to lose that box.

Back on the recall subject, I also have a very slightly used one that I will open up to show how the recall bushing goes in. Soon.

[ovalis]

There was another memo floating around from US Divers regarding the recall that instructed technicians to remove the yoke screw and center punch the top of the yoke as an indicator that that particular regulator had been retrofitted with the new bushing.

[antique diver]

There was another memo floating around from US Divers regarding the recall that instructed technicians to remove the yoke screw and center punch the top of the yoke as an indicator that that particular regulator had been retrofitted with the new bushing.

cj mark.JPG

This simple mark will save someone the trouble of opening up the reg to see if recall upgrade has been done. Hmm... note the not-so-precision machining of the threads.

[Bryan]

Great information that I'm glad you guys are helping to preserve.