Drysuit slowly filling with air?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

You fully tighten it. The system is simply a bolt and a nut, hex bolt on top, some kind of nut on the bottom (they keep changing the nut). In between is the shaft, 2 O-rings, and spring.
Lube it with silicone (no petroleum product) and make sure you put it back together correctly. It should move freely.
SiTech drysuit exhaust valve disassembly
Mine uses a hex bolt on one side and then another hex bolt (but a holow hex bolt) on the other which accepts the front hex bolt if that makes sense. So you use two Allen wrenches. When tightened all the way down...the button will not be allowed to depress/move.
 
You are doing something that isn't working. Watch this:

The top screw goes through the metal disk. That goes on top of the spring and into/on to the top of the valve. Main shaft with the O-rings goes in through the bottom and the 2 are fixed/tightened together. The spring keeps the assembly > UP. You press the button and the whole assembly goes down letting air in. Release and the spring brings it back up.It moves as a unit.

You do have the spring in there? The top disk the small hex screw goes through? There are no obstructions, chunks of plastic or debris in the bore?

You DON'T need to take the inflator nib out, and I recommend NOT. It's easy to over tighten it and strip the threads or crack the plastic....been there.

(Ignore the [Bare], it's just a badge. Same valve,)
 
Last edited:
You are doing something that isn't working. Watch this:

The top screw goes through the disk. That goes on top of the spring and into the top of the valve. Main shaft with the O-rings goes in through the bottom and the 2 are fixed/tightened together. The spring keeps the assembly > UP. You press the button and the whole assembly goes down letting air in. Release and the spring brings it back up.

You do have the spring in there? The top disk the small hex screw goes through? There are no obstructions, chunks of plastic or debris in the bore?
You DON'T need to take the inflator nib out, and I recommend NOT. It's easy to over tighten it and strip the threads or crack the plastic....been there.

(Ignore the [Bare], it's just a badge. Same valve,)
Yes I have done all of this. This is not my first time doing this. If I screw the screw all the way in, it does not allow ANYTHING to move. I do not know how else to explain it.
 
On all my SiTech valves if I didn't screw it in all the way it wouldn't work right. I've been servicing my own valves for almost 20 years.

Sorry, don't know how to help you then other than say 'buy a new valve', take it to a shop, or compare it......carefully......(take photos) with a buddy's.
 
Last edited:
I know other things can go wrong but all inflator valves I have had that leaked air in were from the inflator hose getting some sand in it and blowing it into the valve. You can clean the inflator but if more sand is in the hose fitting the problem recurs.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/teric/

Back
Top Bottom