Unavoidable flow in Halcyon Halo (SP G250V) 2nd stage

[estresao]

Good to hear.

If possible it would great to hear the advice you were given as it could be of benefit to many.

Sure. It was all about to lubricate properly the poppet. For some reasons I was not doing in the correct way. That fixed my cranking effort and lack of VIVA.

For the flow issue it was just an IP ajustment issue. After servicing my first stages and adjustuing them properly now their IP is 9.5 bars sharp, no drifts, and they can be long time with no IP variation (I left one of them near 24 h under pressure and the IP didn't changed)

 

[Nemrod]

I am going to say something else, shhh. Do not tell anybody. I probably do not do this either. But, just saying, 100% pure silicone grease works much better (on the poppet assembly) that the "other" lubricants and does not wash off or cake up. I can appreciate using the "other" lubricants in the first stage but the second stage ----. Well, anyways, as I have said before, if my second stages explode and blow my head off surely it will be reported in that Accidents Forum and I give my permission in advance to include all the gory details and y'all can tell me I told you so to my headless body. Yeah, I lube that poppet and the second stage with 100% silicone grease. Maybe. YRMV.

 

[L13]

I am going to say something else, shhh. Do not tell anybody. I probably do not do this either. But, just saying, 100% pure silicone grease works much better (on the poppet assembly) that the "other" lubricants and does not wash off or cake up.

Silicone grease seems "sticky" to me compared to the others. Are you saying it seems slicker to you? Or is it just about the not washing off?

 

[lexvil]

Silicone grease seems "sticky" to me compared to the others. Are you saying it seems slicker to you? Or is it just about the not washing off?

It is sort of sticky and may make some things sluggish but overall it a better lube for longevity. The carrier oil on the O2 stuff does go away with time, leaving the Teflon baking which is still a little slippery on some harder surfaces. I’m still torn over my own stuff with which to use.

 

[Nemrod]

Silicone grease seems "sticky" to me compared to the others. Are you saying it seems slicker to you? Or is it just about the not washing off?

I have not run lab tests to determine which lubricant is more slippery vs sticky on a typical poppet, G250, G260, Halo. My experience is that silicone lasts longer and provides a better result and a smoother regulator response over time. I am not telling anyone to deviate from the SMs, those are your guidance. I have chosen to do so because I do not like to rebuild, service or re-lube my regulators every few dives and did not like the working result with the several other lubricants I use. I may do some further evaluation of this opinion at some point.

 

[stuartv]

Sure. It was all about to lubricate properly the poppet. For some reasons I was not doing in the correct way. That fixed my cranking effort and lack of VIVA.

Can you elaborate on what is the "correct way" to lube the poppet?

If there is a correct way and an incorrect way, it is entirely possible that being lubed incorrectly is the problem with mine.

That said, Halcyon has asked for my shop to send mine to them to look at. Not sent yet, though.

 

[estresao]

One of the thing I'm not yet sure is whether the lubricant I'm using is a good one. In my 2nds I use silicone althought, just in caase, I've also tried with Christolube just to discard my silicone one wasn't good enought.. but after some diving they start "popping" making initial crank effot too hard until it pops (I guess that happens when the poppet get released.

By correct lubrication I mean, for example, avoid getting the holes stuck with lubricant, put some lubricant in the lever hole and in the popoet, where the lever actuates.

Also cleaned veeeerh carefully all the pieces.

But all this is more related to my other post (the seird craning effort one) than to this one, because the flow issue was a too high IP. I've already serviced my 1sts and now the IP in both is 9'5 bars with no drifts... and the flow issue is gone.