Was I overcharged?

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In such a situation, is the customer able to ask for a quote/estimate before work is done, or does the technician have to finish working on it before he’s able to know what it will cost?

Sure, but unless the shop is really top shelf, paying for a performance eval before service might or might not help. In your case, a spec check might have shown that the bleed filter wasn't up to specification (the usual reason for a piston replacement), or the tech might have known that the age of your model made it likely that the seat was captured (again requiring a piston). But most shops just aren't that good.
So that might have saved you $50, or you could have tossed the set.
Really, experience will tell you now.
You can skip the hose protectors. Regular service will just be (at your LDS) $25 per reg plus service kits.
So it's pretty common to have a $120-150 bill every service if you do all three.

But read and learn this:
Regulator Inspection and Checklist (Rev-8)
and buy an IP gauge. That, a tank of air and your kitchen sink (for regular rinsing after trips, and to check your second stage tuning) are all you need. This way, you can decide if you need service at the one, two or even three year interval. And there's nothing wrong with taking your seconds in for service while telling them to leave your first stage alone. But take them all in together so they can tune your seconds to the IP of your first.
 
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Current pistons have a replaceable seat and a replaceable bleed element. If they could get the current piston into your first stage, the next servicing might be a little less painful money-wise. (just a little)
Are you sure? I agree with the crimped seat comment. Those went away in the early 80s?

His design has the bleed valve in the piston. Newer first stages moved the bleed valve away from on the piston into the body, and made the bleed valve replaceable. There is no retrofit for the old design.

Search for Sherwood SRB3400 and you will find the manual on frogkick.
 
In such a situation, is the customer able to ask for a quote/estimate before work is done, or does the technician have to finish working on it before he’s able to know what it will cost?
On this reg a good shop would have performed a quick bleed test in front of the customer when the reg was dropped off. It takes less than a minute to demonstrate a blocked bleed filter.
 
Save that piston! Maybe...

The price seems right for LDS rates. As a DIY it is expensive.

Why was the piston replaced?

Please read up about your reg. It is designed to leak a very small stream of air from the first stage - via the small circle you will see in the piston. Many reg techs screw up the piston by tossing it in the ultrasonic bath with other greasy parts. Hence a new piston is required. Pistons do not fail through normal use. Stupid reg techs screw them up.

Does your first stage now leak air?

Please post a pic of the piston.

Mainly directed at OP:

Sherwood states that the flow rate should be between 13 and 27 CC of air bubbles. I use an inverted plastic shot glass that came with some Walmart cough syrup. It's even calibrated so it's easy to read inverted.

Sherwood also seems to think that the main culprit for clogging the little valve in the piston is too much lubricant, which, as (you) giffenk stated, is almost always introduced by a "Stupid reg tech."

As for being overcharged, I recently bought a gauge set with console on eBay for $50. I would have been pleased if the depth gauge, hose, and SPG all worked (or just needed a couple of o-rings). It came with a Sherwood Brut first and second stage that looked like it may have been used once or twice and was very nicely tuned and met all the specs. Naturally I replaced all the o-rings and re-tested but it turned out to be a very nice regulator and even if I figured half the cost was for the reg that would only be $25. It came with a nice Sherwood compass too so I hit a small jackpot. The only thing that didn't work was the digital bottom timer and even it showed some signs of life for a little while, but it's not something that I would want to depend upon.

Personally I can't see spending that kind of money for regulator service. LeisurePro is selling a brand-new Sherwood Magnum for $218. I bought my Magnum in 1983 and it has thousands of dives on it and I'm still using it and don't ever expect to replace it. I think regulators are kinda like my 1991 Ford Explorer--if something breaks on it that I cannot fix then it's not worth fixing. If I paid $2000 for a rebuilt transmission I could probably sell if for $1000.
 
Save that piston! Maybe...

The price seems right for LDS rates. As a DIY it is expensive.

Why was the piston replaced?

Please read up about your reg. It is designed to leak a very small stream of air from the first stage - via the small circle you will see in the piston. Many reg techs screw up the piston by tossing it in the ultrasonic bath with other greasy parts. Hence a new piston is required. Pistons do not fail through normal use. Stupid reg techs screw them up.

Does your first stage now leak air?

I am very surprised your LDS was able to source a replacement piston. Both of my Sherwood LDS claimed many many years ago that they could not get them anymore. So someone is lying to one of us...

Please post a pic of the piston.


I have seen many of these old Sherwoods come in with the bleeder not working requiring piston replacement even before the "stupid reg tech" touched it. Years of hard use and abuse are more likely to blame. In our part of the country these were the reg. of choice for the working urchin/scallop harvester. If you saw some of the equipment that is brought in after years of diving you would be less likely to blame the service tech.
 
I have seen many of these old Sherwoods come in with the bleeder not working requiring piston replacement even before the "stupid reg tech" touched it

The bleeder not working after years of use was the reason, even though the performance did not seem to be effected, that I had my Sherwood serviced. As for reg techs, it's like any other field, there are good, average, and some should find other work. Some techs didn't know not to toss the internals in the ultrasonic as with other regs, they also gave Posiedon's a bad name because they don't adjust like other regs.

Bob
 
Found a guy in Sausalito several years ago when I picked up the Cyklon in a bag of old gear for $50. $70 for a first, second, parts, and about an hour of chatting about how to service them. No need to so far, but with a bit of luck I should be able to cover it myself.


Bob
 
I have seen many of these old Sherwoods come in with the bleeder not working requiring piston replacement even before the "stupid reg tech" touched it. Years of hard use and abuse are more likely to blame. In our part of the country these were the reg. of choice for the working urchin/scallop harvester. If you saw some of the equipment that is brought in after years of diving you would be less likely to blame the service tech.
I blame the reg tech since 2 different shops screwed up our regs during (unneeded) annual service. This was every 20 dives at the time.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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