Best Cleaning materials?

[coldstroke]

When servicing my regs I need a good cleaner . Your recommendation ? I do not believe that dish detergent is enought. Is Simple Green or Formula 409, or, ? more effective ? I heard that a 4 to 1 solution of white vinegar and very warm water is effective.

[herman]

Depends on what your cleaning. For rubber parts, dish detergent is fine. For metal parts (EXCEPT aluminum), a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water....warm is better and a ultrasonic cleaner really helps. For what it's worth, these are the products recommended in the Aqualung manual.

[Hoosier]

Don't use an acid bath. It is an old method. I can't understand why many techies keep using this same method that has been used 20~30 years ago.

Only reason I can think is a cost effect. Acid is everywhere, even in your kitchen.

If you don't have any salt deposits, a detergent is more than enough.

Remember acid eats a chrome no matter what ratio you are using.

My 2 cent...

[Lead_carrier]

Don't use an acid bath. It is an old method. I can't understand why many techies keep using this same method that has been used 20~30 years ago.

Only reason I can think is a cost effect. Acid is everywhere, even in your kitchen.

If you don't have any salt deposits, a detergent is more than enough.

Remember acid eats a chrome no matter what ratio you are using. ...

If you were to see some of the regs that are brought in for rebuild, you'd see why I still use the acid bath. I've even thought of going hydrocloric on a couple of them.;)

[Hoosier]

If you were to see some of the regs that are brought in for rebuild, you'd see why I still use the acid bath. I've even thought of going hydrocloric on a couple of them.;)


I rebuilt the abandon regs several times. You can do the better job without using any acid stuff. Man, world has been changed... For example, you don't need to change your engine oil every 3K miles anymore... ;)

[halocline]

There's cleaning and then there's corrosion removal. For cleaning, I use 409 which is apparently very similar to SP's own cleaning solution. Maybe they just re package the stuff and mark it up 1000%.

When I buy an old reg and there's corrosion, I'll use an acidic solution to remove the corrosion. I use a very weak muriatic acid solution, more or less equal in acidity to vinegar. If you have an ultrasonic, you can use 50/50 vinegar and water, but I don't so I've found that the strong solution works much better. Once I've rebuilt a reg like this once, I don't have to use any acid, or at least haven't had to yet. What I have found is that with significant corrosion, the corrosion has already damaged the chrome, and after the acidic bath the brass shows in the spots the corrosion was.

If you never found a source for the IP shims, think about a brass washer that's .012 thick; you'll need a micrometer to measure it. Personally I think that would be a big improvement over the plastic shims, which I find unreliable in terms of how much they raise the IP. I think they tend to flatten out and the brass would really provide a better surface for the spring.

[Hoosier]

409 and Simple Green is pretty much same. Their main ingredient is the same on both products. Only difference are a color and odor. Both is a cleaner, not corrosion remover.

The corrosion removal method has been covered so many times and simple "search" will be a good start.


Acid bath is to use an etching technique (old way) and it eats a chrome on un-corroded part/area. Specially it used to be wrose in ScubaPro regulators. There are many non-acid base solution to get rid of corrosion.

Just my 2 bar.

[rcontrera]

Acid bath is to use an etching technique (old way) and it eats a chrome on un-corroded part/area. Specially it used to be wrose in ScubaPro regulators. There are many non-acid base solution to get rid of corrosion.

We quit using an acid bath in the late 80s and switched to some stuff called Salt-X to break down the salt "cementing". We would toss the whole first and second stages into the bath before dismantling and it made it a TON easier to take apart. Then we could just use good ol 409 to get the old grease out and shine it up.

Just my $.02

[dave4868]

We quit using an acid bath in the late 80s and switched to some stuff called Salt-X to break down the salt "cementing". We would toss the whole first and second stages into the bath before dismantling and it made it a TON easier to take apart. Then we could just use good ol 409 to get the old grease out and shine it up.

Just my $.02

Sounds good!

Does it do anything to remove verdigris or would acid still be required?

Dave C

[Hoosier]

We quit using an acid bath in the late 80s and switched to some stuff called Salt-X to break down the salt "cementing". We would toss the whole first and second stages into the bath before dismantling and it made it a TON easier to take apart. Then we could just use good ol 409 to get the old grease out and shine it up.

Just my $.02


Yes... That is one of my secret recipe. ;)

[rcontrera]

Sounds good!

Does it do anything to remove verdigris or would acid still be required?

Dave C

We never bothered to think about it since a good soaking in the Salt-X seemed to loosen up the crud and a little elbow grease and soap removed all the rest. I think if you look at that green that forms on the brass parts, you will see that it is mostly being held in place by salt crystals. Once the salt is dissolved, the green will clean off fairly easily.

We just never wanted to use any acid baths anymore. We had LOTS of regulators that had cheap chrome jobs that would start flaking if we left it in the bath for any more than a minute or two. The old Scubapro second stages were the worst! Once it started flaking, we had to either finish the job and peel it the rest of the way (don't want to be breathing peeling chrome!) or condemn the part. If we caused the peeling, we would eat the cost of the new part.

Many of them came in peeling so they had been subjected to home vinegar treatments or acid baths from other dive shops.By shifting to the Salt-X, we never had to eat any more peeling chrome jobs.

[Bubblebreath]

Hi; Where can I buy the salt x product? THANKS!!!!!

[dave4868]

Hi; Where can I buy the salt x product? THANKS!!!!!

Here's a source (top of the first page on a Google search):

CLEANER SALT-X 8OZ. *D* REMOVES SALT & DEPOSITS 157462 (http://store.hamiltonmarine.com/browse.cfm/4,24693.html)

Dave C

[rcontrera]

I used to buy mine direct from the manufacturer ... Innovative Chemicals. However, the price was $12.95 per quart plus shipping. Boaters world sells it for $13.95 and free shipping ... a much better deal.

Innovative Chemicals Salt-X 1 Concentrate - BoatersWorld.com (http://www.boatersworld.com/product/179450069msk.htm)

[Hoosier]

I used to buy mine direct from the manufacturer ... Innovative Chemicals. However, the price was $12.95 per quart plus shipping. Boaters world sells it for $13.95 and free shipping ... a much better deal.

Innovative Chemicals Salt-X 1 Concentrate - BoatersWorld.com (http://www.boatersworld.com/product/179450069msk.htm)


If you buy over $100...

*Free shipping & handling on all new merchandise orders over $100...excludes Auction, Clearance, Oversized and Heavier Items, and UPS service to AK & HI.

Otherwise, Delivery Charge ($6.95):eyebrow:

[rcontrera]

Good catch!! I did not see that. I guess the primary distributor is a better bet then.

! SALT-X Kills Salt & Salt Corrosion ! (http://www.saltx.com/)

But their website is awful!

[Bubblebreath]

GREAT BIG THANKS!!!!!! to all for salt x info. THANKS AGAIN!!!!!