Dacor Olympic gear - Need help dating it

[MrBOFH]

Just found some what looks like vintage Dacor gear at a yard sale. The price was right so I grabbed it. I know these were top of the line in the early 70's but I'm not sure how long Dacor made and sold this model. The purge valve of one actually has an embossed logo where on the other on it's smooth. The kits appear in pretty good shape for their age.

Set 1
Dacor Olympic first stage
Dacor 400 Olympic 2nd stage primary regulator
Dacor console with SPG and depth gauge

Image can be found at geocities.com/luv2plink/dacor1.jpg
(I don't have enough posts to post URL's yet. Sorry guys)

Set 2
Dacor Olympic first stage
Dacor 400 Olympic 2nd stage primary regulator
Dacor console with SPG and depth gauge
BCD inflator hose?

Image can be found at geocities.com/luv2plink/dacor2.jpg

Any idea's on how to date these sets? Thanks in advance

 

[Luis H]

Below are your pictures. As you mentioned they were great regulators in the early 70's. They can still be great regulators. You can also drop a few pounds from your weight belt.

 

[MrBOFH]

Thanks for posting the pics Luis. I agree that the 2nd stages and gauge counsolves are still very usable. Unfortunately the 1st stages don't seem to have a LP port spare for an octo.

I'm gonna try and scare up the use of a tank to see if the SPG work and the 2nd stage regs work. At least on dry land. These things have such a solid, well made feel to them and the rubber parts seem to be in pretty good shape as well.

Update: I swung by my LDS and they looked at the gear and we put it on a bottle. Both sets of gauges work, as do the regulators. One of the guys commented on the hoses not being brittle or cracked. Amazing for what must be 20 to 30 year old gear...

 

[SwimJim]

The 400's are a rock solid reg. Yours appear to be post '72. The only change they made was using a circlip to hold in the sintered filter after '72. The Olympics were made from 1969 to 1979 by the way. Clean them up and use them. You'll like them.

Jim

 

[Thalassamania]

The Olympic 300 was the regulator of choice in the U.C. Berkeley Scientific Diving program back in the early 1970s, when auxiliaries started to appear people used an X-tra port adapter, like items AA53 and A228 on page 6 of the Trident Catalog.

 

[MrBOFH]

Thanks guys for all ths useful info! I took the retaining clamp of one of the regs as the purge button got stuck and found the rubber valve inside in amazingly good shape, no crack, no brittleness, nice and pliable. Just some dust on it. The stuck purge button was nothing more than some dirt. But I was very pleased to see how well the insides have held up against time. Looks like they were taken care of well and stored properly.

I may have to get me one of those Y adapters and combine both sets into one that has an octo so it'd make backup gear. That or find it a good home with someone who enjoys vintage gear. My LDS reg tech warned me that spare parts for these kits are very hard to find. I hope he's mistaken in that aspect.

 

[SwimJim]

Your tech is correct. Parts kits are far and few between. Things like o rings however can be gotten anywhere. You just need to match them up. The high pressure seats were pretty durable and could be refinished in a pinch. The low pressure seats can usually just be flipped. They can be replaced with a USD seat if necessary. In the 400 that leaves the high pressure diaphragm and the internal sintered filter. I have yet to have to deal with either one.

Jim

 

[John C. Ratliff]

I have two Dacor Olympic 400 regulators, and have yet to play around with them. But I know by reputation that they are very, very durable regulators. I doubt that you will need to replace anything--just clean it up a bit, and put some silicone on the neoprene parts (watch the HP diaphragm though, as silicone on the outside of the diaphragm can make it slip when under pressure). You have two of these regulators, so you already have redundancy for keeping one going almost indefinitely.

SeaRat

 

[GRAPE APE]

I know this is an old post but I just got my hands on a Dacor 400 Olympic balanced reg 1st and 2nd stage with a Fallon (sp?) pressure gauge. I would like someone (besides me to get use of it or have it for collecting/parts). Any idea what this is worth (a range even) if in decent/useable shape?

 

[SwimJim]

The last 400 I got, I picked up for $25.00 on ebay. A first and second stage.