BPW care: bolts, nuts, steel on steel care

[DANDM]

Hi all, just got my first BPW and was curious about it's care. I know that you clean it same way as any other BCD, but I was curious about bolts and nuts and any item that is steel-on-steel. Are these common spots for rust to build up? How do you take care of them? Would you silicone grease them or leave as is?

Any other ways to take care of a BPW that a beginner may miss?

 

[michael-fisch]

If nonmagnetic stainless (1.4571 or 316Ti) no rust. Galling and coldwelding of threaded connections is possible if you crank the threaded connections together without using a bit of lube. I use WD40 and so far after using multiple Backplates since 1998 I haven't had any problems.

Michael

 

[stepfen]

Any other ways to take care of a BPW that a beginner may miss?

It's not so much maintenance, but mostly a precaution and anyway not a huge issue. After some use you might see the webbing being slowly cut by the backplate on top of the top shoulder threading holes. That's because at exactly this point the webbing is constantly being rubbed against the edge of the plate while most of the system's weight (including tanks, lead you might have mounted, accessories etc) is applied exactly at the same spot. Think for example a long walk with your gear on your back - that's the spot of the whole system that will suffer the most.

It might look worrying to a beginner (as it did to me), but as an instructor told me when I asked him about it: "I wish you to dive so much that this will become a problem one day"
Anyway you can protect the webbing with two rubber bands on this spot just in case.

I am not sure I made myself clear - sorry English is not my first language. If you don't understand what I mean let me know and I will take a picture of it.

As for maintenance these things are bloody reliable. Rinsing the outside but more importantly the inside of the bladder (and the interior of the inflator valve - there are some videos and threads here in SB discussing exactly how to do this) with fresh water now and then will maximize their lifespan. Also make sure to check/service the inflator and the damp valves once a year or so.

All the best

 

[icechip]

I find the bolts stand up quite well on my Hollis SS BP, especially if you do a good job with rinsing/soaking the system after ocean dives. I do check bolts occasionally for possible tightening but overall have had no issues.

 

[TuckerIdaho]

Any dissimilar metals should be insulated.
Best way is some nylon washers and tef-gel and regular rinsing.

I haven't checked into if BC materials play nice with Salt Away.

 

[sea_ledford]

Remember to tighten your wing nuts every once in a while. Lock washers help a lot with that, but you still need to check them. Add spares to your save-a-dive kit.

Make sure you use good stainless hardware, but if you have to use cheap stuff in a pinch, it won't do much damage except make it hard to remove if you leave it on for weeks/months/years depending on your dive habbits.

I've only had galling problems when setting up doubles bands with all-thread. Definitely need lube for that.

 

[geoff w]

Make sure you rinse the tri-glides on the webbing locking in D-rings, since those tend to develop a lot of surface rust over time, and some of the D-ring welds aren't particularly clean on some hardware. I like the Delrin thumb nuts from Dive Rite more than wing nuts because they are easy to grip and check / tighten. Rinse out the inside of your wing. Make sure the shoulder inflator and butt dump screw in fittings where they join the bladder are snug. Periodically check the dump cord for fraying, and also inspect webbing for excessive fraying where it goes through the backplate

 

[dmaziuk]

Mostly you do need to check your steel. I used store-bought nyloc nuts once, had rust stains all over the bolts and around the holes as well. Proper stuff, I don't even use lube on, just rinse well in fresh water.

 

[diver42]

Just take it apart and rinse. That’s it. The BP is nearly indestructible. I’ve had my primary BP for 20 years. I wouldn’t leave the wing nuts on it, because it’ll impede the rinse. The wing also needs a great rinse, of course, like any other scuba gear.

Best way is some nylon washers and tef-gel and regular rinsing.

Don’t do this. Nylon washers swell in the water and then shrink again when they dry. Your wing nuts will always be loose. If you use washers, use plain SS washers.

Lock washers aren’t necessary. Just tighten the bolts before every dive.

 

[TuckerIdaho]

Don’t do this. Nylon washers swell in the water and then shrink again when they dry. Your wing nuts will always be loose. If you use washers, use plain SS washers.

Do you leave your gear underwater for a week? Because that's about what it takes to actually have any impact.

Physical properties | AMILAN™ | TORAY PLASTICS | TORAY

If you're really concerned use HDPE. Anyhow the point was in situations of dissimilar metals, which you decided to take out of context.