Is this Scubapro 156 BA OK to use?

[AquaNSun]

I got this 2nd stage off eBay and thinking that it was R109 but it turned out to be a 156 BA. I never had a 156 before so Im not familiar with how it should look so I took some pictures to share with fellow members and to hear your advice. Is this poppet ok to re-use or can I change the soft seat out? The soft seat looks pretty worn to me. Also, can the metal stem of the poppet where the small O-ring is sitting be taken off from the plastic body, pic #3? Just curious.

 

[Zung]

Congrats!!!

These grey poppets are fantastic! Now take a deep breath, don't do anything you'll regret, and read through this post, and the rest of the thread.

Basically, what you get is an awapable seat you can DIY for a nickel a piece, and the o-ring is an easy to source 2.5mm x 1mm.

All it takes is an extra small screwdriver to gently prize out the rivet that holds the seat in place. Maybe you can even flip it, clean it up and dive it while you wait for the punches.

And yes, you can unscrew the metal post, but I see no real pressing reasons to do that.

 

[AquaNSun]

Zung thank you for the links, that is awesome! To get the soft seat off, can I just use a pick and slowly pick it off or the rivet will make it hard to come off? Are these grey poppets similar to the S-Wings?

 

[Zung]

No, you want to slip the tip of a small screwdriver between the flange of the rivet and the seat, and pry off the rivet. Then you remove the seat, either push it out with a needle through the 2 small holes in the body, or pierce it and yank: it'll come out easy.

Remember, the seat is expendable, the rivet is stainless steel and very hard. The body of the poppet is soft and it's what you want to save, so go easy and don't use it as a leverage for the screwdriver.

Edit
I just went through the previous thread and realized I forgot to report that yes, I dived that thing, and no, I'm not dead.

 

[AquaNSun]

Dont die! we need you for more experiments LOL. We will learn to create molds for plastic parts next!

 

[PeterSZA]

Dont die! we need you for more experiments LOL. We will learn to create molds for plastic parts next!

I know this thread was back in 2012, but for anyone reading this, you'd be hard pressed to make the case that any modern reg beats the 156. Even Scubapro's newer line is just different packaging of this reg. Some of the newer ones have improvements in things like protecting the seat, but so what? If you service it every year or 2, which you should probably do anyway, you'll have no need for that. In terms of ease of breathing, this is on a par with the S600 and A700. The A700, in my view, is a 156 wannabe. The metal housing lasts forever. I've had one of these since 1989 and with the exception of the expected minor scratches, it is in amazing condition. By comparisson, look at the plastic based regs that have been in service for a few years and you'll see nicks, chips, etc. The other nice thing about this all metal reg is that metal allows some condensation on it so the air you breathe is not dry as it is in today's plastic regs. Many manufacturer's, including Scubapro, have gone back to metal in the "valve housing" (can't remember what that's actually called). This is a superb reg and extremely proven and reliable. In my mind, it is king. If you find one, jump on it.