Lock nuts on a manifold...

[Tortuga68]

I'm a little disappointed that they haven't replied to be honest. I don't really see the point in a company participating in a forum if they aren't going to participate!

They do reply sometimes but this seems to be more of a 'LDS broke my gear' situation than a product question... I expect the official line from SP is that the lock nuts are there to be locked & that you should replace them

 

[Stoo]

They do reply sometimes but this seems to be more of a 'LDS broke my gear' situation than a product question... I expect the official line from SP is that the lock nuts are there to be locked & that you should replace them

That seems sensible... ;-)

 

[Stoo]

In case anyone cares, I was rooting through a box of my old dive junk and came across an old centre bar from a manifold... with it's nuts intact. "Why" I have this bar is a bit of a mystery... but as soon as I suck that set of tanks dry, I'll pull them apart to see if the nuts fit. I really don't like the isolator knob moving around. As someone mentioned above, I'd like to be able to find thing when I need to.

Thanks again for your comments.

 

[j2s]

Don't know who told you the manifold nuts are left loose by cave divers, but that's 'crap'.....In the past I've had hydro/viz shops; x-thread band hardware nuts/bolts, crack manifolds, x-thread modular valves etc. then insult me w/some pathetic excuse........Now I disassemble doubles, remove the valves on them and single tanks myself......And I make a point of watching them do the hydro/viz.....Then do the reassembly myself....That way I know for sure there's a new 'ring'/burst disc.......You might want to take a close look (w/a magnifying glass) at your manifold and valves.....If they split the nuts, they probably didn't CAREFULLY align the tanks as they were screwing in the manifold and this can cause micro cracks/fractures in the manifold and valves...........The nuts are there for a reason, leaving them loose is NOT one of them !!!!.........

 

[jwelburn]

Well, I can't speak for all cave divers everywhere but I can say that the groups that I've gone diving with don't even have the nuts installed, let alone tightened. My set is set up the same way. The isolator doesn't really move unless you move it intentionally.
I have not experienced, nor have I heard of a manifold failure from anyone in the group. Again, can't speak for everybody, but there are those of us that dive that way.

As for the damaged nuts... I'm going to agree with the others that those are great big warning signs as to the love and care that went into disassembly and/or reassembly and that I would feel a bit uncomfortable until I'd broken them down and thoroughly inspected all the pieces. You might not find micro fractures, but you'd catch anything big.

 

[ianr33]

Don't know who told you the manifold nuts are left loose by cave divers, but that's 'crap'

Some leave them loose, some don't. So it's not "crap"

Maybe you should get out more?