I recall a post about a hundred years ago where someone asked about converting a Mk 17 to a non depth compensating constant IP configuration for use in a rebreather.
Given that we've got a pair of KISS sidekicks on the way and no one on the planet makes a blanking plug for the Mk 17, we have a need to do exactly that.
So here's what I did:
1. I took two stainless steel washers to place under the pressure transmitter to lift it far enough that a) it will no longer transmit pressure to the spring pad and diaphragm, and b) support the ambient chamber seal.
2. I used the standard ambient pressure seal as it's very effective in sealing the chamber, but I wanted to give it a bit more protection. I accomplished that by fabricating a thin, round stainless steel plate from a sheet of stainless steel that fits in the recess in the diaphragm retainer, where it rests on top of the ambient pressure seal, then Aquasealed it in place in the recess to provide a secondary seal as well as to keep water out of any small space between or around the plate and diaphragm.
Given that we've got a pair of KISS sidekicks on the way and no one on the planet makes a blanking plug for the Mk 17, we have a need to do exactly that.
So here's what I did:
1. I took two stainless steel washers to place under the pressure transmitter to lift it far enough that a) it will no longer transmit pressure to the spring pad and diaphragm, and b) support the ambient chamber seal.
2. I used the standard ambient pressure seal as it's very effective in sealing the chamber, but I wanted to give it a bit more protection. I accomplished that by fabricating a thin, round stainless steel plate from a sheet of stainless steel that fits in the recess in the diaphragm retainer, where it rests on top of the ambient pressure seal, then Aquasealed it in place in the recess to provide a secondary seal as well as to keep water out of any small space between or around the plate and diaphragm.
