Seatec Horse collar Inflator

[ams511]

I have two Seatec horse collat BCs that I want to rebuild the inflators on. DGX sells a tool and a kit with instructions on how to do it, however these inflators do not look like their modern counterparts. I was wondering if there is anything special I should know before starting the rebuild. The inflators look like this.

 

[Bob DBF]

The old units I have taken apart, not necessarily Seatec, sometimes have terminal corrosion and won't come apart without breaking. At that point it's cheaper to replace the unit than find or make parts.


Good Luck

Bob
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You only need two tools in life – WD40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the Duct Tape.

 

[ams511]

The old units I have taken apart, not necessarily Seatec, sometimes have terminal corrosion and won't come apart without breaking. At that point it's cheaper to replace the unit than find or make parts. Good Luck

Should I soak it in vinegar or put it in an ultrasonic unit first?

 

[Bob DBF]

Should I soak it in vinegar or put it in an ultrasonic unit first?

That's what I do, but it all depends on how well the previous owners cleaned up after spending time in salt water. Don't forget that horse collars went out of vogue a long time ago, and waiting for someone to use them again gives corrosion and rust a long time to work.


Good Luck

Bob
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Rust never sleeps.

 

[Sam Miller III]

The late Harry Rescigno was the first to design and develop the push button inflators for the US diving market.

His company Sea Tec/ Inflatable systems was first located in the city of Orange, later moved to large modern facility in Corona California. The company was sold and Harry retired but sadly passed on some years ago. You might want to go to the thread "Passings" and extract his obituary which I submitted

I first met Harry on a deserted Baja beach in the early 1950s during our spear fishing years. Therefore as along term friend & dive buddy I was a consultant/ test diver, to the company from it's inception to it's demise. Harry was always one to create vey rugged easy to disassemble and repair products. I can't recall ever having inflator problems or needing to dissemble an inflator but I would suspect it would not be difficult with common hand tools. However I would first soak for a length periods in vintage or even use an ultra sonic cleaner on the inflator prior to attempting disassembling

His only "failure" was the early double bag which developed a fungal growth creating 1000s of microscopic holes. I would urge that you first give you BUI Or BC or what ever it is a 24 hour inflation test for leakage.

I would also suggest as the factory did to periodically wash the inside of you inflator bag with a generous amount of "Downey." apparently it has some ingredient that dissolves salt crystals.

Now you know...I hope this in some way all this helps

SDM

 

[ams511]

Sam,

Thanks for the Downey tip. I would never have thought fabric softener would dissolve salt crystals. I have actually two Sea Tec horse collar BCs. One which, I can hear the air leaking out of the inflator so I cannot test the BC for leaks. The elbow on these wings does not unscrew like on a modern wing. The other one does hold air but looses a bit overnight. I don't think it due to a hole but who knows. I have not replaced the rubber on the dumps but will when I rebuild the inflator.

SeaTec made excellent equipment, they were very popular with dive shops in Florida in the late 80s early 90s. A friend gave me his SeaTec BC and I immediately demoted my Beuchat BC to backup duty. Alas, I did sell the SeaTec because it did not fit anymore. If I wanted to go back to a jacket BC, I would look for another Manta.

 

[Sam Miller III]

Manta!
A jewel of a BC! I had a number of them.

Harry was a veteran diver and knew what the divers needed to perform so he produced equipment tht would do the job.

Very innovative!

SDM

 

[Sam Miller III]

[h=2]Harry Ruscigno-Seatec Founder[/h]

Harry Ruscigno
(Dec 8,1933 to December 6,2008)

Harry Ruscigno (Ru sig ne-O) was the founder of Sea Tec/Inflatable systems,

He was a very active diver, a respected engineer who adapted his talents to the diving world over forty years ago.

Still a teen ager Harry was a founder and driving force in the pioneer diving club the San Jose Barbs in California. One of the oldest clubs in the world

After graduation from college he moved to San Diego area where he became active in competitive spear fishing competing in many local and regional spearfishing meets. He also served a term as president of the San Diego council of divers. During this time in San Diego he entered into the diving manufacturing business by producing small items for Bob Mitchell who had founded the original diving accessory company "Aqua Craft." Harry's first love was spearfishing so he also began producing custom made one of a kind Adict Spear guns.

A few years later he moved Orange California into a small building adjacent to Joe Lamonica (JBL) in where he established his company Sea Tec/Inflatable Systems. His very first product was the first American made large diameter oral inflator which revolutionized the design of primitive BCs. He then began developing a total inflation systems. He introduced the "dual bag inflation system" to the industry which became an industry standard and was adapted by most the major manufactures of that era.

Sea Tec's initial line was horse collars, later the BCs, & BIUs, were introduced. After much testing and experimentation he introduced the very popular rugged "Manta." Sea Tec moved to Corona enlarged their line to became a full line company marketing and producing fins masks, regulators and the very powerful and at that time the standard of the world the Sampson "World Record" spear gun

Harry eventually removed him self from the recreational diving manufacturing a number of years ago -- the recreational diving industry just would not support the type and quality inflation systems he wanted to produce, so he concentrated on the military and the law enforcement sector . Harry sold the SeaTec/Inflatable Systems several years ago but had been on a retainer as a consultant to the new owners of Sea Tec until his untimely death.

He served on the Board of directors of DEMA from 1978 to 1990 and was acclaimed as the first director Emeritus of DEMA.

I first met Harry on the beach in a deserted cove in Baja California, Mexican in the early 1950s. I was shooting a highly modified extended Arablete, Harry was shooting a wood gun of his own design favored by the San Diego. Nether one of us won bragging rights that day but it did cemented a life long friendship.

We didn't come personally come in contact again until he established Sea Tec in Orange in the early 1970s.

We entered into a very interesting business/diving relationship. I would test dive and evaluate his prototype units and he would supply me with my choice of production units, which eventually was the never equaled Manta.

I recall so clearly one meeting when we were discussing a particular SeaTec model which I had made a number of suggestions for modifications. His response was that "The modifications were needed but it would not be accepted by the general public since there were a lot of people who dove but only abut 100 in the US who were divers."

I send my and my families' personal condolences, along with all of those past and present divers who have benefited so much from Harry's many contributions to his family; His wife Paula, his children Stephanie, Jeff, Valerie, Jack, Matt, Becky Toby and numerous grand and great grand children, too numerous to list and his many business associates and diving friends who also share in this great loss.


Dr. Samuel Miller,111​

 

[Couv]

My first jacket style bc was a Manta-it fit like a glove. Rather than support the diver at the surface by the armpits the torso, being comfortably snug, was the support point. Unfortunately, the outer covering on my Manta did not hold up and developed tears. I only serviced the inflator once in the 80ies. I do not remember much about it other than using standard tools and all the parts were straight forward and evident in their use.

If you're going to keep this BC in service, I would suggest removing the CO2 firing mechanism and patching the hole with something such as this: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/re...966-bc-bladder-repair-update.html#post4749122

 

[Nemrod]

To INOP the CO2 mechanism just remove the cartridge and put a port plug in it. Then remove the pull cord. Done.

Those inflators were always a bit clunky, I would just replace it with a new unit and be done with it.

N