Long term maintainability of the ScubaPro Mk15 first stage?

Local shop has been having some problems with doing this year's
rebuild.

Apparently, some sort of harmonic vibration inside ... eg, piston-
spring.

Its gone back to the ScubaPro factory for a lookie-see. Reportedly,
if they can't rebuild it, a Mk25 might be sent back.


I wouldn't mind the upgrade, but was wondering if anyone else has had
(or heard of) anyone else having a similar problem?


-hh

[Default] Thus spake -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com>:

>Local shop has been having some problems with doing this year's
>rebuild.
>
>Apparently, some sort of harmonic vibration inside ... eg, piston-
>spring.
>
>Its gone back to the ScubaPro factory for a lookie-see. Reportedly,
>if they can't rebuild it, a Mk25 might be sent back.
>
>
>I wouldn't mind the upgrade, but was wondering if anyone else has had
>(or heard of) anyone else having a similar problem?
>
>
>-hh

Yeah, something to do with the cylinder getting out of round at one
end or the other. I don't remember the details as I don't own Scuba
Pro gear. And yes, that was the apparent "solution". Kind of the
like the old radiator cap trick. Take off the radiator cap and roll a
new car under it.

Dillon Pyron <invaliddmpy...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
> [Default] Thus spake -hh <recscuba_goo...@huntzinger.com>:
> >
> > [ScubaPro Mk15] Apparently, some sort of
> > harmonic vibration inside ... eg, piston-spring.
> >
> >Its gone back to the ScubaPro factory for a lookie-see.
>
>
> Yeah, something to do with the cylinder getting out of round at one
> end or the other. *I don't remember the details as I don't own Scuba
> Pro gear. *And yes, that was the apparent "solution". *Kind of the
> like the old radiator cap trick. *Take off the radiator cap and roll a
> new car under it.

It does sound like its a non-maintainable item, unlike in a car, where
you would do an engine rebuild via a cylinder bore & new rings. Of
course, the costs & economics are different for the car than versus
just a regulator, which would be the radiator cap bit


Thanks,


-hh

[Default] Thus spake -hh <recscuba_google@huntzinger.com>:

>Dillon Pyron <invaliddmpy...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>> [Default] Thus spake -hh <recscuba_goo...@huntzinger.com>:
>> >
>> > [ScubaPro Mk15] Apparently, some sort of
>> > harmonic vibration inside ... eg, piston-spring.
>> >
>> >Its gone back to the ScubaPro factory for a lookie-see.
>>
>>
>> Yeah, something to do with the cylinder getting out of round at one
>> end or the other. *I don't remember the details as I don't own Scuba
>> Pro gear. *And yes, that was the apparent "solution". *Kind of the
>> like the old radiator cap trick. *Take off the radiator cap and roll a
>> new car under it.
>
>It does sound like its a non-maintainable item, unlike in a car, where
>you would do an engine rebuild via a cylinder bore & new rings. Of
>course, the costs & economics are different for the car than versus
>just a regulator, which would be the radiator cap bit
>
>
>Thanks,
>
>
>-hh

I've since asked the guy who does Scuba Pro. He said that apparently
there was some slop due to the rings being at one end of the piston.
this resulted in the piston slapping the bottom of the bore. He said
the 25 has a shorter, more balanced piston. Kind of like using the
short skirts in high performance car pistons.

Dillon Pyron <invaliddmpy...@austin.rr.com> wrote:
>
> I've since asked the guy who does Scuba Pro. *He said that apparently
> there was some slop due to the rings being at one end of the piston.
> this resulted in the piston slapping the bottom of the bore. *He said
> the 25 has a shorter, more balanced piston. *Kind of like using the
> short skirts in high performance car pistons.


Well, the shop still hasn't called to say that its back, so I'm going
to have to give them a visit.

The Mk15 is no longer manufactured. If they decide that mine is DOA,
under the "Limited Lifetime" Warranty, what should that entitle me
to? Yes, I've been faithful on annual services.

The shop owner did briefly mention the possibility of a Mk25 "at
cost", but given how high ScubaPro sets their MSRPs at, this deal is
sounding like a "Trust Me". 'Unauthorized' source LeisurePro has the
Mk25/G250 at $400 (MSRP $608), but no particular insight on 1st Stage
only (or 2nd Stage only) prices.

With the UW camera down, the last thing the wife will like to see this
month is a bill for a regulator too...


-hh

-hh wrote:
> Well, the shop still hasn't called to say that its back, so I'm going
> to have to give them a visit.
>
> The Mk15 is no longer manufactured. If they decide that mine is DOA,
> under the "Limited Lifetime" Warranty, what should that entitle me
> to? Yes, I've been faithful on annual services.
>
> The shop owner did briefly mention the possibility of a Mk25 "at
> cost", but given how high ScubaPro sets their MSRPs at, this deal is
> sounding like a "Trust Me". 'Unauthorized' source LeisurePro has the
> Mk25/G250 at $400 (MSRP $608), but no particular insight on 1st Stage
> only (or 2nd Stage only) prices.
>
> With the UW camera down, the last thing the wife will like to see this
> month is a bill for a regulator too...
>
>
> -hh

Way back in the days of wooden scuba tanks, my wife had a Scubapro shop
and Scubapro was great about taking care of our customers. In one case,
we sent in a first stage that had been discontinued and parts were also
being discontinued so they replaced it ... just for the cost of
shipping. We just charged the customer for the annual service plus the
shipping and he was in fat city.

Of course, that was the old Scubapro ... let's see what they come up
with now.


--
Ray Contreras
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
http://www.coltri-usa.com
http://www.rayzplace.com

RayC <r...@rayzplace.com> wrote:
>
>
> Way back in the days of wooden scuba tanks, my wife had a Scubapro shop
> and Scubapro was great about taking care of our customers. *In one case,
> we sent in a first stage that had been discontinued and parts were also
> being discontinued so they replaced it ... just for the cost of
> shipping. *We just charged the customer for the annual service plus the
> shipping and he was in fat city.

I seem to recall perhaps 10 years ago that Bob Ling claiming that he
had a Mk10 get replaced 'free', after some hassles of having to
provide a copy of every annual service receipt.

> Of course, that was the old Scubapro ... let's see what they come up
> with now.

Their website is wonderfully vague. Seems to suggest that the
"Limited Lifetime" terms are whatever is on your original
documentation...which seems to be just another example of "if you lost
that paper...tough shit!"

Sounds like its time to hit the filing cabinet.


-hh

-hh wrote:
>
> I seem to recall perhaps 10 years ago that Bob Ling claiming that he
> had a Mk10 get replaced 'free', after some hassles of having to
> provide a copy of every annual service receipt.
>
> Their website is wonderfully vague. Seems to suggest that the
> "Limited Lifetime" terms are whatever is on your original
> documentation...which seems to be just another example of "if you lost
> that paper...tough shit!"
>
> Sounds like its time to hit the filing cabinet.
>
>
> -hh

At the time, it was up to the dive shop to decide if the warranty was
valid or not. The way our rep put it, the lifetime program was only a
selling tool and if it got the customer to stay with the store, then use
it. If the customer was a pain in the butt or bought from everyone in
town, then make them show paperwork. It was and still is just a
marketing gimmick.


--
Ray Contreras
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
http://www.coltri-usa.com
http://www.rayzplace.com

RayC <r...@rayzplace.com> wrote:
> -hh wrote:
>
> > I seem to recall perhaps 10 years ago that Bob Ling claiming that he
> > had a Mk10 get replaced 'free', after some hassles of having to
> > provide a copy of every annual service receipt.
> ...
>
> At the time, it was up to the dive shop to decide if the warranty was
> valid or not. *The way our rep put it, the lifetime program was only a
> selling tool and if it got the customer to stay with the store, then use
> it. If the customer was a pain in the butt or bought from everyone in
> town, then make them show paperwork.

Well, that certainly explains Ling's story

> It was and still is just a marketing gimmick.

That it does seem to be, particularly with the information void on
their website.

The good news is that we had resolution this past weekend: the Mk15
was back from the factory, with a new piston and cylinder (sleeve?)
installed. No change in service cost versus prior years.


-hh