Vintage Double Hose

I won that shiny Blue 50 Fathom on eBay a few days ago, and just got it in today's mail. I eagerly opened the box and immediately set about opening up the plastic housing.
When I got it apart, I was horrified to find that the internal mechanism is that of the earlier model metal housing 50 Fathom, which has only one lever and no venturi nozzle. I have a copy of the Voit service guides for the Blue 50 Fathom and Polaris 50 regs, which states that the two regulators are identical with the exception of the plastic housing.
I emailed the seller, who replied he has never had the regulator apart, and wouldn't have known the difference if he had. This is probably true, as the diaphragm, duckbill and mushroom valves were all perished and gummed up, and I even found a spider's nest on the duckbill (!) This tells me the reg has not been apart in a very long time.
The seller asked if I was absolutely sure Voit might not have used up existing stocks of old 50 Fathom parts when assembling the regulator. I suppose that is possible, but can Greg Barlow or any of the other Voit gurus shed some light on this?

Voit did make the blue plastic regulator in both versions of the upstream & downstream single stage systems. They had different part #'s that I can't remember off the top of my head right now.
So, don't feel bad. The downstream one you have is actually probably more rare than the upstream version. They had different labels on them though. I'm not sure which label you have, but that version had a picture of a diver on it, while the other one just had their name on it.

ovalis wrote:Voit did make the blue plastic regulator in both versions of the upstream & downstream single stage systems. They had different part #'s that I can't remember off the top of my head right now.
So, don't feel bad. The downstream one you have is actually probably more rare than the upstream version. They had different labels on them though. I'm not sure which label you have, but that version had a picture of a diver on it, while the other one just had their name on it.

Thanks! This clears up a lot; I had no idea Voit made the Blues with two different versions. Mine has the standard half-white, half-blue label. One thing is certain though, Polaris innards breathe MUCH better than the 50 Fathom. I have access to Polaris parts, and will have those installed into the plastic housing. I have an empty 50 Fathom metal can and a label laying around, which will be the perfect home for that 50 Fathom mechanism.
Thanks again Ovalis, I was sure I'd been screwed good on this deal...

Well, that good you can change them around and make it work for you.

That label is for the upstream version similar to the polaris 50.

ovalis wrote: That label is for the upstream version similar to the polaris 50.

Thanks yet again! That clinches it; Polaris parts going in now for sure..

Glad it worked out in the end. Bryan was dead on the money when he suggested that it may have been apart before. He picked up on the screws being backwards And said he would have asked for piks of the inside. The man do know what he's talkin about!

Firebrand wrote:Glad it worked out in the end. Bryan was dead on the money when he suggested that it may have been apart before. He picked up on the screws being backwards And said he would have asked for piks of the inside. The man do know what he's talkin about!

It's hard to say what the truth of it may be. Ovalis states the plastic housing came in two different models, so the 50 Fathom mechanism inside it may be original. The seller also claims he got it from the original owner, who bought it new.
If someone did swap out the internals, they must have done it a very long time ago. Long enough ago for the duckbill and mushroom valves to turn to "stone" and spiders to set up shop...

Well,,lets look at it this way, If it's wrong, you can make it right, and that's one hell of a case! A pretty reg any way you look at it.

Firebrand wrote:Well,,lets look at it this way, If it's wrong, you can make it right, and that's one hell of a case! A pretty reg any way you look at it.

Oh, I will very definitely make it right. I have a complete Polaris mechanism on hot standby to put into the case. It will be one sweet breathing reg once that's done. Not to mention the innards will finally match the label...

Any way you look at it, that is the Most Beautifull Looking Voit "Blue" 50 Fathom Regulator I have Ever seen. William

William wrote: Any way you look at it, that is the Most Beautifull Looking Voit "Blue" 50 Fathom Regulator I have Ever seen. William

Thanks William! FYI, I now have a gallery of pics up with all my Voit treasures (including the Blue 50 Fathom) for anyone that's interested...