RAM Problems

[treasureman]

I was diving (of course) using my Ram. While on the surface testing it, it seemed to breathe most excellent. Once submerged, however, it felt as though the flow was being choked off prematurely. Almost as if a seat was closing too soon.
IP is 145 and rock solid. I am using the Mil spec diaphragm which appears to be very sensitive and reacts quickly to any inahle effort.

Given todays performance, I was ready to give iot the heave ho. My single performed better. Unusual that I would ever say my double suckes.
Any suggestions from the VDH'ers

[scubadiver_bob]

If you really want to toss your RAM do you want my shipping address ???

What happens if you hook an ip guage to the hooka port and breath off it ??? should only drop 10 to 15 psi then return to original setting with each breath. If it does something strange you might need an overhaul kit. With only info you gave , maybe lp seat or Hp diaphragm (sence lp set at 145 psi my guess would be lp seat) Ask Bryan, he has probably worked on a lot more than I have .... and if your tossing it he might want you to have his address also (lol)

[Nemrod]

I will take it!!!!!

Is it missing any important parts in the insides? Left over parts? Wrong parts? (been there).

I would not dive any regulator that is misbehaving until the problem is determined normal or fixed.


Usually being in the water my regulators improve in breathing response as long as not head down or such as that.
James

[treasureman]

IP drop on test out of water with a breath is about 6 PSI, then snaps right back.

In the sober light of day, tossing it would be a bad idea, as it would pit brother Vintage diver against brother vintage diver in the scramble to pick it up. I couldnt do that to you guys..it would be just plain wrong.

So I will suffer through this, facing the danger with my colleagues, to try and get past this bump in the road.


Sorry to get you all breathing fast and heavy thinking about me tossing a RAM

[oldmossback]

Treas..........just out of curiosity.....did you have your air turned on?
the correct spring in the second stage housing? New seat in the second stage glued as Bryan always does? Springs installed correctly in the 1st stage? Free of debri in the 1st stage?

free of debri in your hose.........free moving inhale valve, rubber not sticking?

did you have your air turned on?

[treasureman]

yepper air was on super clean, no debris

[treasureman]

LP seat glued down. All springs installed properly.

I thought of changing to a civilian diaphragm as the Mil spec one may be too quick to react, and as a result of its speed, shuts off the flow sooner???? just a guess

[Nemrod]

I have not had all that great of luck with the mil spec diaphrams. They seem stiff to me and seem to have less travel.

If you installed a rebuild kit did by chance all the parts drop in or did the spring in the HP assembly rub? Whether reproduction or NOS there can be differences in parts. I ran across a spring that was to large in diameter and it was sticking. I took the spring and held it at both ends twisting it and thus making it smaler in diameter.

You might back that IP back down and just see if that helps. When I work on something--since I am a mechanicof sorts--I lay the parts out in the order they came out and then compare them one by one to the new parts going backi in. Actually, I mostly stand around and observe the junior guys and fuss and carry on when they don't do what I tell them and accuse them of being yankee tractor mechainics with a tool kit from Home Depot. This usually gets the results I want--lol.

I am thinking you either have a stiff, too long, or sticking spring or it is that mil spec diaphram.

Nemrod

[ebj]

My grunt training taught me to always look for the obvious and sometimes simple answers to complex problems. I think you have a volume problem, not a pressure one. I would start with the most obvious causes first and eliminate them before tearing into the reg. Make sure the tank valve is opening fully and not malfunctioning. A restriction in the valve itself will not give you the volume of air required at depth. Next check the first stage filter to make sure it is clear. Same problem here with a restricted filter not allowing proper flow.

[1stab]

What length did you cut your pin to? Is it positioned properly in the nozzle? If it's nothing else, the pin comes to my mind as it has the job of pushing the HP seat open when there's a vacuum. I had a problem once of regs locking up when I turned on the tank because I had cut the pins too short.

Of course, try everything else first and then double check assembly. The RAM is a solid performer and you shouldn't notice such a drop in performance. Good luck.

[treasureman]

Shouldnt be a pin prob, as the nozles was put tohether by bryan.

I think I will start with the easiest which is to use a civy diaphragm first, then give it a toot see what happens

[Bryan]

Good Suggestion...Double check the pin length.....I doubt it's the issue but I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination!

[treasureman]

What should the pin length be for the new conshelf Hp seats?

[Bryan]

At 1st I was taking the overall length of the old seat and pin and then trimming the new seat and pin to match. I have observed in late model Conshelfs the pin support sets higher out of the 1st stage than the RAM did. I usually fit each pin, seat and seat support as I do the conversion. There are subtle differences in all of them.....
Perhaps Luis can give us some current tips as he did a lot of research on pins and pin length on his Phoenix project.

[treasureman]

MOnday I have some time off, So i am borrowing a friends pool to weight myself properly, and to try and resove the breathing characteristics of the RAM. I will bring a civy diaprhagm to swap out from the mil spec one see if that makes a difference.