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From: <kirvine@sa*.ne*>
Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 06:04:42 -0500
To: Ed@ze*.kr*.co*, Melville@ze*.kr*.co*, <skooba@fr*.ne*>
CC: techdiver <techdiver@aq*.co*>, cavers@cavers.com
Subject: Re: Scooter Maintenance
Ed, I just put this note out to reach anyone who may own one of the
scooters built by our project. There are others out there who work on
the rest of the scooters. Mako scooters are easy - they have dealers.
AUL does their scooters, and I assume the same for Farallon. The rest I
do not know about.

WADR, tank mounted scooters are not "tec" gear - they should be sold at
carnivals by the Bearded Lady , at best.

Ed Melville wrote:
> 
> I have a nautilus tank mounted scooter which developed a leak and i cannot
> locate the parkway / imperial manuf. they were in so. amboy NJ. need help
> 
> Thanks ED
> 
> ----------
> > From: kirvine@sa*.ne*
> > To: freeattic@co*.ci*.uf*.ed*
> > Cc: techdiver <techdiver@aq*.co*>; cavers@cavers.com
> > Subject: Scooter Maintenance
> > Date: Sunday, March 07, 1999 7:27 AM
> >
> > For those of you who have the Gavin scooters ( not the fakes, the real
> > ones): You need to regularly vacuum check and blow check the inside
> > compartment ( a fast vacuum pump sometimes snatches the seal tight when
> > it is really not tight by itself - the blow check reveals this). Both
> > ways must be done. The inside barrel o-ring needs to be kept in good
> > shape. It is the only ring that needs silcone. It still flattens and
> > gets stiff, so needs to be replaced from time to time. It is a number
> > 256. When putting the lid on, it must go down evenly and not extrude the
> > ring anyplace - you must feel no springing action at all. Remove the
> > port plug when doing this. Some of these have a second ring on the
> > surface and latches - do not lubricate that ring, only the inside ring.
> > If you have changed the position of the spacers in the battery pack,
> > remember that the pack holds that lid down for scooters without latches,
> > so be sure that is still working. The motors should not get hot, but if
> > they do , they will expand the air and push the lid off. One way to get
> > them hot is to spray any conductive lubricant into the motor. Another
> > way is to be rigged like a stroke and give the scooter too much drag for
> > the prop setting. I realize none of you are so stupid as to have fixed
> > props, so I won't even go into that.
> >
> > Do not get any kind of solvent or hydrocarbon vapor anywhere near the
> > open scooter - it sinks into the motor compartment and ignites when you
> > start the motor. Be careful of any propelants in spray cans as well. I
> > already sprained my wrist when one of these things went off on me while
> > I was cleaning it.
> >
> > As always, any problems, just send the bottom back to me - I can fix
> > them in minutes rather than the hours it takes the uninitiated. I also
> > like to see how they are doing from time to time. I can also spot
> > developing problems and correct them.
> >
> > Despite the abject stupidity you have read from the idiots at the
> > Wakulla 2 project, when these things are right , the motors should never
> > get hot, never leak through the seal, and never need any kind of
> > servicing what so ever . These are continuous duty electric motors and
> > are highly efficient. The one scooter that I take with me on every dive
> > as my final backup scooter is seven years old and has never been apart
> > or needed any parts changed out, other than new batteries every couple
> > of years.
> >
> > The other thing to remember is that all batteries offgas -even nicads.
> > Never leave these things sealed or pull the trigger out of the water. I
> > blew one up in my van several years ago after I left it sealed for three
> > weeks. That will wake you up, trust me.
> >
> > Also as always, any and all questions on these devices need to be
> > directed to me. I have a ton of experience with them, make use of that
> > knowledge base. What takes me seconds figure out and minutes to fix
> > could take you days, and I have all the parts and special tools to
> > perform any type of job on these, and I like doing it.
> >
> > Just don't ask me about "helium cooling " the socoter.
> >
> > --
> > Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aq*.co*'.
> > Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aq*.co*'.

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