Is it OK to leave tube and dome assembled?

[latyshev 0]

Hey guys. New user here. Just bought D7000, sigma 8-16, ikelite housing and 8" dome.

 

I never actually though about it, until the guy in shop told me to disconnect everything and store separately after each trip. I do some wreck diving, and i always left o-ring on the diving light fully connected.

 

So the question is this - is it ok to leave dome and tube permanently assembled?

[Panda 3]

I unscrew mine every few months for a clean and regrease. Occasionally change to a different body.

 

But they are VERY difficult to separate, you need to carefully use a filter wrench with a rubber strap on the body.

For the shortest body you can shape a piece of soft wood to fit the cutouts, clamp the wood in a vice, fit the body over the wood and rotate the dome to unscrew.

 

Is it OK to leave it assembled? Probably, but not a risk I want to take.

[Balrog 5]

If you leave them together for too long, they tend to stay that way despite your best efforts

 

At least back them off half a turn after you've finished your day - but don't forget to screw them back together again. Probably best to disassemble to avoid accident.

 

They don't need to be over tight, the slightest nip will do. Its a piston type O ring seal rather than a compression gasket type.

[latyshev 0]

Great advice, thanks guys.

Edited June 3, 2011 by latyshev

[slyle 0]

I would always say break your kit down as similar to the other post you can find yourself not being able to seperate them at all!

 

I have a Sea&Sea housing for a D70 and even on a weeks diving holiday have had problems seperating a compact flat port from its extension ring, so now every couple of days I seperate them and clean and re-grease.

 

I bought the housing second hand and the previous owner had left the main body o-ring in the housing while storing it, the o-ring had taken the shape of the housing and was effectively useless.

 

I'm afraid you just have to be completely geeky about it, break stuff down so it doesn't get the opportunity to seal permantly and always when storing kit remove the o-rings.

 

If possible have a couple sets of o-rings and rotate them, when not in use clean them and put them in your every trusty zip lock bags with the o-ring name and number, ie Main-1, Port-1.....

[okuma 64]

For the time and effort involved, intervals longer than 2 weeks, I always disassemble all 'O' ring joints.

Clean and store rings in a baggie.

As earlier noted, rotate rings if possible.

 

 

Signed,

Anal-retentive engineer