Dacor BC

Question
My wife won't part with her XtremElle BC, but the cap on the inflator came off. We found the cap and the plastic piece with the rubber valve on it. What is missing, it won't hold air now. I'm guessing there was a gasket between the plastic piece and the housing, is anything else missing, would it be possible to get another inflator for this BC.

Answer
Hi Tim

Dacor sold the Extremelle in the years around 2000 so the inflator valve would have been of their newer type called the "pulse inflator".  If so, the cap you mentioned would have looked kind of like a crown with five little raised ridges for grasping.  This valve had a silicone one-way diaphragm valve in a plastic carrier as you mentioned.  It also had an o-ring that fit under the rim of the plastic carrier to create a seal.  the shoulder dump assembly would have also had a plug connected to a stainless steel cable which ran all the way through the corrugated hose to the other end and attached to the inflator valve which you would hold in your hand.  The plug had a stainless steel spring under it which held the plug against the bottom of the plastic carrier.  You should be able to see the plug and the spring if you unscrew the cap and remove the plastic carrier with it's diaphragm valve.

The diaphragm valve kept water from entering the BC at all times and the plug attached to the cable would allow air to escape from the BC only when the cable was pulled by tugging on the inflator hose.  The spring kept the plug snug against the bottom of the plastic carrier which prevented air from escaping from the BC unless the plug was lifted off it's seat by tension on the cable.

If only the cap came off, then you probably only lost the plastic carrier with it's attached silicone valve and the o-ring.  From your description, I think you only need to find an o-ring to replace the one you lost when the cap came off.  

If, however, the cable was not connected to the plug (corrosion could cause it to break)then you may have lost the plug and the spring when the plastic cap came off.  If that's the case then the BC will be incapable of holding air.

Tim, that should cover all the possibilities and I hope it gives you enough information to evaluate your inflator and determine if all the pieces are there.

Dacor was purchased by Mares several years ago so the company is no longer in existence and parts will probably be difficult, if not impossible, to find.  To get a replacement o-ring, I'd suggest taking your inflator to a local dive shop and see if they have an o-ring that will fit that application.  Another possible source would be an industrial rubber and gasket store.  Again, you'll need to try different o-rings to find one that will fit and create a seal.

A third possibility is to find a replacement inflator.  The inflator attaches to the BC using a screw connection with a gasket.  These connections vary considerably by brand and are of different sizes and thread counts so finding one to match your Extremelle may not be possible but its worth a try if all else fails.

Tim, good luck with your problem and I hope your wife doesn't have to give up her Extremelle BC!!

Mike Giles
Mike's Dive Center
mikescuba.com