Aquatica 5D MarkII O ring is hard to remove

I have found the Aquatica 5D MarkII housing O-ring to be a bear to get out. Much more so than my old Aquatica 20D housing. I have normally used a stiff plastic card to pry these out but I just can't seem to find something with enough strength to get this sucker out without resorting to a very careful tiny screwdriver. Has anyone had similar issues and can anyone recommend a good tool as I do not like my current approach.

Chris

A guitar pick works really well. (they come in many thicknesses.)

take care,

ChrisS

I had a similar difficulty removing the O-ring for my Aquatica D7000 housing, so I picked this up from B&H, and it has helped a lot:

Sea & Sea O-Ring Removal Tool

indeed I had the same issue when I upgraded my D200-D700. I assume there's a tiny little notch in the corner to at least get a tool in. Even with the notch its tough as the oring's really tight. I use this plastic 'spudger' I got with a kit from ifixit.com when doing some ipod surgery a few years ago. Works great. I imagine a guitar pick could work too.

Also be careful when replacing the oring. Since it can't freely slide around when mounted, if you don't set the oring very evenly, it could end up stretched in some spots and squeezed in others. So don't just push it back in by sliding your finger along the oring groove with constant pressure, that'll stretch it. Lay it over the grove and just push in a little bit at a time. Dunno if that makes sense but its not tough to figure out.

Cheers,

Chris

Thanks for all the very good ideas. The "spudger" seems like a good one. Something for opening iPhones it seems. I will give that a try and let you all know.

CCD

Get a set of brass O-ring picks. They are inexpensive and will last a life time. Being brass they won t damage your O-ring grooves. Useful for your regulators too.

eg http://www.amazon.com/Brass-O-Ring-Pick-Pc-Set/dp/B001RSAJ5U

Erol

Get a set of brass O-ring picks. They are inexpensive and will last a life time. Being brass they won t damage your O-ring grooves. Useful for your regulators too.

 

eg http://www.amazon.com/Brass-O-Ring-Pick-Pc-Set/dp/B001RSAJ5U

These look great. Have you had any problem with "stabbing" your o-ring or otherwise taking a chunk out of it when using them? (I, too, have had difficulty removing my housing body o-ring and am always looking for an easier way.)

-Gina

Frequent removal and cleaning of the backplate o-ring is not necessary, according to Jean Bruneau, of Aquatica. You only need to examine the surface of the ring for debris. It is so wedged into the housing channel that it is fairly impervious to the debris that a standard port o-ring is susceptible to. Frequent removal of the compression o-ring is more likely to cause more damage and potential failure than is leaving it in. I remove and clean mine about every 6 months or so, or after about every 100 dives.

In the old days of the Nikonos V's picks like these were widely used. Too many accidental cuts to the o rings stopped many from using them. I am surprised you couldn't remove it with a credit card. Will look into some of the other suggestions but would never take a chance on one of those metal picks.

Steve

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas. I went with the plastic "spudger". Will let you know how it goes.

CCD

Don't remove an o-ring unless you have a spare handy. Just in case seal is damaged on removal.