Rust on Inon 45 Viewfinder pins

Hi everyone,

my inon 45 viewfinder has rust on both of the pins that slotted in to the housing and when i release the VF, the rusty pins fell off, so now the VF is without them. As i attached it back to the housing, it doesn't make the "clicking" sounds anymore when being rotate 90 degree to portrait /vertical position. I use it on my nauticam housing, and as i pump the air out of the housing, it still shows green (ok) light as if nothing is leaking. I have not tho, bring it underwater again with me. Just wondering if this won't leak if I go diving with it again... anyone has any similar experience ?

Thank you for any information.  (foto attached)

Wira

sounds like it is rotating on the sealing o-ring instead of the internal rotation mechanism inside the viewfinder this might be OK for a while but they must design it with its own internal rotation mechanism for a reason. 

You might be able to replace the pins with small socket head cap screws of the right size?  or something similar  it just needs to be small enough to stop the tube that goes in through the seal on the back of the o-ring from rotating.

On 12/13/2020 at 5:59 PM, ChrisRoss said:

sounds like it is rotating on the sealing o-ring instead of the internal rotation mechanism inside the viewfinder this might be OK for a while but they must design it with its own internal rotation mechanism for a reason. 

You might be able to replace the pins with small socket head cap screws of the right size?  or something similar  it just needs to be small enough to stop the tube that goes in through the seal on the back of the o-ring from rotating.

Hi Chris,

Thanks a lot, appreciate for the info, was thinking the same n will try to find and try the socket head cap screws.. I would assume that it should be ok-ish for as along I dont try to rotate it underwater while still have it un-fixed.   

Just this morning, after i dried the vf (from rust-cleaning liquid), it is still not making that same clicking sound from before, when being rotate, but it does make a click (but not as reassuring as before it went rusty). And I tested it again on my housing and  left it for hours with the leak detector on, and it stayed green for a good 3 hours before i turned the detector back off. Just wondering if anybody had any experience diving with their vf in this condition (without those two small metal pins on top and bottom) , and doing ok with it.  

Thanks,

Wira

Just to be clear you'd need to find 316L stainless cap screws I would guess around M2 or M3 size and you would need to drill out the old pins and tap the hole to take the screws.  You would need to check the head will fit in the slot on the collar on the housing .  A specialty fastener store is likely to have them if you have one near you.  Their only function is to stop the tube inserted in the back of the housing from rotating so the rotation mechanism in the viewfinder itself can turn.

I would guess in the meantime that likely you get away with it as is. I seem to recall a post on here from someone using a viewfinder that did not engage the pins, a bit of searching found it:

View archived post in: Nauticam 45 viewfinder.

The relevant bit is in the past couple of replies.  Seems like it is likely to continue to work but maybe check with Bill that his viewfinder rotates on the sealing part rather than the turning mechanism inside the viewfinder.

On 12/16/2020 at 1:10 PM, ChrisRoss said:

Just to be clear you'd need to find 316L stainless cap screws I would guess around M2 or M3 size and you would need to drill out the old pins and tap the hole to take the screws.  You would need to check the head will fit in the slot on the collar on the housing .  A specialty fastener store is likely to have them if you have one near you.  Their only function is to stop the tube inserted in the back of the housing from rotating so the rotation mechanism in the viewfinder itself can turn.

I would guess in the meantime that likely you get away with it as is. I seem to recall a post on here from someone using a viewfinder that did not engage the pins, a bit of searching found it:

View archived post in: Nauticam 45 viewfinder.

The relevant bit is in the past couple of replies.  Seems like it is likely to continue to work but maybe check with Bill that his viewfinder rotates on the sealing part rather than the turning mechanism inside the viewfinder.

Hi Chris,

Thanks a lot, many useful info on the thread ! Im quite reassured now that the VF would be just fine as long as i dont try to rotate it and causing any movement on the o-rings side of the vf.

It's an older model 45 VF, so im using the housing's vf lock ring to fastened it from the inside. I understand the newer model use a special ring lock (bundled) but essentially it functions the same.

I did a soft pull of the vf but it seems like it's locked enough not to fall out by it self mid - dive, if anything as mentioned in the thread you suggested, the vacuum and the underwater pressure would be in favour of pushing the vf further inside and prevent any potential leakage. 

Thanks again Chris.

Wira