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Hans.H
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Sep 24, 2005 - 04:44am PT
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The double stems were made both by CCE and BD
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Hans.H
Mountain climber
Berkeley, CA
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Sep 24, 2005 - 04:44am PT
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The double stems were made both by CCE and BD
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Polar Sun
Trad climber
Joshua Tree
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Sep 25, 2005 - 02:27pm PT
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One of my regular climbing partners is a mechanical engineer who systematically checks all his gear. Back in 2001 he noticed a fine crack in the cast housing of one of his medium sized Camalot u-stem units. He contacted Black Diamond and asked them if they knew about this phenomena. They said "yes", that they had conducted pull tests on such cracked units, and determined that the cracks had no impact on the rated strength of the units (10 kn, 2250 lbs, if I remember correctly). They still broke at the swage, which is the weakest point on the old u-stem units.
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mark miller
Social climber
Reno
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Sep 25, 2005 - 02:37pm PT
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Well after checking my ol' stuff I found 1st and 2nd generation U stem Camelots with cracks on them, 2,3 and 4. I'm not climbing on them anymore I don't care if BD says they'll still break at the swags before the cracks become a problem. That rope only has a little Knick in the sheath.....right.
Hey Russ do I have to come up with $16.80 and postage?
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bringmedeath
climber
la la land
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Sep 25, 2005 - 02:48pm PT
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This was all talked about in an mid 90s climbing mag. BDs tester wrote something which I can't remember, but I do think it said that it wasn't their problem because it was Chounard.
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fear
Ice climber
hartford, ct
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Sep 26, 2005 - 10:00am PT
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I find it hard to believe that BD wouldn't have issued a warning to check and retire such pieces... I wouldn't expect them to replace 20 year old gear but at least spend the money to issue a warning. They're usually so good about stuff like this....
They didn't start cracked and I'd imagine that those cracks would eventually get larger since something's obviously under too much stress.
-Fear
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Jon Beck
Trad climber
Oceanside
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Jan 15, 2013 - 03:44pm PT
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I just stumbled onto this thread by chance. I bought a set of Camalots, 1-4 when they first came out, mid 80s. Two developed the cracks, CCE had just been made aware of the problem when I called them. I returned my Camalots and got new ones. I was called by the factory, Alex Lowe? maybe, he told me that they had taken all the cracked units and tested them with no failures, and the guys at the company were climbing on them. The replacement units had plastic tubing where the cable went through the body, I assume to stop the cable from putting pressure on the body, my #4 eventually developed a hairline crack, not from falls either. They also told me that there would be no more exchanges.
I still use it, took a short fall on it last weekend, the hairline crack swelled open and then slammed shut, it helps reduce the forces of the fall.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Jan 15, 2013 - 06:13pm PT
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They were well-known to fold, spindle, and mutilate.
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ionlyski
Trad climber
Kalispell, Montana
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Jan 15, 2013 - 06:18pm PT
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Yup, I've got a gold with a major crack in it all the way through in the same spot you indicate. It's not hairline and it's not a crack in the casting. I think it would be disastrous to take a fall on it.
I found it one day (6 years ago) when I decided to do a routine check of all my gear, textbook style. I cut the cable so it can't be used and now I show it to students as an example of what you might find when you inspect your gear.
Honestly, these are pretty old and I wasn't often using the one with the crack anyway. These are at least several generations earlier, not that new is always better but I'd just retire that series or inspect them regularly.
Arne
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vininja
Social climber
NJ
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Jan 16, 2013 - 07:07pm PT
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I remember this.
I think I had 2-3 with "The Crack".
I returned mine in the early nineties (1993). For got how the replacement deal went. I found another a year later and called for a replacement and got wholesale price on a new one.
This story is 20 years old.
I can see lots of current climbers that didn't know about this.
Surprised that the all might WURNER didn't know until 2005.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Jan 16, 2013 - 07:34pm PT
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This story is 20 years old.
Those flingus things sucked back then and still suck now.
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ec
climber
ca
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Jan 16, 2013 - 09:24pm PT
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Definitely old news that I remember there being a notice about. Where were you? Like Polar Sun said, not to worry, it ain't breaking there. The problem was caused during the swedging process.
 ec
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