Theoben Rapid Forum

What's this for?
It screws into the back of a best fittings bottle valve.
Forgot to replace it after adjusting the pip.
Is it required?
Did ring best fittings technical (twice) but they didn't return my call(s).

not sure why it's there,I never refit them,doesn't make any difference.maybe a bit of a choker.
kevG

I think it's a hangover from copying the original BSA valves,they were heavily choked and the earliest ones had a bronze filter.

OE Theoben valves didn't need to have a second plug to reduce flow.

Perhaps if anything the the Best Fittings spring and seat should be replaced with a longer and softer spring.
That would stop some of the issues where the short spring bottoms out and the seat needs to be backed off.

early 2 piece BSA pip on right
high flow AWT copy made for me by Kevon left 👍

Could be to slow the filling speed ? same as the MDE jubilee cylinder valves have an internal restrictor.

Quite possibly, but I'd lean towards it being throwback to either John Bowkett's over-design of the Superten maybe to reduce the direct airflow on the reg.
Or more of BSAs belt and braces safety requirements.

I was informed that the early brass BSA valves with two piece pips were made that way for safety if the pip failed or the 1/4BSP was inadvertently snapped off it wouldn't dump the air.

Either way unnecessary for Rapids and obviously a questionable addition by BF.