Adjustment knob on HOG 2nd stage stuck

[WhiteSands]

Hi all,
The adjustment knob on my HOG D1 2nd stage is stuck. I am not sure if it is stuck fully open or closed, I think it's closed because it's the one on the necklace.

I've tried soaking it in fresh water and tried to turn it (thinking it's salt encrusted causing it to jam) but no luck.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

 

[Tony387]

It seems that having it serviced is the only real option you have, especially if you think that salt buildup is causing the problem. I would concerned about the internal parts as well.

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[pensacolaracer]

You may not want to hear it, but all three of mine did the exact same thing.

They got a fresh water rinse after every dive as well.

I don't use them, but grabbing them and twisting with pliers set them free. Fwiw.

As far as I'm concerned, their 2nd stages are absolute crap.


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[ams511]

Hi all,
The adjustment knob on my HOG D1 2nd stage is stuck. I am not sure if it is stuck fully open or closed, I think it's closed because it's the one on the necklace.

I've tried soaking it in fresh water and tried to turn it (thinking it's salt encrusted causing it to jam) but no luck.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

Take the barrel out of the case and:

Soak in very warm water to try to dissolve the salt.

If you suspect salt I would also suspect corrosion to submerge in a bath of 50% white vinegar and water. Check often because it can dissolve the chrome but it is very effective.

Freeze the barrel (put in plastic bag and place in freezer) and then hold the barrel and try to work the knob free. Use a cloth to hold the knob because you want your body heat to heat the barrel (and expand it) not the knob.

You can try alternate hot-cold treatments and work the knob after each. Again put the barrel in a bag and alternate between hot water and a freezer or ice bath.

I would advise servicing after you unstick the knob.

---------- Post added April 6th, 2014 at 09:00 PM ----------

You may not want to hear it, but all three of mine did the exact same thing.

They got a fresh water rinse after every dive as well.

I don't use them, but grabbing them and twisting with pliers set them free. Fwiw.

I don't recommend the pliers treatment, hand pressure should be sufficient.

Regulators should be soaked in warm water before storage, not just rinsed.

Hog second stages have been discussed ad nauseam on SB. One of the problems that has been identified is the lack of lubrication when these regs leave the factory. This is either do to laziness from the manufacturer or because these regs are marketed to technical divers who tend to use higher oxygen concentrations which can combust excess grease. I am not a tech but just a DIY but I would suggest thinly lubricating the knob before reassembly so the problem does not happen again.

 

[WhiteSands]

You may not want to hear it, but all three of mine did the exact same thing.

They got a fresh water rinse after every dive as well.

I don't use them, but grabbing them and twisting with pliers set them free. Fwiw.

As far as I'm concerned, their 2nd stages are absolute crap.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow, that sounds bad. I have 4 of them, all less than 1 year old. They have been rinsed and soaked for 24 hours after every dive.

Don't think I will take a plier to them because I am not sure which direction they are stuck. Probably bring it in for service then.

---------- Post added April 7th, 2014 at 02:24 PM ----------

Take the barrel out of the case and:

Soak in very warm water to try to dissolve the salt.

If you suspect salt I would also suspect corrosion to submerge in a bath of 50% white vinegar and water. Check often because it can dissolve the chrome but it is very effective.

Freeze the barrel (put in plastic bag and place in freezer) and then hold the barrel and try to work the knob free. Use a cloth to hold the knob because you want your body heat to heat the barrel (and expand it) not the knob.

You can try alternate hot-cold treatments and work the knob after each. Again put the barrel in a bag and alternate between hot water and a freezer or ice bath.

I would advise servicing after you unstick the knob.

---------- Post added April 6th, 2014 at 09:00 PM ----------



I don't recommend the pliers treatment, hand pressure should be sufficient.

Regulators should be soaked in warm water before storage, not just rinsed.

Hog second stages have been discussed ad nauseam on SB. One of the problems that has been identified is the lack of lubrication when these regs leave the factory. This is either do to laziness from the manufacturer or because these regs are marketed to technical divers who tend to use higher oxygen concentrations which can combust excess grease. I am not a tech but just a DIY but I would suggest thinly lubricating the knob before reassembly so the problem does not happen again.

Thanks for the detailed and excellent advice. I'll give it a try.

 

[Centrals]

Take the barrel out and ultra sound it for few minutes in water. You might be lucky.
I have no idea what the barrel look like but if it is very similar to Apeks then there is a small retaining pin holding the adjusting knob. If you can push out the pin then you might be able to use a pair of plier to turn the knob.
I have the same problem with my Apeks 2nd stages occasionally. Lubrication as suggested make a big difference. I turn the knob all the way out before storage.

Hope this help. Good luck.

 

[Fishpie]

Although not recommended the channel lock trick will be fine for a relatively new reg like the HOG......try turning the knob both ways to free it up.

Vinegar soak and US bath followed by generous lubing of threads and o ring of knob the better method.....most regulators come woefully under lubed from the factory in my opinion.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

What I often see on seconds that are sticky, stuck, or frozen is that there is a build up of fine salt on the knob threads and around the pin. Over the last couple years that number has gone down as my customers begin to use the techniques I recommend for rinsing after saltwater dives.
Notice the word rinse, not soak. Soaking loosens up the salt. And puts it in suspension in the water. So the longer you soak it without changing the water and rinsing it, the longer you give that salt to work into tiny places.
Lubing the o ring and threads is critical for salt water dives yes but you don't want to overdo it. That traps dirt, silt, and fine sand.
The best method I have found is to soak the seconds in warm water in a sink or other container after running freshwater over them. Swish them around, change the water and repeat while turning the knobs and moving the lever, rinse again with running freshwater, and hang to dry. If you can put them on tank and purge them a few times as well. Use the knob and breathe them. Then hang to dry. The difference in how they look when I get them on the bench is striking. Any reg will soon turn to crap if you do not properly care for it.

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[LeadTurn_SD]

This issue is not a "HOG" problem, it is a common problem with all adjustable barrel poppet 2nd stages. I've had it happen on my Scubapro and Zeagle 2nd stages...

Fine threads + salt water + lack of adequate lubrication barrier + inadequate fresh water soaking = Stuck Knob.

The threads on an adjusting knob are maybe the only part on a regulator that I lubricate "liberally". There needs to be a lubricant barrier between the threads.... especially if you are only doing a quick rinse and not soaking the 2nd stages. A quick squirt with a hose is probably not adequate to get at the salt water that crept up the adjuster knob threads during the dive. When the reg dries, if salt is present and if there is not a lubricant barrier, the salt water effectively "glues" the knob threads and barrel threads together.

Best wishes.

 

[SeaCobra]

I've been ding the wrecks of NJ for 30 years and have never had this problem and my idea of rinsing my gear is going diving in a freshwater lake/quarry. The likely culprit to your issue is some sort of build up and/or corrosion in the threads. An ultrasonic bath for a few minutes should loosen, or try a warm water soak. If still no luck you might stand the barrel on end and try a few drops of a penetrating lubricant. Naturally, when you do get it to move a complete service is recommended.