Although a vise will probably not work a lathe chuck might give you a good grip without much damage. Wrap it in some self adhering silicone tape first.
Any tips for removing a stuck Hollis Reg Cover?
- Thread starter CuzzA
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walkonmars
Contributor
I have a Hollis 212 myself and see your problem. I would still use a rubber strap wrench. Find a plastic pipe or soup can about on eighth to one quarter inch or so smaller diameter than the cover diameter. Place this on top of the cover and then wrap your rubber strap wrench over it to give you support so the strap does not slip off. If you do finally get the cover off, you are able to grind the outer perimeter of the cover lip to have two opposing flats to allow a large crescent wrench or jaws of a vise (soft ones with plastic or wood liners, please!) to grip it the next time it comes off. I agree with the recommendation to soak it for several days in fresh water before you try to turn it again. The sonication would help because the sonic impulses will travel through the material and hopefully pulverize the crusty buildup and allow water to penetrate deeper into crevices. Another last resort option is to drill the holes (or grind the flats) as told in an earlier post. You can drill two opposing holes (on eighth of an inch diameter) so the diameter just meets the mating surface of the body. You must do this using a drillpress and a stub drill to start the hole and finish with the proper size drill. Trying to drill the hole on the slanted body laterally through will definitely cause the drill to walk and miss the correct location. Do not drill deeper than 3/16". Any deeper and you hit the rubber cover liner. The spanner wrench must be a "captive" type that compresses the pin so it does not slip out. I machined one to help spin off first stage diaphragm covers. (A photo is attached) In a pinch, you can just make one out of wood with a drill and router, then use a screw and nut for the pin. If the regulator is yours, only, then the extra holes are just a maintenance aid and won't hurt performance if done right. Heck, the cover has holes in the front to let in water drain out, anyway.
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Skinsfan0260
Registered
Try using some duck tape. Soak it fisrt to try and dissolve the salt or chlorine. Next take a strip of duck tape. Tape it along the edge of the ring in a counter clockwise motion, as far as you can. Twist the rest into a handle and you should have something that looks a bit like a strap wrench. Pull and hopefully it unscrews
OP
CuzzA
Wetwork for Hire
Though I'd come back and update... Apparently patience is the solution. Well for me anyway. Every once in a while I'll give the face plates a twist to see if they'll come off. Sure enough, last night every one of them twisted off. I'm thinking maybe the temperature in my garage was just perfect to allow me to get them off.
Scared Silly
Contributor
FWIW There is this Atomic Ti2/B2 Rim Clamp for their regs.
Sounds like something similar is need for the Hollis regs
Sounds like something similar is need for the Hollis regs
I came across this thread when I decided it was time to service all my Hollis regulators, and found I could not open ANY of the second stages. I work with a local shop, and the tech there coun;t get them open, either. We did all we could.
He contact Ollis/Huish, and we got the official word: I must have crossthreaded all of them. That must be true of everyone in this thread, too. You all crossthreaded the darn things. Shame on you all! The only solution is to work harder at turning them, you stupid fools!
You can be sure I am not happy.
He contact Ollis/Huish, and we got the official word: I must have crossthreaded all of them. That must be true of everyone in this thread, too. You all crossthreaded the darn things. Shame on you all! The only solution is to work harder at turning them, you stupid fools!
You can be sure I am not happy.
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ams511
Contributor
Stupid Question: But how can you cross-thread the box tops if this is the first time you opened them?
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Yes, if in doubt blame the user. Hollis has been on my naughty list for some time now. This thread did nothing to make me wanna remove them from it. Now they are on my very naughty list. Sounds like a royal PITA.
- Messages
- 17,527
- Reaction score
- 9,768
- Location
- Somewhere between here and there
- # of dives
- 2500 - 4999
ams511
Contributor
I could be wrong but I thought the Hollis regulators (except for the re-branded Omegas) were made by ODS, the same company that makes the HOG and some others. I never heard of this problem with the HOGs. I did notice that Hollis changed the design of the second stages, I wonder if this is why.
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