Opening a Mk5

[halocline]

That o-ring pick has a nice curve to it and is not likely to scratch your reg provided you're careful. Dental picks are very sharp and are shaped to work on teeth, not to extract o-rings.

You could get a brass o-ring pick which supposedly is less likely to scratch the brass reg body, but I like the double hook curve. For delicate areas like the HP o-ring in a MK5, you can put the pick in and spear the o-ring, twisting it out without ever contacting the seating groove in the reg.

 

[redacted]

Once you get the MK5 body apart, you're going to need another type of spanner to get the HP seat retainer out and a bullet to get the piston back in. .

For many years, I used a pair of bent nose pliers to engage the 2 small holes in the HP seat retainer. Amazon.com: Michigan Industrial Tools MIT Tool 6-1/2" 90° Bent Nose Pliers: Home Improvement. Craftsman makes a very nice pair. You will see other options if you search "pin spanner" on ebay. I now have a J.L. Williams tool that has both but I don't find any ID number on it. But I do remember that I got it in a lot of scuba stuff (parts) on ebay.

OK, with a magnifying glass I think I see a "454" on the tool.

 

[halocline]

I imagine there are lots of bicycle tools and general spanners/plyers that will work fine. For $35 you can get the SP tool which does a lot of things. I like to save a buck as much as the next guy (more than most, actually) but I don't regret buying the SP tool.

 

[oceancurrent]

Did you read Vance Harlow's Regulator Maintenance and Repair manual (http://www.airspeedpress.com/)? Regulator repair has some fine point you need to be aware of! I wouldn't try working on regs before getting the basics down. It's not rocket science, but it's actually quite easy to destroy a reg in a number of ways.

 

[Zung]

Let's put it this way: for sure you need a face spanner to deal with the seat retainer. I followed couv's lead and got a watch opener for $10. With a hook spanner, your total investment is $20. But this one take a few weeks to come.

The Scubatools tool is cool because you can also deal with the knurly nut fitted on the later SP 2nd, so it's 3 tools in one, and a bit cheaper that 3 separate tools. But your 109 has a hex nut, so you don't need the 3rd tool.

You can easily make your own o-ring pick with a brass or soldering rod.

Finally, most of the damage done to the reg is because the tool slips. If you have the proper stuff that fit well, the risk is contained, even if it's made of steel. I never scratched anything with the hook spanner and the watch opener. I did messed up a knurly nut with a rag wrapped around it and some pliers, so I got the Scubatools "Just a wrench".

 

[aquaregia]

Yeah, I got Vance's book. It's written really well, and I love the format of it. As someone who reads sort of a lot of textbooks, I really appreciate the tutelage and repetition; most textbooks are too concerned about saving pages to bother reinforcing the core ideas as necessary.

Cheers guys, I'm pretty convinced on the Scubatools tool now Just gotta make some calls and make sure I can get HP seats.

 

[Couv]

yeah....I used that watch opener, strap wrenches, rag & pliers for a while, but as others have pointed out, the Multi-wrench is very handy. Having said that, it is NOT sturdy nor precise enough to open up a regulator that is as resistant as the one you described....follow Awaps hot/cold formula and Zung's advice and get a sturdy pin spanner.

One more thing. Take out all the port plugs, hoses, filter everything you can remove to allow HOT water to seep in.

c

 

[aquaregia]

I left the dustcap on and ports plugged out of habit. I guess seeing as I'm going to break it down that's kind of silly. I'll open 'er all the way up tonight.

 

[Zung]

Yep. Since it's gonna take at least a few days before your orders arrive, soak your reg in a plastic tray. I use Tupperware clones with near water tight lids that're really handy. A few drops of dish washing liquid wouldn't hurt. For the hot/cold treatment, I just throw the reg in the freezer and then give it a hot bath.

 

[Couv]

How about an update?