Quick question on the proper way to install hoses into the regulator.

[billfrombyron]

Basically how much should I tighten it? I know that the hoses use a O-ring, but is thread sealer required, or just tighten and go?

As to the torque, how much force should I use? Conventional wisdom says to go the standard tight and a quarter, but is this enough or too much?

Sorry to ask, but my manual isn't helping me with a answer.

Regulator is question is a new Aeris Ion with swivel hose. I'm taking a dive first thing in the morning and just want to make sure everything is ok!

Thanks in advance!

-Byron

 

[irishsquid]

I'm not a reg tech and others may correct me if I'm wrong. I tighten mine by hand and then just a little cinch with a wrench. It doesn't take much and I haven't had any problems. I changed/installed all my hoses on 4 1st stages and one hasn't loosened or leaked.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

What Jimi said. Do not use any kind of thread sealer unless you want to void the warranty on the reg and make it likely that whoever takes the hose off the next time ruins the fitting. The oring should already be on the hose. Just make sure there is no dirt, dust, animal hair, etc on it. If it came on the hose there is already a very thin film of lube on it. DO not put more on. Tighten by hand and just snug it til it stops using the smallest wrench you have. Torque and reg hoses are not usually two words that should be used together. The reg body is brass. trying to torque it will make it very likely that you'll screw up the threads.

Just out of curiosity where did you buy the reg that it was not assembled for you? Every reg I sell, unless the customer specifies otherwise, is assembled and bench tested before it ships. At no extra charge.

 

[billfrombyron]

Thanks Irish and Jim!

Jim I was speaking of thread tape, not LocTite!

Everything went smoothly and it seems to be working well. The real test will come tomorrow morning.

Fingers crossed for no leaks tomorrow!

As the LDS in this country charge 3-5X normal US LDS prices, I went with Leisure pro.

Perfect example, my Sherwood 2 gauge cluster (metric) here is priced at 1100 DHS or 300 US dollars. Love'em or hate'em, leisure pro ships international, most other sites don't for reasonable rates.

-Bill

 

[JahJahwarrior]

Jim, I can't fit the smallest wrench I have onto the reg hose.

I know lots of people use the phrase "torque it" to describe tightening something as tight as they can, but I know you know there is a proper amount of torque to use on these fittings. Perhaps since you have so much experience assembling regulators, you can tell the OP what the proper torque is? I suspect it's not much, and I'm in the same boat as another respondent: tighten it just a cinch and it seems to work. You don't want it coming loose, but it doesn't take much torque to keep it from loosening.

I'm sure we are all happy that you assemble all the regulators you sell, but you have to understand that not all of us buy regulators from you. We buy used, or we buy in pieces. We upgrade a second stage here or there. A second stage is freeflowing and we don't have a magnehelic with us so we borrow one from an extra stage reg and retune at home later. We don't feel the need to rely on a dive shop to do a very basic mechanical task. We change our own oil, maybe our own brake pads and shoes, so we figure unscrewing a plug and screwing in a hose shouldn't be a big deal. Then, we go in to a shop that keeps screwing up simple rebuild jobs (or in one recent case, returned a doubles setup with second stages on the wrong hoses), refuses to work on gear we didn't purchase from them, or wants an obscene fee to use a wrench for one minute, and don't forget the gas you use and the fact that it takes longer to drive to the shop than to put on the second stage. Some of us have great shops and do it because we like to be self sufficient.

Heck, some of us even perform blasphemy and do it with a monkey wrench! I'm about to go do it with a monkey wrench right now. And I'm gonna use a din to yoke adaptor on a tank of air that was filled 5 years ago to go on a deep dive with a max depth of 20 feet...

 

[irishsquid]

No need for thread tape. The O-ring is the seal.

 

[irishsquid]

By the way, I also use a small wrench (4" crescent wrench) with just a twist of the wrist so I don't overtighten. You definitely don't want to use an Alabama Torque Wrench (Appropriate size wrench w/a 3ft. piece of pipe extension. Pull until the end of the pipe gets egg shaped = proper torque).

 

[billfrombyron]

For what its worth I am an Airframe and power plant mechanic, I have a tendency to do my own work on just about everything, just because I can.

I didn't know if there was a magical torque number, but after Irish and Jim's suggestion I used the stand by tight plus a quarter turn.

The main thing I was worried about is.....getting it too loose, and also not overly tight. I did not use the Alabama torque wrench, just a simple snap on 15mm did the trick.

Thanks again for all the replies!

-Byron

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Torque on any of that stuff shouldn't be any more than a few inch pounds, that's just a hair past hand tighten.
Get one of those scuba tools with the fold out wrenches etc. They work good, they are compact, and are all you really need.

 

[irishsquid]

For what its worth I am an Airframe and power plant mechanic, I have a tendency to do my own work on just about everything, just because I can...I did not use the Alabama torque wrench, just a simple snap on 15mm did the trick.

Thanks again for all the replies!

-Byron

I think you will be fine!