Inspired by this forum I set out to service my own regulators for the first time today!
* I bought the Vince Harlow book and spent the last week reading it, pretty thoroughly in the overview sections and skimming the deep dives in a few relevant areas.
* I downloaded the PDF schematics for most of the regulators I own from some of the sources referenced here.
* I ordered a few tools most importantly a new Ultrasonic Cleaner, and a gun cleaning kit with brass & nylon brushes. I still need an inside pin spanner but made do with jewelers screwdrivers.
The Ultrasonic made easy work of the clean up and the nasty parts mostly looked brand new with a little extra work from the brushes.
After reassembly and IP testing, it was pretty simple to get it back to a perfect 135 psi IP output. I still need a new OPV but I feel a lot better about using the reg on a regular basis now.
Next project will be to service the 2nd stages. I have some old Mare's 2nd Stages not used in years I'll experiment with. I have a mix of Aqualung and ScubaPro regs we use for breathing and bailout but I'm thinking maybe I should standardize on one setup now to make parts and servicing less complicated.
* I bought the Vince Harlow book and spent the last week reading it, pretty thoroughly in the overview sections and skimming the deep dives in a few relevant areas.
* I downloaded the PDF schematics for most of the regulators I own from some of the sources referenced here.
* I ordered a few tools most importantly a new Ultrasonic Cleaner, and a gun cleaning kit with brass & nylon brushes. I still need an inside pin spanner but made do with jewelers screwdrivers.
So I dove in with a very old Mares MR12 1st stage I've used as an argon / inflation only regulator for many years without servicing. It was NOT in good shape!
It went great! Extremely simple to do and didn't need a parts kit for this reg. It only has one oring and the diaphragms and seats were in decent shape. There was corrosion and build up on almost every part once I took it apart, yet it still put out a good solid IP.
The Ultrasonic made easy work of the clean up and the nasty parts mostly looked brand new with a little extra work from the brushes.
After reassembly and IP testing, it was pretty simple to get it back to a perfect 135 psi IP output. I still need a new OPV but I feel a lot better about using the reg on a regular basis now.
Next project will be to service the 2nd stages. I have some old Mare's 2nd Stages not used in years I'll experiment with. I have a mix of Aqualung and ScubaPro regs we use for breathing and bailout but I'm thinking maybe I should standardize on one setup now to make parts and servicing less complicated.
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