Tell me about the SP Mk2 R195

[tbone1004]

The whole thing of servicing your own regs is you will need tools , parts and documentations.

And yes, fitting the trigger group on a 1911 is harder than servicing regs. Most regs are like working on a Glock. Simple cleaning, parts swap and adjustment.

I used to do service for a local shop. I have my own tools and documents. I only use Scubapro and Atomic to simplify my logistics. I have a dozen sets of regs, I collect them for fun.

It makes sense for me to service my own.

If I only had one set, I would either let somebody reputable service them or I would send them back to the manufacturer for service. It would not be worth the hassle for that amount.

tools required for rebuilding a hog regulator
IP gauge-every diver should have one
Allen keys-every human being should have them in imperial and metric
Adjustable wrench-every human being should have at least one, and every diver should have at least two small ones for hoses
O-ring picks-every diver should have them

Specialty tools:
Pin spanner-pretty cheap at under $15. Also pretty useless outside of scuba, but for $15 it's worth having
If diving yoke, then the yoke sockets help but aren't required, and are $25
Ultrasonic-Harbor Freight has them for $80 and if you're patient, you can get them with a pretty good percentage off. They also do double duty for cleaning your wifes jewelry, so worth having.

So $120 worth of tools, pays for itself after the second service with one regulator set assuming you're diving yoke, and you put the whole depreciation of the US on scuba instead of the "make wife happy" list of tools you have. The list for Scubapro is quite a bit longer for specialty tools, but the Apeks and their clones have a really short list of specialty tools required for service.

Yes there are magnehelic gauges, and inline adjusters and all of that, but it's about what is needed vs. what makes it faster/easier and they just aren't needed

 

[LandonL]

I think the inline adjuster is totally worth it, but maybe thats just me

All jokes aside, yeah a basic kit to service a reg set with isn't very hard or expensive to assemble, as long as its a reg that doesn't require tons of special tools.

Tom's list is pretty much it.

 

[tbone1004]

I think the inline adjuster is totally worth it, but maybe thats just me

All jokes aside, yeah a basic kit to service a reg set with isn't very hard or expensive to assemble, as long as its a reg that doesn't require tons of special tools.

Tom's list is pretty much it.

oh it's totally worth it because it saves a LOT of time when you're tuning the second stages, but it's definitely not required, and at $60 from DGX right now, I'd probably consider it if I replaced all of my Poseidons with something that could use it, but I'd hem and haw for a while. You know all of the tech divers are cheapskates and while a $5k DPV isn't that difficult to swallow, a $60 tool for convenience is :-D

 

[halocline]

For many years I tuned barrel poppet 2nd stages without the inline tool, then someone was nice enough to give me one. It certainly does make the job a bit faster and easier. But if you're only doing a set or two of regulators once every few years, saving 10 minutes is hardly a big deal.

You don't really need an ultrasonic either, it's really just another time saver. Soaking parts in a weak vinegar solution and using small brushes works just as well. In fact I have one of the harbor freight US cleaners and its really not much of an improvement. Maybe a more expensive one would work better.

 

[redacted]

For many years I tuned barrel poppet 2nd stages without the inline tool, then someone was nice enough to give me one. It certainly does make the job a bit faster and easier. But if you're only doing a set or two of regulators once every few years, saving 10 minutes is hardly a big deal.

In a way it is like trying to save 10 minutes of foreplay.

A torque wrench (or two) is another item you need to consider. With brass threads and some fairly light specs, over torquing can be a big problem

 

[tbone1004]

In a way it is like trying to save 10 minutes of foreplay.

A torque wrench (or two) is another item you need to consider. With brass threads and some fairly light specs, over torquing can be a big problem

I can honestly say I've never seen someone outside of a reg course use a torque wrench. Most everything has torque specs to keep you from overtorqueing as you alluded to as opposed to making sure it is tight enough. "snug" is a great definition and once someone teaches you that definition, it covers just about everything

 

[redacted]

I can honestly say I've never seen someone outside of a reg course use a torque wrench. Most everything has torque specs to keep you from overtorqueing as you alluded to as opposed to making sure it is tight enough. "snug" is a great definition and once someone teaches you that definition, it covers just about everything

Snug works with many connections as long as they are checked regularly. But it will not work well with din/yoke retainers. They are easily loosened in normal use and handling if not properly torqued. Another item is the swivel retainer on regs with a swivel turret. With Scubapro regs, these are speced at 35 in-lb (3 ft-lb) with the brass retainer (twice that with the SS retainer) and just not easily accessed for checking. Just not a lot of room between too loose to reliably hold and too tight resulting in possible thread damage. That retainer is also known as the "Jesus Nut" for a good reason.

 

[tbone1004]

Snug works with many connections as long as they are checked regularly. But it will not work well with din/yoke retainers. They are easily loosened in normal use and handling if not properly torqued. Another item is the swivel retainer on regs with a swivel turret. With Scubapro regs, these are speced at 35 in-lb (3 ft-lb) with the brass retainer (twice that with the SS retainer) and just not easily accessed for checking. Just not a lot of room between too loose to reliably hold and too tight resulting in possible thread damage. That retainer is also known as the "Jesus Nut" for a good reason.

I haven't had any issues with the yoke since they don't rotate, but I've had plenty of din screws loosen up over time and that is actually the reason that I'm getting a 1/4" drive torque wrench so I don't have to double check them before every trip. Never had an issue with the turrets loosening up though, but have heard of a couple even from the factory

 

[halocline]

The problem with the old SP turret retainers was not that they would be too loose, its that they would be damaged due to over-torquing. Same thing with the older style yoke/DIN retainers for the MK20.

I read somewhere that studies have shown that most mechanics end up over-torquing when they try to tighten to a torque spec by feel.

For sure I use a torque wrench on the turret retainers and yoke/DIN retainers.

 

[BoltSnap]

What torque wrenches do you folks use? (pic/link). I am here in Libya where one can't find any torque wrenches and I'd like to order relevant torque wrenches from the US.