Weakling needs tips for torque

[hypertech]

There is a difference between in lbs and ft lbs.

 

[mrfixitchapman]

Actually, the specs say 266 inch-lbs. And I don't find it an easy one handed torque despite the fact that I'm not a little girl.

266 inch-lbs = 22.16 foot-lbs.

266 inch-pounds = 30.05 newton-meters, ( if you want to get metric)

However loosening the nut will require more force than tightening the nut. Without going into a long discussion about breakloose versus prevailing torque, it just works that way most of the time.

DC

 

[mrfixitchapman]

Also - remember that if you mess around with regulators you will die. Mine have killed me several times.

Dc

 

[halocline]

If you're not holding the reg in a vise or some other method that holds it firmly in place, that's your problem. Unless the yoke nut is WAAAAYYY too tight, you should have zero problem breaking it loose with an 18" torque wrench. You can pick up a scuba tank, can't you? That's at least twice the arm strength as you should need to loosen/tighten a yoke nut.

If that doesn't work, try an air wrench or maybe some dynamite....

I just thought of something, you're not tightening yoke nuts to 266 ft/lbs, are you? You do realize that 266 in/lbs is only a little over 20 ft/lbs, which is not much more than a good snug.

 

[Quero]

There is a difference between in lbs and ft lbs.

If you're not holding the reg in a vise or some other method that holds it firmly in place, that's your problem. Unless the yoke nut is WAAAAYYY too tight, you should have zero problem breaking it loose with an 18" torque wrench. You can pick up a scuba tank, can't you? That's at least twice the arm strength as you should need to loosen/tighten a yoke nut. If that doesn't work, try an air wrench or maybe some dynamite.... I just thought of something, you're not tightening yoke nuts to 266 ft/lbs, are you? You do realize that 266 in/lbs is only a little over 20 ft/lbs, which is not much more than a good snug.

Obviously. (I can, in fact, multiply and divide.) It's simply the case that the specs give the value in in-lbs and not ft-lbs. My wrench is also numbered like that. And no, I'm not tightening to 266 ft-lbs. Would it even be possible to set the wrench to that value? The highest number on my wrench is 350 in-lbs.

Yes, I can pick up a scuba tank. Nevertheless, I don't find it an easy one-handed torque despite the fact that I'm not a little girl.

I believe dynamite would damage the reg. And I can't afford an air wrench for the number of regs I need to service.
I'll invest in a vise instead and hope that solves the issue. I may also try the Swiss-Boot method!

Thanks again to everybody

 

[Scott]

I prefer a smooth jaw vise, less damage to the first stage. If a smooth jaw is not available you can insert a thin pieces of wood in front of the jaws.

 

[Kupu]

Have you tried the method mentioned by Zung on page 3? Although I bought a bench vise several years ago, it never gets used it any more, and I have not yet needed a cheater bar. Putting one foot on the 1st stage body to keep it from moving and then putting body weight/pressure on the arm of the wrench with the other foot has been the solution that works best for me.

 

[Zung]

... I'm not strong enough to apply the amount of force necessary while holding the regulator with one hand and pulling the wrench with the other...

Aha! Now I know. I don't think a lot of guys can do that, maybe John Rambo.

You need to split the job: use a vise to hold the reg, or, if you don't want to wait until tomorrow, use you foot, check my pic above.

 

[Quero]

Aha! Now I know. I don't think a lot of guys can do that, maybe John Rambo.

You need to split the job: use a vise to hold the reg, or, if you don't want to wait until tomorrow, use you foot, check my pic above.

Thanks for that! I figured there was some low-tech method I could try. Since it's now 25 minutes to midnight, I'll wait until tomorrow regardless, but now maybe I won't have nightmares about yoke nuts.

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I would recommend only using the torque wrench to tighten the yoke nut. Use a different tool to loosen the yoke nut. I've also used a large wrench with jaws large enough to reach around one side of the yoke.

As others have pointed out, slipping a length of pipe over the end of the torque wrench (cheater bar setup) will increase the actual torque applied to the yoke nut. You'll need to re-do your torque calculations for that.

If you find that you are exerting excessive force to loosen the part in question, perhaps there is some corrosion/deposits which are preventing removal. In this case, it might make sense to resort to the soak and/or hot-cold methods.

If you're servicing multiple regs on a regular basis, a benchtop vise and first stage handle will make your life so much easier.
As already mentioned, those wooden reg boxes work great, too. The reg gets wedged into the box, and the box is secured in a vise. The wood minimizes the chance of marring the surface of the reg.
Instead of a first stage handle, a spent threaded CO2 cartridge can be screwed into a first stage port so that you have something to grip to prevent the reg from turning while you try to remove the yoke nut.

Nowadays all of my regs are DIN-configured. Removal of the DIN connector is done quite easily with the short end of an allen wrench. Upon re-assembly, I trap the reg in a small scrap of carpet, secure the bundle by stepping on it, and tighten using the torque wrench. No vise needed...as this is just a modified version of the Zung boot method. FWIW, I use the same method with the end caps and diaphragm clamps.

Let us know how it goes...