Regulator Testing Equipment

[WhiteSands]

I read through the service manual for my regs, it seems I need a source of clean filtered air of varying pressures to test my regs after servicing. Bad news is it says to start the test with 300PSI, then ramp it up to 3000PSI.

For someone who lives in an apartment with a limited budget, what kind of equipment can I purchase from scubatools to allow me to do this, along with a fresh cylinder of air filled to 3000PSI?

I am thinking it may be possible to just turn on the valve on the tank very slowly. Will this work well enough?

Also, what is the function of this tool?

https://www.scubatools.com/p-540-dual-drive-inline-adjusting-tool.aspx

Thanks.

PS: I am planning to buy the Regulator Saavy book with the tools at one go to save on shipping, so I have not read the book yet. But I'd like to work out all the tools I will be needing at one go, appreciate any help I can get.

 

[redacted]

I read through the service manual for my regs, it seems I need a source of clean filtered air of varying pressures to test my regs after servicing. Bad news is it says to start the test with 300PSI, then ramp it up to 3000PSI.

For someone who lives in an apartment with a limited budget, what kind of equipment can I purchase from scubatools to allow me to do this, along with a fresh cylinder of air filled to 3000PSI?

I am thinking it may be possible to just turn on the valve on the tank very slowly. Will this work well enough?

Also, what is the function of this tool?

https://www.scubatools.com/p-540-dual-drive-inline-adjusting-tool.aspx

Thanks.

PS: I am planning to buy the Regulator Saavy book with the tools at one go to save on shipping, so I have not read the book yet. But I'd like to work out all the tools I will be needing at one go, appreciate any help I can get.

When I service a regulator, I check IP with a full tank and then check at various lower pressures after I turn the tank off and bleed it down. It is good to note how much IP changes with tank pressure but there is not much you can do about it. When I do the occasional inspection of a regulator I have been using, I just use whatever tank pressure I have available to make sure IP is in the range I prefer.

 

[herman]

Unless I am servicing an old unbalanced diaphragm reg (you are not likely to encounter one) I just use a 3000 tank. The big key is to have an IP gauge and some form of relief valve (a second stage works fine) connected to the first stage before you pressurize it and when you pressurize DO IT SLOWLY so you can stop the pressure if it goes past your stopping point....I typically will not let one go past 160 psi. The tools you have linked to is a second stage adjustment tool. It is a "nice to have" for the DIY tech. Without one you will have to adjust, install hose, test, remove hose, adjust again, replace hose and test (repeat as necessary) a second stage until you get it right. With a little practice you can usually get it done in 2 or 3 passes. They are nice to have but if budget is a concern, save the cash for more useful tools.

 

[halocline]

When I service a regulator, I check IP with a full tank and then check at various lower pressures after I turn the tank off and bleed it down. It is good to note how much IP changes with tank pressure but there is not much you can do about it.

This is what I do too. I wonder where I learned that trick?

 

[scubastingray]

What torque wrench do you use with reg rebuilds? The one on Scubatools is quite expensive (well it is for someone who will rebuild a reg or two a year).

 

[raftingtigger]

What torque wrench do you use with reg rebuilds? The one on Scubatools is quite expensive (well it is for someone who will rebuild a reg or two a year).

The one in my tool shed. -- Something bought years ago at a hardware store.

Make sure it is one designed for the torque range you need.

 

[buddhasummer]

What torque wrench do you use with reg rebuilds? The one on Scubatools is quite expensive (well it is for someone who will rebuild a reg or two a year).

I use a Norbar TT20 3/8. More because it was the only name brand I recognized and could buy locally. It works fine. Was around $100 from memory.

 

[scubastingray]

The one in my tool shed. -- Something bought years ago at a hardware store.

Make sure it is one designed for the torque range you need.

that could be bad. Here's old faithful for me.
Sears.com

 

[herman]

This has been the subject of a lot of debate in the DIY section over the years. I don't use one on regs and don’t think it is necessary, here is my logic. A torque wrench is needed in 2 instances, where a bolt pattern needs equal torque on all the bolts or when a specific torque is needed for mechanical reasons, neither are the case in a scuba reg. Since orings do the sealing, once they are finger tight, any more mechanical force on the connection is irrelevant from a sealing perspective. More torque does not equal more sealing, in fact if an oring seal does not seal with finger tightening there is something wrong, a bad oring or some kind of issue in the seal, adding more torque is the last thing you want to do. Since sealing is not an issue, the only reason to tighten a connection past finger tight is to prevent it from coming loose during use, this only requires a slight bit more torque and I think that is the key.....a SLIGHT BIT. Reg parts are relatively soft brass but many times they are fairly large in size, the common yoke nozzle is often 7/8 or 1 inch. A less then educated tech may get the impression that since they are large and "hold back a lot of pressure" then they "must be really tight" which leads them to incorrectly crank down hard on the fitting (or worse try to make one seal that really needs an oring replaced). Because the nuts are wide, the corresponding wrench is going to be long giving a lot of leverage to a gorilla tech. A lot of leverage and an incorrect mindset are a bad combination for soft brass. Contrary to what is obvious, the torque wrench is required to prevent the uneducated tech from over tightening, not under tightening as you might expect. So, as long as you understand this point and keep have some experience turning wrenches all that is necessary is to go easy on the fittings, simply snug them up to the point where they will not come loose in use. A torque wrench is not needed as long as you have an educated tech doing the work..

 

[redacted]

This has been the subject of a lot of debate in the DIY section over the years. I don't use one on regs and don’t think it is necessary, here is my logic. A torque wrench is needed in 2 instances, where a bolt pattern needs equal torque on all the bolts or when a specific torque is needed for mechanical reasons, neither are the case in a scuba reg. Since orings do the sealing, once they are finger tight, any more mechanical force on the connection is irrelevant from a sealing perspective. More torque does not equal more sealing, in fact if an oring seal does not seal with finger tightening there is something wrong, a bad oring or some kind of issue in the seal, adding more torque is the last thing you want to do. Since sealing is not an issue, the only reason to tighten a connection past finger tight is to prevent it from coming loose during use, this only requires a slight bit more torque and I think that is the key.....a SLIGHT BIT. Reg parts are relatively soft brass but many times they are fairly large in size, the common yoke nozzle is often 7/8 or 1 inch. A less then educated tech may get the impression that since they are large and "hold back a lot of pressure" then they "must be really tight" which leads them to incorrectly crank down hard on the fitting (or worse try to make one seal that really needs an oring replaced). Because the nuts are wide, the corresponding wrench is going to be long giving a lot of leverage to a gorilla tech. A lot of leverage and an incorrect mindset are a bad combination for soft brass. Contrary to what is obvious, the torque wrench is required to prevent the uneducated tech from over tightening, not under tightening as you might expect. So, as long as you understand this point and keep have some experience turning wrenches all that is necessary is to go easy on the fittings, simply snug them up to the point where they will not come loose in use. A torque wrench is not needed as long as you have an educated tech doing the work..

I watched a very experience boat mechanic do a tune-up one time and asked him why he did not use a torque wrench when installing spark plugs (aluminum head). He said he did not need one. When I got home, I got out my torque wrench and found plugs torqued anywhere from about 12 ft-lb to 24 ft-lb. The spec was 17 ft-lb. I don't have a lot of faith in feel.

That said, when working on regulators, you should ask yourself why there is a torque spec. On hoses and plugs, there is a spec of about 45 in-lb. That is just tight enough to not come loose and it is easy (and good practice) to check by hand. I don't worry about those. I go finger tight and then 1/8th to 1/4th turn depending on the age of the o-ring (new ones take a bit more). But I do put a torque wrench on the "Jesus nut" that holds the turret, if your reg has one. My Scubapro Mk5s have a fairly light spec of 35 to 45 in-lb and that connection is inaccessible when done. Newer regs are a bit heavier, like 70 to 80 in-lb so may not be as critical. I also torque the yoke/din retainer. For Scubapro, the spec is higher than most at 22 ft-lb (or 23 to 27 depending on where you look). That is much more than needed to make the seal but that is a connection that can be moved when you (or the boat mate) handle your set-up. I suspect that a good hose lift may have contributed to the Scubapro recall on the Mk20 that was blamed on over-torquing of the yoke nut. Since sliding friction is less than static friction, it is easier to get that connection moving at lower torque setting than higher. BTW, many Mk10s have the same yoke retainer as was involved in the Mk20 recall.