DIY SP reg service

[wgmontgomery]

Actually, the more that I look at that auction the less I think it's what akdeepdiver meant. It's only one disc & the book d/n look thick enough to cover that much info.

 

[uncfnp]

For the Mk25 and 250 minimum.

Scubatools multitool Scubapro Multi-Tool, Aluminum

MK 25 tool. Scubapro Mk20/Mk25 Assembly Tool

Set of Allen wrenches

Adjustable or a set of general wrenches.

Set of screw drivers.

A set of picks.

IP gauge

Christolube or similar O2 compatible

Online schematics and repair guides.

This book. SCUBA REGULATOR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR by Vance Harlow

Also consider this First Stage Handle, Heavy Duty, Brass

If you have a yoke stage I would add a yoke socket.

I also like Scubatools inline adjusting tool but for one second stage it is definitely not necessary.Dual Drive Inline Adjusting Tool

The hard part will be the actual service kits.

 

[uncfnp]

The Official list curtesy of Scubatools

 

[2airishuman]

The hard part will be the actual service kits.

Scubapro appears to maintain fairly tight control over the distribution of service kits and parts. They are sold only to dealers, who aren't supposed to sell them unless their authorized tech installs them.

 

[uncfnp]

Scubapro appears to maintain fairly tight control over the distribution of service kits and parts. They are sold only to dealers, who aren't supposed to sell them unless their authorized tech installs them.

Yes. A friendly LDS. ebay and the occasional SB member. O rings can be had from other sources but finding the seats, those tiny orings on the poppet and other specialty parts, thats the killer.

For some of the older SP models, like the MK 10, you can find the seats pretty easily on ebay or from Trident. In fact, Vintage Double Hose has some after market kits including O2 ready.

 

[halocline]

FWIW-I was thinking of buying an old SP reg off of ebay just to play with/tear apart & put back together. I figured I should get some time on a reg that won't be able to kill me!

This is a great idea, but the FIRST thing that you need to do is forget about the "life support" nonsense and the idea that a regulator can kill you. If you are diving in such a way that a regulator failure means death, you are diving unsafely, period. Any regulator; new, old, cheap, expensive, can fail at any time for any reason. It's just a mechanical device. This is why the most basic principle of OW diving is that you always have access to air in some alternate way. Usually it means a buddy and/or the surface.

The "life support" BS was concocted by the scuba gear industry, manufacturers and dealers, to scare new divers into spending more money on higher-end regulators and to accept the absurd restrictive policies on parts sales and annual service requirements.

Learning to work on my own regulators was the best diving decision I've made and has saved me thousands of dollars over the years as well as added a new angle to the sport for me. Hopefully you'll have a similarly positive experience. Start with recognizing the fallacy of the dive gear sales/instruction machine.

There are people on this board that will help you and once you start working on the regs you realize how simple they are. It's fun.

 

[2airishuman]

One of the criteria I had when choosing regulators was a reliable source of service kits. My regs include a HOG D1 and classic second stage, Aqua-lung Conshelfs, and the metal Aqua-lung seconds that were sold as part of sets with the Conshelf, Calypso, and others.

HOG sells service kits to anyone. Getting the service manual is problematic however.

Conshelf service kits are widely available on ebay and from Vintage Double Hose, as are the service kits for the metal second stages. Service manual available online in PDF.

I also have a couple of Aqua-lung Cousteau 1st stages. Service kits are readily available but don't include a HP seat, which is a separate part, the supply of which is starting to tighten up.

 

[wgmontgomery]

halocline-if my reg screws-up at 250' or in an overhead enviroment I could be dead. I dive solo quite often, too. IMHO (opinions are OPINIONS; just b/c their yours/mine d/n make them FACTS) if you're doing rec diving failure shouldn't be catastrophic; under other conditions it could be. Yes, there's redundancy as an added safety measure, but I still consider them life support.

 

[wgmontgomery]

uncfnp-why that book over Regulator Savvy?
BTW-I lived most of my life in NC & REALLY miss it!

 

[uncfnp]

uncfnp-why that book over Regulator Savvy?
BTW-I lived most of my life in NC & REALLY miss it!

I have both and I actually recommend both. But I think of Reg Savvy as the bible of regulators and a great reference. It will teach you the theory behind the function as well as service. But as such its a bit of a dry read.

The Harlow is a great nuts and bolts manual. It teaches some theroy too. You do need to know the why's with the how's, but its a much more hands on read.

I love NC but its a crap shoot tryng to dive of our coast. Haven't made it yet!